By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Concord — Out of the gate, there was trouble in the water.
At least that’s what the record would have suggested.
Yet, as Concord boys basketball coach Matt Lehman guided his guys through the first five games of the season, and the 1-4 record, there was never really any sense of concern.
“That early competition was real good for us,” Lehman said Wednesday night. “We played some very solid teams right off the bat. I think, even at 1-4, we knew we had played some good teams and had done some good things.”
Lehman certainly challenged his guys, taking on Michigan Center, Vandercook Lake, Reading, Hanover-Horton and Dexter in the first five games.
The lone win was 63-40 drubbing of Reading.
“You can put together a schedule to go 20-0, and I don’t know what good that does for you,” Lehman said. “We played some tough teams, played in some tough games and got ready for the rest of the year.”
So, with those early games serving as a true test, and the reinstatement of Montez Brewer prior to the Dec. 28 Dexter contest, the Yellowjackets took off.
In fact, Dec. 28 was the last time the guys in purple and gold were on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
In the sixth game, overtime beckoned and Concord answered with a 54-48 victory.
Since that win, the Jackets have taken the floor eight more times, and won every single one of them.
“I think a lot of our success starts with the talent we have,” Lehman said. We have good players who have really bought in to what we do. We rebound well. We play good defense. We have lots of guys who can contribute.”
Brewer, who missed the first four games due to a Lehman inflicted suspension, has been nothing short of brilliant since returning.
He leads Concord in scoring (14 points per game), rebound (8.8), assists (4.3), steals (2.9), blocks (2.5) and, despite handling the ball so much, has committed just 11 total turnovers.
Still, for a team that averages nearly 70 points per game, Brewer is hardly a one-man show.
Se’Taveus Johnson is averaging 13.4 per game, while Zion Williams puts up 11.6.
“We’ve had a lot of guys contribute, guys that have stepped up at different times or come off the bench and given us some great minutes,” Lehman said. “The best way to describe this team is as one that’s extremely versatile. We have a number of guys who can play any position on the court.”
That, coupled with the lessons learned early on, has fueled the nine-game win streak the Yellowjackets currently find themselves in.
Their 8-0 record in the Big Eight has them one game up on Quincy.
Quincy’s only loss was a 63-48 decision to Concord Jan. 17.
The Yellowjackets return to action Friday against Union City (5-9) before taking on Springport (3-11) Feb. 14.
The Quincy rematch then comes Feb. 17.
The first goal is securing the conference title for a second year in a row.
The next goal is making a run at districts.
“We’re capable of heading into a tough district and making some noise,” Lehman said. “We have to get past a very good Napoleon team. Michigan Center is probably the best team in the county right now. Then you have Vandercook or Hanover. It’s a very tough path, but I’ll say this, I don’t see this group of guys backing down from any challenge. They are capable. They have the talent to win the district. We’ll see what happens. It’s about taking every practice and every game right now to get better.”
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports.
He’s also a Real Estate agent with Real Estate One, specializing with buyers and sellers throughout Michigan, from the Jackson area to metro Detroit. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu or by calling (313) 770-6365 with any inquiries.
