Article reposted with permission from Drew Kochanny at Petoskey News Review. Full link to the article is here.
HARBOR SPRINGS — Stefi Reskevics has a lot of basketball left to play in a Harbor Springs uniform.
But, after a little more than a year and a half on the varsity court with the Rams, Reskevics feels like one of the seasoned vets out there each and every time they take the court.
“I feel like I’m an upperclassmen now,” Reskevics, now a sophomore, said with a smile. “Getting those minutes (last year) are really adding up now.”
She wasted no time breaking onto the scene as a freshman, scoring 17 points in her first game, a victory over regularly ranked Gaylord St. Mary.
She’s built off that moment since, which included a 21-point performance in a 68-16 win over Cheboygan Friday night, a ninth straight win for Harbor.
“She’s had some tough games, but mentally she got through those and is better every day,” Harbor Springs coach Amy Flynn said. “That fearlessness is her character. It carries over to her cross country, soccer. She’s just a great athlete.”
An all-state athlete in both soccer and cross country, Reskevics has a chance to add basketball to that list when it’s all said and done in her Harbor career.
Right now, chasing around a three-time all-state player and Division I signee in Olivia Flynn is helping.
“Liv and Stefi, they play against each other every day and match up,” Flynn said. “They push each other. I tell the girls to find someone that pushes them and makes them better.”
Flynn, who also scored 21 points Friday, is certainly that kind of player for Reskevics to look up to. She’s also becoming that same kind of player for the likes of four freshman on varsity this season.
Reskevics knows the Rams are at their best when everyone’s involved, not just relying on Flynn, and the focus before the postseason is on that, knowing much of the focus of opponents will be thrown on Flynn again.
“We keep practicing other positions just so we know what to do,” Reskevics said. “I think we’re getting a little more prepared for that, just because she’s going to be doubled a lot soon.”
She’s already been doubled quite a bit and Reskevics and others, like Makenna Brey, who had 14 points vs. Cheboygan, and Lillian McShannock, who scored eight, are doing that.
“I am so proud of every single girl on the team,” Amy Flynn said. “They embrace their roles and work hard every day in practice. I just told them as they were leaving the locker room, they’re not just awesome tonight, they're awesome every day in practice. It's transferring over into the game. They’re motivated, excited to win and just a great bunch of girls.”
Harbor got out to a 22-5 lead after one quarter, then led 42-8 at the half, leaning on just about everyone to get there, including seven points in the second from Reskevics, a pair of 3-pointers from McShannock and four points from Brey.
For Reskevics, it was all about chasing down the basketball and going as hard as she can, something she learns each and every day in practice.
“I just hustled every play tonight,” she said. “All my points tonight were layups, so just doing the little things, getting some really good passes from teammates.”
Spoken like a true veteran already.
Harbor Springs (14-2, 10-), ranked No . 7 in the latest Division 3 Michigan Sports Writers girls basketball poll, will next meet Kalkaska at home on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny