Thoughts heading into Friday's girls basketball district final between Onaway, Inland Lakes
ONAWAY – Here we go again.
Onaway and Inland Lakes, two M-68 rivals, will battle it out for a district championship. This time, it will be the girls who clash in a 6 p.m. MHSAA Division 4 title game in Onaway.
It wasn’t an easy path to the final for either team, as both squeaked by their semifinal opponents, but here they are. So, as this title showdown approaches, here’s some thoughts I have heading into it.
Which offense will prevail?
As we’ve seen all season, the Cardinals (16-8) and Bulldogs (17-6) are two outstanding defensive teams. For Inland Lakes, its defense was a main reason why it won a first Ski Valley Conference title in 20 years earlier this campaign, while Onaway’s defense was pivotal late in Wednesday’s triumph over Rogers City.
As good as these defenses are, what about the offenses? In the semifinal games, neither the Bulldogs nor Cardinals could really ramp up their scoring the way they wanted to, and it almost cost them.
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What I’m looking for in this matchup is who executes better offensively. There have been stretches where both squads have been solid when it comes to scoring, but it needs to be more consistent for either side. I see this being another low-scoring battle like it was for each on Wednesday, but every possession will feel crucial in this one.
What star will have the big night?
For both the Cardinals and Bulldogs, they didn’t see one player really explode during their semifinal wins, but I think if either wants to win here, the stars need to show up.
When it comes to the Cardinals, juniors Kailyn George and Charlotte Box will be important in a game like this, especially with Onaway relying a lot on guard play. Joining them is sophomore Marley Szymoniak, who was one of Wednesday's standouts. All three can play defense, but they’ll need more scoring if they want to top their rivals.
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The same can be said about the Bulldogs, whose main guards, Chloe Robinson and Brooklyn LaBrecque, didn’t find much success against NMCA, as both were in foul trouble for much of the evening. Sophomore guard Molly Monthei, who had a huge fourth quarter on Wednesday, is another one capable of lifting the Bulldogs. Whoever wins the guard battle will likely prevail on Friday.
Some history on the line
What makes this matchup unique is what’s at stake here. The Cardinals are aiming for their first district championship win since 2006, and the Bulldogs are seeking a second consecutive title following their first win in over 30 years last season.
Inland Lakes coach Daryl Vizina and the Bulldogs have had Onaway’s number recently, sweeping them the last two seasons, but Onaway coach John George and the Cardinals will be highly motivated to end a long drought and make history.
This is always a fun matchup, and when there’s so much on the line, it makes it that much better.
Friday night should be a blast, folks.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Looking ahead to Friday's girls basketball district final between Onaway, Inland Lakes
