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The Blazers played a suffocating defense against the Warriors, holding them to just 11 points in the first half and taking a 48-29 win in district play.

"We changed presses and we just threw a bunch of different looks at (Forest Area)," Kalkaska coach Manchester said. Forest Area coach Ryan Benzenberg summed the game in a similar manor. "We just couldnÕt score,Ó Benzenberg said. ÒDefensively, Kalkaska got after it."

Manchester said the key to success in the first half, was changing the defensive look so often, which kept the Warriors off-balance.

"Our defense kept Forest honest," Manchester said. "They were adjusting to what we were doing, just not doing it fast enough." Chris Keller led the BlazersÕ attack to an 11-point lead at halftime and past a Forest Area charge in the second half. The Warriors on the other hand, were looking for offense.

"Defensively I wasnÕt unhappy with our effort," Benzenberg said. "We ended up holding a high-scoring team to 48 points in the game, we just werenÕt scoring enough."

The Warriors closed the deficit to eight points at the start of the third quarter, but the Blazers didnÕt allow them any closer.

"We got it down to eight, then the game got away from us," Benzenberg said. "We changed to a man-to-man, Kalkaska got a few breakaway lay-ups and that put it away."

Adding to Forest AreaÕs frustration, Tyler DeNike suffered a first-half injury that plagued him the entire game.

"Tyler took a knee to the thigh early and that slowed him," Benzenber said. Ò"t hurts to have a high-scorer finish with two points." Meanwhile, the Kalkaska defense continued to create turnovers and convert them into points, which has been the teamÕs game all season. ÒI have a lot of athletic, quick kids,Ó Manchester said. ÒThe kind of game we play is up-tempo.Ó

Keller finished with 15 to lead Kalkaska, Jeremiah Stocker had eight for Forest Area, which finished the season 12-9.