MCC’s Janowiak, Onekama’s Capper earn Class
D All-State honors from AP
By MATT WENZEL
Sports Editor
As players at county rival schools, Onekama’s
Levi Capper and Manistee Catholic Central’s Jordan Janowiak are used to
being on opposite teams.
Photo by Matt Wenzel
But, oddly enough the two seniors will
finish their high school basketball careers on the same team. Janowiak
and Capper were both named honorable mentions to The Associated Press
Class D All-State team today.
“I had no idea,” said Capper. “It’s crazy.”
Janowiak expressed a similar sentiment. “It
feels good,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting.”
In his final season, Capper averaged team-highs
of 19 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He was also the
Portagers top shooter from the free throw line (75.8 percent), the field
(45.7 percent) and behind the 3-point arc (33 percent).
“He definitely had a good year,” said
Onekama coach Roger Smith. “He’s worthy of some All-State honors.”
Last season, the Portagers relied heavily on
All-State senior forward/center Nick Bradford. But, with more room in
the lane this season, Capper adjusted his game. |
“Last year I was more of a shooting guard
because Nick Bradford pretty much dominated the paint all year,” Capper
said. “He was our go-to guy last year. This year we had some young guys
coming up, so I knew I had to take it in there more this year.”
Capper’s ability to hit the outside shot, slash
his way to the basket and knock down free throws made him a team leader
this season. But, his qualities extend further than the court.
“He’s got a great attitude,” Smith said. “He
probably worked harder in practice than anyone else on our team. He
always worked hard in practice and played hard no matter what. He’s the
kind of kid that if I had five of them, we wouldn’t lose very many
games.
“We can’t replace Levi. I’ve coached a lot
of kids, and he’s one of the best I’ve ever coached.”
Capper said improving his game was really
nothing more than hard work.
“I’ve always loved basketball, so I had no
problem working hard at it,” he said. “I really wanted to be good at it
all my life, so I did what I had to do.”
Janowiak is another player who showed
constant growth over four years. “Ever since elementary, coach (Terry)
Walker and I could see him developing,” said MCC coach Dale Edmondson
Jr. “He’s turned himself into a pretty good player.”
After spending his freshman season on the
junior varsity squad, Janowiak joined the varsity team for the district
tournament and wasted little time getting in the scoring column,
knocking down a 3-pointer against Mason County Eastern.
Since that first varsity game, Janowiak
turned himself into the second-leading scorer in MCC history and notched
his 1,000th point in a win over Pentwater on Feb. 9.
In his senior year, Janowiak averaged 18
points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game, while
shooting 38 percent from the field.
“He’s worked very hard on his game over the
years,” Edmondson Jr. said. “He’s worked on shooting the 3-point shot
and the last few years he’s developed his game to where he can makes
some drives to the basket, and he’s turned into a pretty good jump
shooter from about 12-15 feet. That makes his game a lot better.
“He’s one of those kids that wants to win it
for everybody. He wants to do so well, that sometimes that gets in his
way. But, I’d take 10 more kids just like him.”
Onekama beat MCC in a district quarterfinal
game on March 9, and the Portagers were ousted by Bear Lake two days
later. So, while Capper and Janowiak said they were honored to be
selected to the All-State team, they both acknowledged they would rather
have won a district championship in their careers.
“I would trade it all,” Janowiak said. |