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	The Manchester Enterprise A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Manchester lands three on All-Cascades sports teams

By Ed Patino, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: April 12, 2007

The Manchester boys' basketball and volleyball teams proved to be resilient during the 2006-07 winter season.

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The rest of the Cascades Conference took notice, as two members of the volleyball team and one boys' basketball player received all-conference recognition.

Greg Schaible was named to the All-Cascades Conference First Team in boys' basketball. Julie Fielder was a First Team selection on the All-Cascades volleyball team, while Crystal Poertner received All-Cascades honorable mention in volleyball.

Schaible was among seven seniors on the Manchester boys' basketball team, serving as a co-captain with Nick Ball. He finished as the Flying Dutchmen's leading scorer, averaging 15.1 points per game. Schaible hit 40 percent from behind the arc, nailing 33 triples in 17 games -- all this after suffering a broken leg during football season.

"Greg had quite a year coming off that injury," Manchester boys' basketball coach Bryan Barnard said. "He knew we expected him to be our leading scorer, and he accepted the role."

Schaible's season was marked by several big performances. His three-pointer at the buzzer Jan. 26 lifted the Dutchmen to a 47-45 victory over East Jackson. Two weeks later, Schaible scored a driving lay-up in the final minute of regulation, giving Manchester the lead for good in a 43-42 victory over Addison.

In the Feb. 13 game at Napoleon, Schaible led all scorers with 22 points as the Dutchmen netted a stunning one-point victory over the defending Cascades Conference champions.

Schaible finished his prep career in the Class C district semifinals with a game-high 25 points and nearly lifting the Dutchmen to an upset of Clinton.

"What stands out is his leadership by example," Barnard said. "He would never complain and play as hard as he could. He was humble as a captain."

Manchester opened the season with eight straight losses, but recovered to win nine of its final 13 games.

Schaible and company were just as strong in the classroom. He along with Nick and David Ball, Kevin Fielder, Zach Benedict, Andrew Tindall and Jake LaCross were selected to the All-Cascades All-Academic Team.

"That shows how strong our seniors were with their work ethic," Barnard said. "I could always count on them to be team players, and they're one of the hardest working teams I've ever had."

Fielder enjoyed a breakout season with the Manchester varsity volleyball team. The junior captain was the main cog of the Flying Dutch offense, leading the team in several categories, including kills.

"Julie was probably our most dominant hitter from the left side," Manchester volleyball coach Mike Mininger said. "She was our go-to player when we needed a kill, and I think she has the ability to play at the next level."

Fielder put together three strong performances in late January. She had 17 kills and 20 digs in the Williamston Invitational Jan. 27, then had 13 kills in a three-game victory over Washtenaw Christian Academy two days later. On Feb. 1, Fielder recorded 12 kills and 17 digs in a five-game match at Addison.

Three weeks later, Fielder sparked the Dutch to a third-place tie in the Cascades Conference Tournament with 16 kills and eight digs on the night.

"She is a good all-around player and is still young," Mininger said. "Julie was strong defensively and very capable at the net. I look forward to seeing her improve even more next year."

Poertner's defensive play helped her receive All-Cascades honorable mention. Mininger said the senior's work ethic made her a key asset to the Flying Dutch this season.

"Crystal was very consistent in the back row," Mininger said. "She worked hard and was very coachable."

Poertner recorded seven digs in her final home match Feb. 12 against East Jackson. Ten days later, she notched the same number of kills in the Cascades Tournament.

"It takes a certain mentality to play defense all the time," Mininger said. "Crystal didn't shy away from the challenge and always worked hard in practice."

The Flying Dutch finished the season 19-21-4 overall, 4-3 in the Cascades. The team continued to play hard even when Mininger missed the final month of the season to recover from emergency heart surgery.

The Dutch were also recognized for their academics. Poertner and Amanda Pratt were Manchester's seniors named to the All-Cascades All-Academic Team. As a team, the Dutch complied a 3.54 grade point average.

"All of our teams need to be commended for academics," Mininger said. "Being able to balance everything, especially during that time of year, is not an easy thing to do."