Brandywine Girls Basketball

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March 20, 2013

Lady Bobcats Basketball • March 20, 2013

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Dear Coach Hood and Lady Cats:

On behalf of the Brandywine Board of Education, the staff,

the students, and the entire Brandywine community, I want

to thank you for a remarkable season. Your hard work, your

determination, your preparation, and your totally unselfish

commitment to teamwork have set an example and standard

for everyone to follow. To watch you work together on the

court and achieve your goals is truly a joy for any sports fan,

and a special treat for Brandywine folks.

In your entire basketball careers, winning games through

hard work and teamwork has been the norm. Nothing

can ever take away from the outstanding record you have

achieved, as one of the greatest of any sport of Brandywine,

in over fifty years of competition. In fact, your record of

four straight regional championships is not matched by any-

one else in Southwest Michigan’s rich history of basketball.

Thank you for making us all proud Bobcats! Go ‘Cats!

John Jarpe, Superintendent

Leading the way

Leader photo/File

Brandywine’s senior Mackenzie Shelton has helped the Bobcats go 95-7 the last four seasons.

By BOB OPPENHEIMNiles Daily Star

Brandywine High girls basketball player Mackenzie Shelton paid the price in her journey to excel as a point guard.

“When I was little in the third grade my dad (Mike) worked with me on my ball-handling skills,” said Mackenzie. “I used to hate doing those drills. I thought they were pointless. But it definitely paid off.”

Hard work has led to wins and individual honors for the Bobcat basketball standout. Entering this year’s Class C state quarterfinals, Shelton played a big part in Brandywine compiling a 95-7 record over the last four years. Behind the three-time first team All-Lake-land Conference selection, the Bobcats have also won four straight Lakeland Conference titles, four straight district titles and four straight regional titles. The Brandywine girls basketball program has won 47 straight conference games and 43 straight home games.

Through regional play this year, Shelton averaged nine points, seven assists and three steals a game.

But, Brandywine coach Josh Hood looks beyond the stats when talking about the impact that Shelton has had on the program.

“For four years I’ve been very fortunate to have an-other coach on the floor,” said Hood. “She plays bas-ketball year round and is just a leader with her actions. She’s been a role model for the younger kids to look up to. On weekends, she’s worked with the younger players at the lower levels. She doesn’t have to be there.”

Even when she hasn’t been on the court, Shelton has exhibited leadership skills. The 5-foot-8 floor gen-eral and captain missed three games this year because of a sprained ankle.

“She was on the bench cheering on her teammates,” Hood said. “She talked to her teammates about what offense and defense they needed to run.”

Shelton was thankful that her ankle wasn’t broken and that the injury took place during holiday break.

“I just tried to be a vocal leader,” Shelton said. “At practice, if I saw someone doing something wrong I pulled them aside with some suggestions. I tried to be another coach.”

Shelton helped erase doubts others had about this year’s team, which had to replace high scorers Carlie Newman and Madison Pellow. Brandywine had re-spect around the state with its 24-0 record and No. 2 ranking.

“This year has surprised me,” Shelton said. “No one thought we would go undefeated with the loss of Car-lie and Maddy. We have more balance offensively and we’re deeper this year. We don’t have a lot of post players, but our guards are athletic and fast and our freshman have stepped in and contributed.”

Shelton’s game has changed through the years, as she has become more of an all-around player.

“When she was younger, Mackenzie was more of a passer than a scorer,” Hood said. “She needs to score more now and she has the ability to realize when the team needs a player to step up.”

An example of that sense of urgency took place in the Class C regional final when Shelton scored five critical points after Brandywine had its lead against

Senior Mackenzie Shelton takes Brandywine to 95 victories in four years

Hartford sliced to five points.“She’s one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever

coached,” Hood said.That competitiveness has also been on display in

the classroom as Shelton owns a 4.0 grade-point aver-age and is the class valedictorian.

Lady Bobcats Basketball • March 20, 2013 Lady Bobcats Basketball • March 20, 2013

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Dear Lady Cats, It was March Madness, 48 years ago. I was 10 years old and despite how busy he was, my Dad took me to all the Brandywine games. Brandywine Boys had an average team that year, but something happened. Towards the end of the regular season, the team ignited and started winning. They won their last few regular season games, won all games in districts, and went on to lose in the Regional Finals at WMU. The experience was intoxicating -- the fans, the noise, the “Madness”! I remember attending the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade clinics at the high school put on by former coaches Don Knox and his assistant Gary Adams – but the tournament experience is what made me a lifer when it comes to Brandywine High School Basketball.

I really think there was a “butterfly effect” that has evolved since that time. Dad, Jim Shelton, liked the competition and

appreciated kids that worked hard on the court. I liked going to game with Dad… wI got popcorn! Later I played a little

ball myself – Mom and Dad went to those games and cheered me on. That kept me going and helped me learn about hard work and hustle. Our family’s love for the game then transcended to the kids. With seven of them, my adjunct coaching career started – 30 years ago with my oldest daughter, Kelly (YMCA 4th Grade

Basketball). I recall our most memorable game where the score ended 0-0. Josh, my stepson and now head coach

at Brandywine, was destined to be the smooth hitting, slick fielding shortstop on the baseball team – PRO was the goal! His mom, Kathleen, was upset with me for years for changing that focus from baseball to basketball… funny how things work out.

All the kids played with varying degrees of success, and basketball has truly become a Shelton family affair. It’s normal to see Grandpa and Grandma, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, and nieces and nephews at MacKenzie’s and Michael’s games. It has been an especially

incredible ride for the last 4 years with Mac and Josh, making history with 4 regional titles and a 95 & 7 record. Of course they didn’t do it by themselves. They had the support of a great school district and tremendous community support combined with committed assistant, JV, and Jr. High Coaches. The endless hours by parent volunteers, Midget League coaches, families, and fans are all integral parts of the Brandywine Basketball Family. But the real credit goes to these dedicated, hard-working girls. They work hard at every practice, watch hours of film,

play dozens of games every summer, and unselfishly improve the TEAM. And, although I face the end of MacKenzie’s career with

mixed emotions, I sincerely believe the best is yet to come for Brandywine Girls Basketball… especially if the 90 girls in pre-school through 6th grade who participated in Kiddy Cats this year have anything to say about it! Congratulations to each and every one of you, Lady Bobcats, for helping make this season so special, and good

luck to you in upcoming seasons. But as you all know, you make your own luck by preparing better than your opponents, by being ready when opportunity knocks, and by loving playing the game right. Thanks MacKenzie for all the great memories; thanks Josh for making it happen; and thanks Dad, for taking me to those games nearly 50 years ago – GO CATS! Brandywine Bobcat,

Mike SheltonYour FRESH Specialist!

Brother coach, sister player make it workBy BOB OPPENHEIM

Niles Daily Star

There’s a unique relationship between Brandywine High School girls basketball coach Josh Hood and sen-ior point guard Mackenzie Shelton.

Hood is Shelton’s older brother and the two have spent much of their lives focused on basketball since Hood coached Shelton when she was in the seventh grade at Brandywine Middle School.

At the beginning, there were some rough days be-tween the brother and sister.

“It was tough,” said Hood. “I’m a demanding coach. If we didn’t have the best practice we would have long talks in the car. It took a little awhile for Mackenzie to make the adjustment and realize that I wasn’t her big brother at that time. I was the coach.”

Shelton hasn’t forgotten those long days and the stern voice of her brother.

“He was pretty tough on me throughout my career,” said Shelton. “I talked back, especially when I was younger. But I deal better with it now. It’s amazing how much I’ve grown up since my freshman year.”

In her younger days, did Shelton ever consider quit-ting as a basketball player?

“I never talked about quitting,” Shelton said. “I nev-er got to a breaking point.”

Shelton realized that the biggest reason she got better as a basketball player was because of the instruction given by her brother.

“He was trying to make me the best player that I could be,” Shelton said.

Hood’s tough love has produced plenty of individual

and team honors for the 5-foot-8 Shelton. A three-time first team All-Lakeland Conference selection, Shelton has led the Bobcats to a 95-7 record during her four years on the varsity. Brandywine hasn’t lost a confer-ence, district or regional game during Shelton’s career. If you include junior high, Shelton and Hood have a 118-7 combined record.

“It’s been very satisfying for me to see Mackenzie get better through her hard work,” Hood said.

Hood cherishes even more the even greater bond that has developed within the family.

“We’re so close,” Hood said. “She’s with me and my five-year old daughter almost every night. It’s fun to see my daughter look up to Mackenzie. My daughter tries to emulate Mackenzie. She wears black socks like Mackenzie.”

The times after practices and game between brother and sister have become much more special as Shelton winds down her high school career.

“We’re always together,” Shelton said. “We talk a lot about basketball and about the next opponent coming up. We’re a very close family. I want to be a coach someday like my brother. In the last six years my broth-er has helped me tremendously. It will be hard leaving my family when I go off to college.”

“It’s a dream to get the opportunity to coach a sister, a brother or a child,” Hood said. “It’s hard to reflect now on coaching my sister, but down the road it will be fun to look back. To share success with a family mem-ber has been amazing.”

Leader photo/File

Brandywine coach Josh Hood hugs sister Mackenzie Shelton following regional title victory.

Josh Hood, Mackenzie Shelton learn to seperate on-court, off-court time

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Freshmen play key role in ’Cats successBy AMELIO

RODRIGUEZNiles Daily Star

The success of the Bob-cats over the last five sea-sons can be attributed to more than just senior leader-ship and upper classmen within the program.

Over the last five seasons the Bobcats have seen Carlie Newman, Madison Pellow, Mackenzie Shelton, Rachael Ort and Brooke Smith all contribute to the success of the program as freshmen.

This season Brandywine had three freshmen on the varsity team and all three of them played and contributed significant minutes each and every game.

Emily Erwin, and twin sisters Makenna and Michae-la Hartline, were the under classmen that contributed to the success of this year’s var-sity team.

“We knew when these girls were sixth graders that we had high expectations for this group of girls,” Brandy-wine coach Josh Hood said. “These three girls really fit the style we want to play.

Makenna Hartline, Emily Erwin, Michaela Hartline

They are fast, athletic and they don’t have a conscience on the court. On the court they seem like upper classmen, not freshmen, they have an attitude about them. We call it a swagger, and they have that swagger,

that confidence that most freshmen don’t have.”

These freshmen are not part of the team just to add a little depth, or to provide a breather for upper classmen. These girls are a part of the team, because they can

play and they all see sig-nificant playing time.

In fact, in the Class C District final against Wa-tervliet, after the Bobcats had blown a 17-point second half lead, with the game tied at 41-41 in the fourth quarter and the

district title on the line, Brandywine had these girls in the game and managed to reclaim the lead and hang on to it for the victory.

It was not unusual to see coach Hood go to the bench often in games

and, usually, when he would, the team would take on a dif-ferent dimension as it would usually consist of the three freshmen along with juniors Tia Hullinger and Tammy Lee.

“They are a spark, and even our upper classmen will tell you, our fastest group is when those three freshmen are out there. They cause havoc,” Hood said.

“He (coach Hood) expects us to be just as good as the starters when we enter the game. He has confidence in us,” Makenna Hartline said.

While the Bobcats will be losing senior starters in Shel-ton, Victoria Knight and Ort, the future still looks pretty bright with these three lead-ing the way for the Lady Bobcats.

“It’s been a very big op-portunity for us and it’s been very exciting for us to be a part of this team,” said Er-win.

While there will be some key players back next year, Lee, Smith and Hullinger; this team is going to go as far as these three freshmen can take it.


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Paying it forwardBy JASON LANDSTROM

Niles Daily Star

The Brandywine girls basketball team is perhaps best known for its unrelenting and swarming defense, or maybe more so for its intricate extra ball movement oriented offense.

Even more likely still is the fact that it’s so well known because of the beat-downs it doled out on a seemingly night-ly basis.

But to the beneficiaries of the Brian Parker Foundation and the veterans and active military men and women who were treated to a free game and dinner for the girls’ R.E.D. (Remembering Eve-ryone Deployed) game they are best known for their charitable hearts.

On Jan. 4, the Bobcats took all of the proceeds of a spaghetti dinner held be-fore a home against Buchanan to donate to the Brian Parker Foundation, which helps provide educational materials, re-search grants and monetary assistance and support to those who are stricken

with cancer. Brandywine also donated $2 from every ticket of admission sold that evening to the foundation. In all, it amassed $2,538 for the cause.

The Lady Cats held their inaugural R.E.D. game on Dec, 21 when they host-ed the Hartford Indians. The event brought in dozens of active service men and women and veterans alike. The girls wore special red uniforms to commemo-rate the event and honor the people for which it was held.

Bobcat coach Josh Hood said the games were his team’s way of thanking the community for the support the team receives on an almost daily basis.

“This community has given us so much support over the years and our girls were really into the idea of giving something back,” he said.

“That is who they are, and that is how we want to be as a program. Between the coaches, players, parents and communi-ty, we are one big family and we wanted to show how much our family meant to us.”

Brandywine raises money for Brian Parker Foundation, holds game to honor military men and women in 2013

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CONGRATS LADY CATS! Ministers of DefenseBy BOB OPPENHEIM

Niles Daily Star

Josh Hood was a fan of girls bas-ketball when he was the boys bas-ketball coach at Coloma and Cas-

sopolis.He wasn’t a fan of what he saw on the

scoreboard.“Every game I went to the scores were

in the 30s,” said Hood.Hood didn’t want that to happen when

he became the Brandywine girls basket-ball coach four years ago.

Hood felt the best way to light up the scoreboard was to turn up the defensive pressure. In his first year coaching the Bobcats, Hood designed a defense much like the defense played by the Bridgman boys basketball program under coach Mike Miller.

“Miller’s teams did a great job of trap-ping at the halfcourt line,” Hood said. “In my first year at Brandywine we did that.”

The move paid off for the Bobcats as Brandywine advanced to the Class C

state semifinals.After a loss in the semifinals to St. Ig-

nace, Hood decided to make another change to his team’s defense.

“I wondered what would happen if we put constant pressure on the ball like St. Ignace,” Hood said. “St. Ignace has had a lot of success with its fullcourt pressure, man-to-man defense. We’ve emulated their style of defense and tweaked it each year to maximize the pressure areas.

“We’re the only team in the area that plays that kind of defense. It’s hard to simulate what we do.”

That defense has propelled Brandy-wine to four straight Lakeland Confer-ence, four straight district and four straight regional titles. This past year, the Bobcats allowed only 31 points a game and forced over 35 turnovers in eight games in finishing 24-1.

“It says a lot about the kids that we have,” Hood said. “They’d rather have steals than score points.”

Many of those steals have turned into

Constant pressure on opponents a key to success

See DEFENSE, page 7


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points for Brandywine, which averaged almost 58 points this year, and that num-ber is deceiving.

“In 15 to 20 games we didn’t press af-ter the third quarter because we had such a big lead,” Hood said.

Hood says that about 70 percent of Brandywine’s 3-pointers didn’t come out of offensive sets.

“We got 3-pointers off our turnovers,” Hood said. “We spend 80-percent of our time in practice on defense. Our defense creates our offense. We want to freelance on offense and get the quickest shot pos-sible on offense. Our girls take pride in playing defense.”

Assistant coaches Kalie Newman, Nicole Newman, Staci Balos and Diane Smith have helped players learn early and continue to grow in Hood’s complex defense.

“My assistant coaches relate to the kids and are great role models,” Hood said. “A head coach never gets enough advice. I respect the knowlege of the coaches on my staff. It takes more than one person to build a program. Our sys-tem has to be put in at an early age. We implement our program in the sixth grade.”

Brandywine’s players are in great con-dition to run the aggressive defense.

“We run a lot in our practices,” Hood said. “We don’t stop and run sprints.”

Building depth is also a factor in Bran-dywine’s success on defense.

“Our kids want to have success and would rather play 18 minutes than 32

minutes,” Hood said. “One thing about our program is that we have to have depth. We just can’t play six kids in a game. We have to eight, nine or 10. Kalie (Newman) and Nicole (Newman) do the coaching job of subbing and keeping kids fresh.”

Tammy Lee, who the past two years played at Cassopolis, learned Brandy-wine’s defensive scheme last summer when Brandywine’s players were at the Nationals’ Tournament.

“Brandywine’s defense is played at a much faster pace than at Cassopolis,” Lee said. “There’s more man-to-man and trapping at Brandywine. We’re successful because we have each other’s backs and communicate a lot. It’s hard for teams to get the ball up court and inside because of our face guarding.”

Lee says the team has a defensive goal for each game, which motivates them to succeed.

“We never want a team to score 50 or more points,” Lee said. “If that happens we felt we were slacking.”

DEFENSEContinued from page 6


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How to build a successful high school programBy JASON

LANDSTROMNiles Daily Star

Four years ago, the Brandywine girls basket-ball team was coming off a district championship.

T h e B o b c a t s h a d stepped out of the shadow of mediocrity with the win.

Four years later, Bran-dywine has won four straight Lakeland Confer-ence championships, five straight district champion-ships and an area record four consecutive regional titles.

So how did this all hap-pen?

Part of it is the Bobcats have had some very tal-ented players for the past five years. Part of it is hard work, especially in the summer time when others are spending time on vacation or at the beach.

Part of it is Brandywine coach Josh Hood, who re-tooled his team each sea-son to fit the type of play-ers he had available to him and his staff.

“It starts with the won-derful and brilliant coach-es who’ve been there eve-ry step of the way, ” Hood said. “Kalie, Tina and Nicole Newman, Staci and Derek Balos, Diane Smith and Katie Small-wood, we couldn’t have done any of this without them.”

From there, he pointed towards Brandywine’s cleverly named “Kiddy Cats” youth program as another key contributor to his program’s successful ways.

“When we started here the youth program had 19 kids. It now has 97. All of our coaches ref the kid’s games, the kid’s parents themselves coach and our girls help the kids out eve-ry chance they get. It builds a wonderful sense of support both for the youth program and in turn our girls at the upper lev-els. It plays a huge role in what we do,” Hood said.

Hood agreed that even though there were several factors (each one variant in nature) that went into the program ascending to

Leader photo/File

Brandywine has now won five consecutive Class C District championships.the level it finds itself on today, the central reason for the dynastical feel of the last four years came about simply because of each and every player’s will and determination to do whatever it took to win and sustain success.

“I’ve had some great players here who were willing to work very hard. Brandywine basketball is no longer a four month sport, it is a year round one. These kids’ work their butts off on every level. They don’t take

breaks and they don’t ever quit. Their attitudes are infectious of one another and they all want to win, it’s a pleasure to coach kids like that.”

In the last four years the community has had a front-row view of what

happens when a group of kids’ hard work, determi-nation, self-awareness, unity and knowledge all come together in working toward a single goal.

Precedents get set, re-cords get re-written and traditions begin.

Brandywine Girls Basketball

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