GROSSE ILE — When John Durbin isn’t coaching Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central’s girls varsity basketball team, he’s a project engineer at General Motors. And he knows what drives his squad.
It isn’t the Kestrels' gaudy record (12-0 overall, 7-0 in the Huron League) or the team’s placement in the statewide rankings (first, second or fifth in Division 3, depending on which poll you read). More or less, it’s just navigating from the front seat.
“I think maybe they’re aware (of being state-ranked), but nobody ever talks about that, because they realize that the next game is the most important game,” Durbin said. “The writers can have all those lists and stuff, but it really doesn’t mean anything for us. We’re just going to move on to our next game and work on what we need to work on to prepare for it.”
“The win-loss count doesn’t matter; it’s how you play,” added junior guard Adela Illes. “You can have five losses or five wins, whatever, but it’s honestly how you practice — that’s just one of the biggest things. Our team doesn’t focus on rankings — it’s just about what happens at practices and what happens in the game. That’s just really what it is. It’s not really about the scores or whatever — the score doesn’t matter.”
The Kestrels have cruised past most of their opponents this winter, but encountered a few bumps in the road Thursday night at Grosse Ile. Although St. Mary Catholic Central raced out to a 10-2 lead by the end of the first quarter, the host Red Devils closed the gap to 15-12 at halftime, and took a 26-19 lead late in the third period before SMCC hit the gas pedal down the stretch.
St. Mary Catholic Central held Grosse Ile without a point for the first four minutes of the final quarter to climb back in it, taking a 28-26 lead on Natalie LaPrad’s post-up with three and a half minutes to play. Although Ava Deakin’s third three-pointer of the night gave Grosse Ile a brief 32-29 lead with 2:15 left, SMCC scored the game’s last seven points on a dribble-drive by Illes, a three-pointer by Julianna Potcova, and single free throws from Brooke Mossburg and Bella LaFountain, and locked up a 36-32 victory.
“It’s just a testament to the girls; they didn’t stop,” Durbin said. “Things were not going well for us. It was a gritty win. When the shots aren’t falling, we just have to keep playing. For us, it’s usually our defense that gets our offense going and even to the end, that’s what did it for us.”
“Grosse Ile came out a lot tougher than I thought we were ready for, and we obviously just had to come out with a lot of intensity,” said Illes, who led all scorers with 18 points. “I think a game like this was good for us. We need to just come out with a lot more intensity and just run the plays. We need to play a more fundamental game, for sure.”
The Kestrels have had solid teams for the past few seasons, but have struggled to get beyond the district round, usually eliminated by Blissfield (the state runner-up in 2023, and third-ranked in current state polls). The two schools could match up again this March, but for now, that’s beyond SMCC’s high-beam headlights. Instead, the Kestrels are focusing on upcoming Huron League matchups with Riverview, Flat Rock and Carleton Airport.
“Every game’s going to be a battle, so I’m hoping that this game tonight can help strengthen us a little bit and build the armor up,” Durbin said. “We’re going to have more tests like this.”
There are several factors that should get the Kestrels through those battles, the coach said. One is team chemistry.
“For the most part, they’re happy-go-lucky, they’re a little looser than what I would like, even right before games, but that’s just how they operate,” Durbin said. “I know once they step on the floor they’re going to compete, and I’m going to get good effort out of them. They pride themselves on not letting each other down. They’re accountable to one another. Once you develop that, you’re going to take another step.”
“My last two years on varsity, it’s always been a really close-knit team,” Illes said. “We just drive each other and push each other to be better. We try to take the focus off ourselves and instead just put it toward our goal of helping each other become better.”
Another is all-around athleticism. The Kestrels have girls who were all-state in other sports such as cross-country and track, while the school’s volleyball team was ranked first in the state for much of the fall.
“Certain things from those sports can cross over to other sports. When you’re a multi-sport athlete, it helps you in different ways,” said Illes, who medaled in sprint races at last June’s state track finals. “That is one of the biggest things working in our favor — we have a lot of athletic people on this team and honestly, it just drives our team even more.”
Thirdly, Durbin said the team’s faith plays a big role.
“We are praying every day at practice,” he said. “I probably pray more than all of them. We have a chapel at our school, and I’m a regular in there. We’re always praying for someone who’s less fortunate than we are. I think that’s important for us, and they get that, going to a Catholic school.
“It helps us to be more honest about our faith, too, and that’s a builder, as well,” Durbin continued. “When you build your faith together, you’re so much stronger as a team.”
What does St. Mary Catholic Central hope to accomplish down the final stretch of the season?
“One of the biggest goals is just to play for our seniors,” Illes said. “We have three seniors (Mossburg, Potcova and LaPrad) and they drive our team, for sure. They’re very supportive and they’re great leaders. They have big goals for their last season and we all hope to accomplish similar things, so we just keep pushing and keep working.”
“We always talk about trying to leave the gym as a better team, whether it’s after practice or after a game — that’s what we’re concentrating on,” Durbin said. “As long as we’re growing, getting better each day, that’s what we expect and that’s what we want. Everything else will take care of itself.”
