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November 29, 20054 area teams in quartersFrankfort plays Leland in TC todayTRAVERSE CITY - Tim Reznich finally enjoyed a Thanksgiving weekend."I was able to celebrate without having that pit in my stomach," the Frankfort girls basketball coach said. After two near misses, the Panthers won the school's first Class D regional title last Wednesday with a 49-25 win over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. Next up: Leland in tonight's quarterfinal at Traverse City Central. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. Also on tap tonight: A Class C quarterfinal showdown between Kingsley (23-1) and Houghton (22-2) at Petoskey and a Class B matchup between Cheboygan (24-1) and Muskegon Orchard View (17-7) at Houghton Lake. Frankfort and Kingsley shared the Northwest Conference championship this season. "We're thrilled and excited to have this opportunity to still be playing after Thanksgiving," Reznich said. "That (regional) was a big hurdle for us." The 23-2 Panthers face an opponent with a history of tournament success. Leland, which has won three state championships under Larry Glass, is coming off its third consecutive regional title after beating Gaylord St. Mary 37-32. Frankfort and Leland met early in the regular season with the Panthers prevailing, 47-19. "I felt all along that Frankfort was one of the three best teams in northern Michigan, along with Traverse City West and Kingsley," Glass said. "They've certainly earned what they've gotten. Tim does a good job. They don't beat themselves." Glass said the Comets are a better team than what they showed in their first game with Frankfort. Reznich believes so, too. He's not taking anything for granted. "It's no accident Leland has three championship banners hanging in its gym," he said. "Larry Glass is one of the best. He knows how to get the most out of his players. His team is playing extremely well - at the right time of the year." Three All-State players will be on the court tonight. Frankfort's Brenna Banktson and Jenny Loney and Leland's Alisha Glass were selected to the Class D team. The 5-foot-10 Banktson leads the Panthers in scoring (19 a game), rebounding (10) and assists (3.5). Loney, a 6-foot senior, is second in scoring (16 a game) and rebounding (7.0). Glass, who will play volleyball at Penn State, tops the Comets in scoring (15.9 a game), rebounding (8.9), blocks (3.3) and steals (2.6). Kingsley, meanwhile, is hoping to build on the excitement generated by the football team's state championship win over the weekend. "I wish we were tipping off right now," Kingsley coach Matt Schelich said. "I have so much nervous energy - I haven't slept in a couple days. I'm ready to rock." So, he believes, are his Lady Stags. "We're focused and ready to go," he said. Houghton beat Iron Mountain 55-38 and Negaunee 52-44 to claim its regional at Marquette. The Gremlins, whose only two losses were to Class A Marquette, hit six three-pointers in the first half in taking a commanding 32-17 lead over Negaunee in the championship game. Junior forward Nicole Asiala connected on three of those triples. Houghton's led by point guard Alyssa Polso, who netted 18 against Negaunee, and the Asiala twins - Nicole and Brooke. "They're solid players," Schelich said. "They can light it up." But defense has been a Kingsley staple this season and the Lady Stags have stepped it up on that end in the tournament. "The name of our offense is defense," Schelich said. Kingsley is led by Jill Walton, who averaged 20 points a game during the regular season. Walton's been held below her average in the post-season, but her teammates have responded. "We're putting three to four players in double figures every game," Schelich said. "We've had good balance."
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