March 4th, 2008 Doug Donnelly
To read the game stories from Monday’s Ida, Flat Rock and Whiteford games, visit www.monroenews.com after noon today.
To read about Whiteford’s game from the Jackson Citizen-Patriot, go to http://www.mlive.com/highschool/citpat/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1204643136260670.xml&coll=3
or visit http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080304/SPORTS06/803040396/-1/SPORTS
Also, there are some video clips of DuPree’s two game-winning baskets on www.youtube.com — type in Josh DuPree in the search window.
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March 3rd, 2008 Doug Donnelly
Whiteford won just its second Regional game in school history Monday, defeating Napoleon 51-49 in overtime.
Josh DuPree, for the second time in two games, hit the game winner — this time with 4.6 seconds left.
The Bobcats won the District title Friday when DuPree hit a buzzer beater over Madison.
The Bobcats came from behind for the third time in four games.
Whiteford trailed 27-16 at halftime before mounting a comeback.It was 30-23 at the end of the third quarter.
Dave Gust scored four points and Greg Keeling hit two free throws to cut the lead to 36-29 with 5:30 to play when Whiteford called a timeout.
A Keeling jumper and Dave Gust basked cut it to 3 points with 4:35 left. After fine Napoleon guard Marshawn Norris hit a jumper, Josh DuPree hit a three-pointer and a free throw, Joel Bunge hit a driving shot in the lane to give Whiteford its first lead of the game at 39-38 with 2:43 left. Whiteford was up 41-38 and got the ball back on a Pirate turnover with 2:12 to play. It took more than a minute off the clock before heading to the free throw line.
After a miss, Norris tied the game with an incredible, off-balance triple with :46 seconds left. The Bobcats missed a shot at the buzzer to end regulation.
Norris came out and nailed two straight baskets and the Pirates had a 45-41 lead with 2:45 left. Then came another Bobcat comeback.
Jake DuPree hit a 3-pointer with 2:28 left. Gust then hit two straight baskets and turned the four point deficit into a three-point Bobcat lead — its biggest lead of the game. After David French cut the lead to two, Bunge made it a two point game with :39 left with a free throw. When Norris tied it again with 22 seconds left, the game appeared to be headed into overtime when Josh DuPree got the ball and the rest of the Bobcats cleared out. He took the ball right to the hole and scored over top of three Pirate defenders.
Napoleon got off a shot at the buzzer but it missed and the 21-3 Pirates’ season was over.
Gust scored 20 points and Josh DuPree 15 to lead Whiteford.
The Bobcats will play Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard in the Regional final at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Adrian Madison.
Whiteford’s only other Regional win came in 1986 when it defeated Camden Frontier in the Class D Regional semifinals.
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March 3rd, 2008 Doug Donnelly
Previewing the Regional games involving area teams:
http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080302/SPORTS/837072417
Jackson Citizen-Patriot writer Mike Pryson predicts a Napoleon-Hanover Horton Regional final:
http://www.mlive.com/highschool/citpat/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1204455927241630.xml&coll=3&thispage=1
Fans can listen to the Whiteford-Napoleon game on the Internet at www.k1053.com. You might be able to pick up the station from inside Madison’s gymnasium, too.
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March 2nd, 2008 Doug Donnelly
Ron Montri offers a preview of Monday’s Regional semifinal games in today’s Evening News. Be sure to check it out.What I found most amazing about Friday night was how the best players in the region — Josh DuPree of Whiteford, Nic Jobe of Ida and Devon Crain of Flat Rock — all came up huge in tremendous District final games. Evening News staff member Jason Haupricht told me how he was at the Ida game Friday and Kris Hubbard — Whiteford’s longtime coach and wife of Ida varsity boys basketball assistant coach Mark Hubbard — was cheering when Whiteford’s DuPree hit the game winner against Madison. She was listening in on the Adrian radio station WLEN (103.9 FM). Less than a minute later, Jobe hit his game-winner.How cool was it to read in Saturday’s Evening News that two of the best players in the Region hit game-winning shots for their respective teams. And, who would have thought Flat Rock would knock off Grosse Ile twice this season?Congratulations to the teams. Can’t wait for Monday night. I’ll post some pre-game information on the Whiteford-Napoleon game later.Â
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