Portland St. Patrick vs. Fulton – – Boys Basketball – – MHSAA Division 4 District Tournament – – The Bleacher Denizen – – March 6, 2023 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, your Bleacher Denizen is going to traverse the entire mile from his home in South Lansing to Lansing Christian High School to cover the District Semifinal between the Pirates of Fulton and the Shamrocks of Portland St. Patrick.

While we wait for the game to start, I hope you will enjoy this original Christian tune (written with help from my father) from my You Tube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYixQ0OWsd4

As you can imagine, I was able to get to Lansing Christian High School with minimal difficulty.

As I’ve seen both of these teams a number of times this year, here is my best attempt at an introduction of the players.

Fulton’s Pirates enter the game with an 11-11 record. Bruce Thelen is usually their leading scorer. He is an all-state football player whose athletic ability translates well onto the basketball court. He is a fine defender either on the perimeter or in the post. He is an excellent ball handler who runs the point and makes few errors doing so. He is able to score from the three point line or use his athletic ability to get inside where his quickness and strength allow him to frequently overwhelm opposing defenders.

Zach Saller is tall enough to rebound and defend in the post and quick enough to cover people on the perimeter. He can get hot from the three point line. Jadon Podolak is a dependable perimeter defender and ball handler who is another Pirate threat from the three point line.

Dezmond Blair is a big guy who plays tough in the post, especially on defense. Thomas Thelen defends well and can help on the perimeter or in the post. Ian Lamkin has had several games where he has made some three point shot. Donovan Shinaver competes well near the basket and draws his share of fouls from the opposition.

Portland St. Patrick’s Shamrocks enter the game with a 6-14 record. Brayden Simon is a fine athlete who rebounds and defends well in the lane. He can also switch out to the perimeter and defend effectively. Landon Simpson is a fine perimeter defender and ball handler who give the Shamrocks a threat from the three point line. Alex Fedewa is a fine three point shooter who adds toughness to the Shamrock defends whether in the post or on the perimeter.

Devin Cook is tough in the post where he defends and rebounds well. Jerryd Scheurer may be an eighth grader as far as his age, but he is a point guard as far as his basketball skills are concerned. He plays with a great deal of confidence; he handles the ball and does not turn it over much. He is really creative about finding ways to get the ball to his teammates. He is a solid scorer who can shoot from the three point line and can be really creative about scoring near the basket.

Payton Russman is a tough player who defends well and is good at driving to the basket. Charlie Thelen has a fine basketball IQ and is an excellent three point shooter. Nathan Fears and Mason Simon provide solid perimeter defense. Davide Cannilla is an exchange student who is an excellent teammate who works hard in practice to help his teammates improve.

While I don’t ordinarily mention the starters as most of them appear either for doing plays or in the early part (above) where coaches let me know how well players do. But St. Patrick has started one eighth grader, Jerryd Scheurer, one ninth grader, Charlie Thelen, one tenth grader, Brayden Simon, one junior, Devin Cook, and one senior Alex Fedewa. I have never seen a team start someone from five different grades before.

To give Fulton equal time, their starters are seniors Bruce Thelen, Zach Saller and Jadon Podolak along with junior Thomas Thelen and freshman Parker Billings.

It is now time to review the events of this game through the recently cleaned (within the last six months) lenses of an aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to escape church league when he attempted to play basketball in ancient times. He was making great strides as a dunker when the basketball powers that be abruptly decreed that the rim should be raised from five feet to ten feet. (They could have at least allowed me to use a pogo stick to get a fair chance at continuing as a dunker. Sigh.)

Fulton wins the opening tap. The Pirates miss a three pointer from the side. Thomas Thelen gets the offensive rebound for Fulton. The Pirates miss a three pointer from the side. St. Patrick reciprocates and misses a three pointer from the side. A Fulton outlet pass goes out of bounds. Parker Billings steals a Shamrock pass. Fulton misses a three point shot from the corner.

St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the wing. Thomas Thelen passes to Bruce Thelen, who hits a layup to score the first two points of the game for Fulton. Bruce Thelen knocks the ball out of bounds; St. Patrick retains possession. Charlie Thelen drives and hits a layup for St. Patrick to tie the game at 2-2.

Landon Simpson gets his hand on the ball and it goes out of bounds; Fulton retains possession. Jadon Podolak drives and dishes the ball to Parker Billings, who hits a layup for Fulton. St. Patrick misses a threeball from the wing. Jadon Podolak passes to Zach Saller, who throws in a threeball from the top of the key to give his Pirates a 7-2 lead.

Thomas Thelen knocks the ball away from the Shamrocks, but St. Patrick is able to recover. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Brayden Simon, who is fouled as he shoots a layup. Brayden Simon hits one of his two free throws to trim the Fulton lead to 7-3 with 3:43 to play in the first quarter.

Jadon Podolak passes to Zach Saller, who hits a three point shot from the corner to push Fulton to a 10-3 lead.

Jadon Podolak knocks the ball away from St. Patrick and Zach Saller picks it up for Fulton. Fulton misses a three point shot from the wing. Jerryd Scheurer hits a three point shot off the dribble from the top of the key for St. Patrick. Fulton misses a driving layup. Parker Billings gets the offensive rebound for the Pirates. Fulton misses a layup. Parker Billings dives and causes a tieup.

The Possession Arrow was watering its tulips and missed the play. The ball is awarded to St. Patrick. St. Patrick misses a threeball from the top of the key. Landon Simpson passes to Charlie Thelen, who hits a three point shot from the wing to chop the Fulton lead to 10-9.

Fulton misses a three point shot from the side. St. Patrick reciprocates and misses a three point shot from the side. Fulton misses a threeball from the corner. Zach Saller knocks the offensive rebound to Jadon Podolak and the Pirates get the ball back. Fulton misses a jump shot from the free throw line. St. Patrick misses a twelve foot shot off the dribble from the baseline as the buzzer announces the end of the first quarter.

After one quarter, Fulton holds a 10-9 lead.

Fulton has the ball to begin the second quarter. The Pirates bounce a pass out of bounds. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the wing. Fulton misses a three point shot from the wing. Bruce Thelen prevents the rebound from going out of bounds and knocks the ball to a Pirate teammate to preserve Fulton’s possession. Bryson Sattler passes to Thomas Thelen, who hits a layup to give Fulton a 12-9 lead.

St. Patrick inbounds the ball to ball to Brayden Simon, who hits a three point shot from the top of the key for the Shamrocks to tie the game. Fulton misses a threeball from the corner. Bryson Sattler gets the offensive rebound for the Pirates. Charlie Thelen knocks a Pirate pass out of bounds; Fulton retains possession. Ian Lamkin inbounds the ball to a Pirate teammate who is fouled on a layup, but misses both his free throws. With 5:46 to go in the first half, the game remains tied at 12-12.

St. Patrick misses a layup. Jadon Podolak passes to Bryson Sattler, who hits a layup for Fulton. Charlie Thelen drives and hits a layup for St. Patrick to tie the game back up. A double foul is called; Fulton retains possession. Fulton misses a six foot shot in the lane. Brayden Simon spins and hits a layup to give St. Patrick a 16-14 lead.

Fulton misses a three point shot from the corner. Parker Billings hits a putback for Fulton to tie the game. St. Patrick misses a fifteen foot shot from the baseline. Parker Billings passes to Ian Lamkin, who hits a three point shot from the side to give Fulton a three point lead. Jerryd Scheurer responds with a three point basket from the top of the key for St. Patrick to tie the game at 19-19.

Payton Russman steals the ball for the Shamrocks. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the wing. Jadon Podolak passes to Ian Lamkin, who hits a three point shot from the corner to give Fulton the lead.

St. Patrick misses a layup. Fulton misses a three point shot from the corner. Jadon Podolak gets the offensive rebound for the Pirates. Landon Simpson knocks the ball away from Fulton and Brayden Simon picks it up for St. Patrick. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the side. Fulton is fouled on the rebound, but misses the first shot of a one and one free throw opportunity. With 1:35 to play in the first half, Fulton has a 22-19 lead.

Jadon Podolak knocks a Shamrock pass out of bounds. St. Patrick retains possession. Jerryd Scheurer dribbles to the free throw elbow and throws a one handed scoop shot through the hoop to slash the Fulton lead to one point.

Fulton misses a three point shot from the side. St. Patrick reciprocates and misses a three point shot from the side. The rebound goes out of bounds and Fulton takes possession. Fulton throws a pass too high and out of bounds. Parker Billings knocks a Shamrock pass out of bounds; St. Patrick now has only .6 of a second to try to shoot. St. Patrick completes a full court pass, but misses an eight foot shot from the wing as the halftime buzzer announces its presence.

At halftime, Fulton holds a 22-21 lead.

Zach Saller and Ian Lamkin each have 6 points to lead Fulton’s scoring.

Jerryd Scheurer has 8 points to lead St. Patrick at halftime. Charlie Thelen has 7 points and Brayden Simon has 6 points as three players have done all the Shamrock scoring through the first two quarters.

Lansing Christian, who is hosting this event plays some lively music at halftime. As most of you reading can’t hear the music, here is a tried, but true Christian Standard from my You Tube Channel that I hope you will enjoy!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0IFWZLHHuc

St. Patrick inbounds the ball to get quarter number three underway. Bruce Thelen draws a charging foul from the Shamrocks. Fulton is whistled for a traveling violation. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the corner. Alex Fedewa gets his hand on the rebound and Fulton loses it out of bounds. Alex Fedewa passes to Charlie Thelen, who is fouled on a layup and hits one of his two free throws to tie the game at 22-22 with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Jadon Podolak passes to Zach Saller, who hits a three point shot from the corner to give the lead back to Fulton. Zach Saller steals the ball for the Pirates. Charlie Thelen gets his hand on the ball and a Fulton dribbler loses the ball out of bounds. Fulton’s tough defense causes St. Patrick to turn the ball over when they fail to inbound the ball in the required five seconds. Fulton misses a three point shot from the side. Parker Billings hits a putback for the Pirates. He is fouled on the play, but misses his free throw. With 6:12 to play in the third quarter, Fulton has a 27-22 lead.

Brayden Simon passes to Charlie Thelen, who pours in a threeball from the side for St. Patrick. Parker Billings is fouled on a layup and hits two free throws to give Fulton a 29-25 lead with 5:47 left in the quarter.

Parker Billings steals a Shamrock pass. Zach Saller passes to Parker Billings for a Fulton layup. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Brayden Simon, who hits a three point shot from the wing for the Shamrocks. Fulton misses a three point shot from the side. Parker Billings gets the offensive rebound for the Pirates. Fulton misses a three pointer from the side. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the side; the rebound goes out of bounds and Fulton takes possession.

Jerryd Scheurer steals a Fulton pass. The Shamrocks commit a traveling violation. Fulton misses a layup. Charlie Thelen drives from the side and hits a layup to cut the Fulton lead to 31-30.

Parker Billings passes to Jadon Podolak, who hits a three point shot from the wing for Fulton. St. Patrick misses a six foot shot from the side. Fulton misses a three point shot from the corner. Jerryd Scheurer leans so far back that he falls down, but still hits a three point shot from the top of the key to cut the Fulton lead to 34-33.

Charlie Thelen steals a Fulton pass into the lane. St. Patrick misses a three point shot from the top of the key. Jadon Podolak passes to Parker Billings, who is fouled on a layup and hits one of his two free throws to give the Pirates a 35-33 lead with 1:36 to play in quarter number three.

St. Patrick misses a ten foot shot in the lane. The rebound goes out of bounds and St. Patrick gets another opportunity. St. Patrick is whistled for a traveling violation. Bruce Thelen passes to Parker Billings, who spins and hits a layup for Fulton to give the Pirates a 37-33 lead.

Charlie Thelen throws in a threeball from the side for the Shamrocks. Fulton misses a three point shot from the corner. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Brady Leonard, who hits a three point shot from the side for St. Patrick to give the Shamrocks a two point lead. Fulton is not able to shoot before the third quarter buzzer puts a stop to play.

After three quarters, St. Patrick has a 39-37 lead.

Fulton has the ball to start out the fourth quarter. The Pirates miss a layup; St. Patrick fouls on the rebound. Fulton misses a threeball near the top of the key. Zach Saller gets the offensive rebound for the Pirates. Fulton misses a layup. The rebound goes out of bounds and Fulton gets another opportunity. Charlie Thelen knocks the ball away from Fulton and Devin Cook picks it up for the Shamrocks. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Brady Leonard, who hits a three point shot from the side to give the Shamrocks a 42-37 lead.

Fulton misses a three point shot from the corner. Parker Billings hits a putback to trim the Shamrock lead to three points. Bruce Thelen steals a Shamrock pass. Brady Leonard blocks a Fulton layup. St. Patrick misses a fast break layup. The rebound is tied up. The Possession Arrow looks up from weeding its petunias and decides to give the ball to St. Patrick. Brayden Simon passes to Jerryd Scheurer, who hits a three point shot from the corner for St. Patrick. Charlie Thelen steals the ball for the Shamrocks and hits a fast break layup to extend the Shamrock lead to 47-39.

Fulton misses a jump shot. Jerryd Scheurer drives and hits a layup for St. Patrick. Fulton misses a three point shot from the top of the key. Jerryd Scheurer is fouled on a driving runner and hits two free throws to boost the Shamrock lead to 51-39 with 4:46 left on the clock.

Landon Simpson knocks a Pirate pass into the lane out of bounds; Fulton retains possession. Charlie Thelen steals a Pirate cross court pass. St. Patrick is fouled, but misses the first shot of a one and one free throw opportunity. Charlie Thelen steals a Fulton pass. St. Patrick misfires on a triple try from the wing. St. Patrick gets the offensive rebound, but misses a layup. Devin Cook knocks the ball away from Fulton and Jerryd Scheurer picks it up for St. Patrick. Jerryd Scheurer passes to Brayden Simon, who hits a layup. He is fouled on the play, but misses his free throw. With 3:25 to go, St. Patrick’s lead is at 53-39.

The rebound from the missed free throw goes out of bounds and Fulton takes possession. The Pirates miss a three point shot from the top of the key. Ian Lamkin steals a Shamrock pass. Fulton misses a three point shot from the corner. Bryson Sattler blocks a Shamrock layup. The loose ball goes out of bounds and St. Patrick gets it back. Brayden Simon is fouled and hits one of his two free throws for St. Patrick to give the Shamrocks a 54-29 lead with 2:23 left on the clock.

Alex Fedewa knocks the ball away from Fulton and Jerryd Scheurer picks it up for St. Patrick. Charlie Thelen is fouled and hits one of his two free throws for St. Patrick. Fulton misses a three point shot from he wing. St. Patrick is fouled, but misses both its free throws. Fulton misses a three point shot from the wing. Jerryd Scheurer is fouled and hits two free throws to give St. Patrick a 57-39 lead with 1:14 remaining.

Brady Leonard steals the ball for the Shamrocks. Nathan Fears is fouled and hits one of his two free throws for the Shamrocks. Parker Duflo passes to Ryan Trefil, who hits a three point shot from the wing for Fulton. St. Patrick dribbles out the clock.

St. Patrick wins this game by the score of 58-42.

Freshman Parker Billings led the Fulton scoring with 15 points. Zach Saller supported his teammate with 9 points. Ian Lamkin scored 6 points. Jadon Podolak and Ryan Trefil each put in 3 points. Bruce Thelen, Bryson Sattler and Thomas Thelen each tallied 2 points.

Jerryd Scheurer had 20 points to lead the Shamrocks. Charlie Thelen pitched in with 19 points. Brayden Simon joined his teammates in double figures with 12 points. Brady Leonard scored 6 points. Nathan Fears added 1 point.