By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Winning a district championship.
That’s good. Really good. But it could be better.
How about winning a district championship in comeback fashion?
That’s getting closer … but still not quite good enough.
Winning a district championship in comeback fashion in front of the home crowd.
Yep, that’s it. That’s the scenario we’ve been looking for. And that’s exactly what the Saugatuck girls basketball team did on Friday, March 6.
Trailing by eight points on more than one occasion in the second half of their Division 3 district title game against Calvin Christian, the Trailblazers held a 22-13 edge in the fourth quarter to secure the 63-56 win.
The district title was the second straight and the third in four years for Saugatuck and head coach Kevin Tringali.
“This is a moment they won’t forget for the rest of their lives,” Tringali said. “Not to win, but the way we won, and to do it in front of our community. That is the trifecta right there. I am just so proud of my kids.”
Mylah Simpson was the star of the game for Saugatuck, scoring a game-high 27 points. That included 17 first-half points, helping the Trailblazers to a slim 29-28 lead at halftime.
But the Squires took control in the third quarter, opening the frame on a 15-6 run to go up 43-35.
Saugatuck responded by scoring the final six points of the stanza to narrow the gap to 43-41.
Midway through the final frame, Simpson buried a 3-pointer to give the Trailblazers the lead at 53-53. Penny Grob then knocked down a triple of her own on the next possession, solidifying Saugatuck’s place in the driver’s seat.
“That really was the turning point,” Tringali said. “(Grob) did it right in front of us and I knew it was in right. And Mylah was so locked in for a game. Her focus, intensity and resilience were something I have never seen before.
“They took the 3-ball away from her and she just took it down Main Street.”
Talia Laskowski finished with 15 points for Saugatuck to go with nine rebounds and five steals. She went 8-of-10 from the line in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.
Freshman Charlee Gustafson added eight points and 19 rebounds. Ada Roth finished with seven points and Grob had six.
“Charlee grew up big time,” Tringali said. “She had composure and played like an upperclassman. She was in foul trouble all night but got huge rebounds with the game on the line. That is senior stuff. I am very proud of her.”
Saugatuck earned its place in the district final with a 56-34 semifinal win over Black River in a game that featured far less drama.
The Trailblazers led 15-2 after one quarter and didn’t slow down, going up 36-14 at halftime.
Simpson led a balanced attack with 16 points, followed by 14 from Laskowski and 12 from Grob. Roth added seven, with Claire Robb going for four and Gustafson chipping in with three.
Laskowski also had eight steals and five rebounds, both of which led the team. Her two blocks matched Jordan Sanders for team-high honors.
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
