Six games into season, Harrison girls equal win total from all of last year By Mike Moore FARMINGTON HILLS — As he’s climbed the coaching ladder over the past seven years, jumping from position to position, Tim Micklash has made a number of close friends to go with his numerous experiences. He’s also established some solid rivalries, ones he’s sure to see intensified as he settles in with his latest stop in the Farmington district, as the Farmington Hills Harrison girls varsity basketball coach. “I hope I haven’t made too many enemies,” Micklash joked about his new gig and his past stops. Prior to accepting his current role, Micklash spent time coaching the eighth-grade girls at Dunckel Middle School in Farmington Hills, as a varsity assistant on the Farmington High boys team for two seasons, and for the past three years, he was the freshman head coach and varsity assistant with the North Farmington boys program. “I’ve seen a little bit of every school,” he laughed. But now, he’s seeing, and leading, a quick turnaround with the Hawks that not many could have envisioned. A year ago, Harrison was 4-17 when the season ended. Six games into the 2009-10 campaign, the girls are 4-2. “It’s the system,” senior guard Melissa Nordhoff said during a Jan. 6 practice at the school. “It’s really working.” Micklash brought that system with him this summer, when he inherited the four-win team. He instituted an up-tempo, fast-paced and high-energy defense that featured pressing, trapping and even throwing the kitchen sink at opponents. In reality, while no sinks have been tossed, the pressure has led to wins, and the defense has been the main reason, allowing just over 40 points per game through six. “It’s a 2-2-1, full-court press that focuses on trapping as much as possible anywhere possible,” Micklash explained. “It’s a fun style to run, and if done correctly, can be very frustrating to play against and can create a lot of offensive chances. The girls are still getting it. They’ve bought into it, but it’s going to take awhile until they master it.” “It was hard and it was pretty crazy,” senior guard Chelsea Gaddis said regarding the time Micklash first taught the defense. “I think we’re just starting to get it, but we’ve seen it really can work. That’s the cool thing.” “There’s no sitting back, at all,” senior Bianca Vasovski said regarding the team’s new defense. “It’s up-tempo. It’s fast. We’re always flying around. It’s a blast to run.” There are, of course, some other reasons for the wins. Of the 12 girls on the roster, nine are varsity veterans, so there is no shortage of experience. And while he deflected any attention shed his way, Micklash has also had a big influence on his girls. “He holds us accountable for everything,” Gaddis said. “We’re having fun, but he doesn’t accept anything but our best. It’s our best effort all the time or it’s not good enough.” As for Micklash’s outlook, all he wants is constant improvement. “I don’t have a specific win total in mind,” he said. “I want them to compete, believe in themselves and believe in what we’re doing. If we do that, the rest will take care of itself.” You can reach Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1038. |
