Kayla Bridges scored 12 points in a reserve role for the Chiefs. (photo by John Kemski)

19-and-1-derful

BY ED WRIGHT
Feb. 25, 2010, 11:35 p.m.

  To gauge what kind of effect Canton's relentless man-to-man defense and fast-and-furious fastbreak is having on an opponent, take note of when the opposing coach calls his or her first "we-need-to-regroup" time out.

  Howell coach Tricia Clark needed two in the first seven minutes of Thursday night's KLAA Association championship game, which tells you all you need to know about the Chiefs' effort.

  Capping the kind of regular season Rihanna sings about -- brilliant, resilient -- Canton upended the host Highlanders, 45-35, to finish 19-1 heading into next week's Class A District tournament at Novi.

  Although Howell chopped a one-time 15-point deficit down to seven with four minutes to play, the game's final verdict was really never in doubt -- not with a Canton defense that makes trying to score about as much fun as undergoing a root canal.

  "I'm happy for the kids," said Canton coach Brian Samulski. "They're the ones who put in all the hard work and dedication. Kids that work hard and concentrate usually get good things. I couldn't be more thrilled for them."

  All season the Chiefs have done a masterful job of living up to the sky-high expectations that come with returning every player from an ultra-successful 2008-09 campaign.

  "Last year, no one really knew a lot about us," said junior guard Melanie Pickert, who limited Howell's slick-shooting guard Nikki Gunning to 3-of-11 shooting. "This year, with everybody coming back, it's been unreal that we get to do all this."

  Pickert said the team's No. 2 ranking in Class A (behind only Detroit Renassiance) is not a hot topic of conversation among the players.

  "We aren't really going to think about that until we've actually proved it at the end of the season," she said.

  The Chiefs proved a lot Thursday night by winning their second straight trophy-deciding game by double digits. On Tuesday night they knocked off Novi, 46-33, to claim the KLAA Kensington Conference crown.

  "A lot of kids on the team may not score a lot, but they all do the little things like defending and rebounding that you need to be successful," Samulski said.

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