CHEBOYGAN - Mar. 15, 2010 - Ogemaw Heights learned the hard way that size alone can only get a team so far in the state playoffs.

The Falcons took until the second half to adjust to Gladstone's high intensity perimeter game. By then Ogemaw faced a 17-point deficit, and though the Falcons rallied, Gladstone held on to end the Falcons' season 55-41 in Monday's Class B Region 16 semifinal at Cheboygan.

"Perimeter pressure was the difference," said Ogemaw coach Jon VanOosten. "To be successful at this level you need to be tough on the perimeter. It really doesn't matter how big you are; guard play is a much bigger factor. There's a lot more hand-checking and physical play. And we just took too long to adjust to the speed of play."

Gladstone guards Steve Seronko and Kollin Jensen proved to be a tough matchup for the Falcons. Each on his own was as quick and heady as any guard Ogemaw had seen all year. Together, they pushed the speed of the game far beyond anything the Falcons had experienced. The result in the first half: a flurry of Falcon turnovers leading to Gladstone points, and a tentative Ogemaw offense that consisted mostly of hurried jump shots. And nary a single trip to the free throw line.

Alex Jennings hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter, otherwise the deficit would have been a lot worse than the 18-8 hole the Falcons faced after eight minutes.

After Jensen's three point play made it 29-12 late in the second quarter, the Falcons' season looked all but done.

Despite just two days to prepare for the Upper Peninsula squad, no common opponents and only one game tape to scout, VanOosten said the Falcons had some idea what they were facing, but no way to simulate it in practice.

"The first time we watched the film (from Gladstone's game against Kalkaska over Christmas break), they looked good but not great," he said. "But watching it again, it wasn't just their quickness that stood out, but how strong they were.

"Seeing it on tape and talking about it is one thing. Playing against it is another (adjusting to it) was definitely a factor."

The Falcons, who trailed 30-16 at the half, slapped on some full court pressure of their own despite rarely using it during the regular season. It paid immediate dividends with a 9-0 run to open the second half to get back in the game. Jennings, Justin Wejsa and Robby Kish all scored during that spurt, but the fouls also started to add up as the Falcons put Gladstone in the bonus within the first six minutes of the third quarter.

Jarritt Orlando's basket with two minutes left in the third quarter made it 32-27, but that was as close as the Falcons got despite getting two chances to cut further into the deficit.

Seronko and Jensen were the catalysts as Gladstone opened up a 43-32 lead in the fourth quarter. Wejsa scored five quick points to give the Falcons hope a 43-37 with 4:30 left, but the Braves' guards scored all but one point down the stretch as Gladstone finished the game with a 12-4 run.

"We had a great run to get back in it," VanOosten said. "The kids didn't give up and made a game of it."

Seronko finished with 22 points and Jensen added 16 as the Braves (18-5) advance to Wednesday's regional final against Petoskey. The Northmen edged Ludington 64-62 in triple overtime.

Jennings finished with 14, Wejsa had 12 and Anthony Zettel scored nine for the Falcons (21-3).

It loss marked the final game for seniors Jennings, Kish, Orlando, Tyler Brindley and Jimmy Stalzberg, who won 32 of their final 36 games after a 4-7 start during their junior season. The Falcons' 21 wins also ties the school record.

"Our seniors will certainly be missed," VanOosten said. "But at some points we had two juniors and two sophomores on the floor. With some hard work over the summer we should be fairly competitive again."

____

On a side note, someone needs to give Jeff Doan, who did the broadcast for WKJC, a bonus, or at least a medal for performance under pressure.

Doan arrived at Cheboygan shortly after finding out he would not have a color commentator for the evening; had no land line to broadcast through, leaving him consigned to doing play-by-play over a cell phone; was positioned behind the end line directly above the Gladstone student section, forcing him to shout through most of the broadcast; and had to do a nearly hour-long, unplanned pregame show as the Petoskey-Ludington game went through three (very loud) overtime periods.

He did have his brother alongside keeping stats through the game. Fortunately his voice held out long enough to keep from forcing said sibling to do the play-by-play.