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Sports

Fast Start Leads Ferndale To District Victory

Harvey scores 22 to help Eagles advance to semifinals against Detroit Mumford.

WARREN – The Ferndale boys varsity basketball team didn’t look like a squad missing its top scorer on Monday night.

Guard Jordan Guinn hurt his left ankle in the second to last game of the regular season. With a walking boot on his left leg, the senior watched his teammates start the MHSAA playoffs with a flurry of offense.

Willie Harvey’s 22 points helped led the Eagles to a 73-45 over Warren Lincoln in the opening round of districts.

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“I drew a 15 foot circle on the board and I said, first quarter, I don’t want any shots outside of this,” Ferndale coach Tom Staton said. “I want to make sure we get Stretch (Willie Harvey) going early. As you can see, when he gets going; man, he gets going.”

The strategy paid off. The junior scored 10 points in the opening six minutes on a 16-5 Eagles run. The Abes didn’t have an answer for the 6-foot-5 Harvey’s size or speed.

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“He has that unique combination of not only being able to create his own shot, but to be able to finish,” Staton said. “One of the guys at the scorer’s table said; God, what a soft touch. I call that a buttery touch.”

Despite building that early lead, Ferndale never slowed the pace of the game down. Staton rotated guys early and often to help keep the fastbreaks going. His bench played well for extended stretches in the second and third quarter to put the game out of reach for Lincoln.

Jordan Ellis led all reserves with eight points. He scored four of those in the last 45 seconds of the half, and added an assist, to push the Eagles led to 21 points.

“I’m telling you, we felt good,” Staton said. “We finally had two days we could practice three hours, we practiced Saturday and Sunday, and had the gym. It was like heaven, man.”

The extra practice time helped the Eagles prepare knowing they’d be without Guinn for the district round. If Ferndale makes it to the regional finals, there’s a chance Guinn could play. He’ll be out for at least another two weeks with a severe ankle sprain.

Guinn broke the same ankle four weeks before the season, but x-rays didn’t show a break this time. And while he wasn’t in the lineup, he was certainly part of the team on Monday night.

He stood at the end of the bench cheering and yelling at his teammates for nearly the entire game.

“It sucks, but I’m going to always be there for my team, that’s what it’s all about,” Guinn said. “I would love to be out there, but I believe they can do it without me.”

Fellow senior Joe Baker understands what Guinn is going through. Baker had to sit out a semester as a transfer this season and watch for the first two months.   

Baker said the team is ready to step up so that Guinn hasn’t played his last game as an Eagle. 

“Everybody knows they need to pick up the weight now that Jordan is out,” Baker said. “Everybody has to do a lot more, not just one or two people, the whole team has to step up.”

Ferndale has a tough test in the semifinals against Detroit Mumford, one of the top teams in the Detroit Public School League. The game will be on Wednesday at Warren Lincoln at 5:30 p.m.

Notes – Anthony Rice and Baker also scored in double digits for the Eagles. Rice scored 10 points and Baker scored 11. Rice opened the season as the Eagles starting point guard, but over the last two months his playing time was reduced significantly. In the playoffs, the guard has recaptured his spot in the rotation. Staton said, “he’s my main option” at point guard.

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