There’s a sense of familiarity as the girls basketball team heads into quarterfinal action in the state playoffs.
The Chiefs (23-2) face Midland (22-2) at Davison High School tonight at 7 p.m.
Last year, Canton beat Midland Dow, 53-36, in the quarterfinals at Davison. The Chiefs then lost to Detroit Renaissance, 50-47, in the Class A semifinals at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
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“The stakes are so high, we’re going to be nervous no matter the circumstances,” Canton senior Kayla Bridges said. “Hopefully, our experience will keep us a step ahead of them.”
For the five seniors on the Canton squad, this is but a stride toward a larger goal.
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“Last year, getting to the Final Four is not what we wanted,” Bridges said. “Still, we were able to come away with a little satisfaction because getting to the semifinals is a big achievement and it’s something to be proud of. This year, it’s not going to be enough. We have our eyes on the trophy and anything less than a state championship will be a disappointment.”
Midland should prove to be a good challenge for the Chiefs as the Chemics play a similar style of basketball.
“They’re long and athletic,” Canton coach Brian Samulski. “They like to go inside, they have good balance and all five starters are pretty solid. They’re a lot like us. They play defense and they rebound.”
Samulski and the Chiefs went over Midland’s offensive plays during practice Monday to get a feel for what to expect.
“We have six players who’ve done this before,” Samulski said. “The quarters are at Davison again. We were there last year in the same gym. Hopefully, this plays to our advantage.”
Canton senior Kari Schmitt said she’s not nervous for tonight’s game.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “We’re trying to get back to the Breslin. That’s a big goal for us, to get there and do well.”
Should Canton win, it will face the winner of Detroit Pershing versus Inkster. Detroit Renaissance, Warren Regina, Grand Haven and East Lansing make up the other half of the quarterfinal bracket.
“All of us want to win it all this year,” Canton senior Sara Schmitt said. “This is our last chance.”
