By SCOTT NOVAK
Niles Daily Star

In a day and age when teams that are playing in the state quarterfinals are led by seniors, it is a sophomore at Brandywine that has the Bobcats one step away from the Class C Final Four.

Carlie Newman has lit up opponents each of the last two seasons and has plenty of hardware to show for it.

All-Conference medals, two district titles and a regional championship are the proof that this young lady is the real deal.

After helping Brandywine earn a district title in 2009, Newman went to work on her game and has shown.

The Bobcat sophomore is averaging 17.3 points a game this season and has already set a new school record for 3-pointers in a single season and for her career.

Newman has 58 triples heading into tonight’s Class C Quarterfinal contest at Vicksburg against Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central.

She surpassed Stephanie Crocker earlier this season to become the all-time career leader in 3-pointers.

She is also the single-season scoring leader at Brandywine.

But all those accolades didn’t come without hard work.

“I shoot as much as I can,” Newman said of her success. “In the offseason I play for one team (Indiana Elite) and I get outside and shoot when I can.”

Newman isn’t surprised by her success shooting the 3-pointer because “I mainly focus on the threes,” she noted.

First-year Brandywine coach Josh Hood knows that she has been working on her game for quite some time.

“She has been playing in the Gus Macker since she was a little kid,” he said. “But her parents are also a big part of this. Her mom helped form the BYAT and she is still involved in it even though she doesn’t have any kids down there.”

Hood added that her entire focus is basketball.

“She plays ball 12 months out of the year,” he said. “She has good size and her focus is basketball. She has chosen to play two sports, but even during soccer season she works on her game.”

Being just a sophomore, one would think the pressure of being a team’s go-to player would have an effect on her.

Newman says she doesn’t really even think about it.

“I just play,” she said.

Carlie isn’t the only Newman on the squad. Her sister Nicole is a senior and was one of the big reasons that the Bobcats won the regional title last week in Schoolcraft.

Carlie said it has been fun playing with her sister and sharing the success that Brandywine has achieved the past two seasons.

“We read each other really well,” she said of playing along side Nicole. “We are used to being around each other, so we know what the other one is going to do.”

Brandywine will need both Newmans tonight against St. Mary Catholic Central.
Despite a 13-11 overall record, Hood is quick to point out that they are the only Class C school in an all A and B league.

“That tells you something about the respect they get in the Detroit area,” Hood said.
St. Mary Catholic Central began the season 0-5, but turned things around after the ninth game of the season.

The team is led by 6-0 junior center McKenzie Tomasik and 5-9 sophomore guard Jordan Strauss, who Hood compares to Carlie.

“We have to limit their touches,” Hood said of Tomasik and Strauss. “They like to use a half-court and three-quarter trap, so we are going to have to stay out of those to keep the game at a fast pace.

Brandywine’s success tonight will not be limited to the efforts of the Newman sisters.

Lauren Leonard, Kelsey Prestly and Morgan Smallwood will also have to play well.

Leonard was a key component in last week’s regional championship game against Bangor as she posted a double-double.

The winner of tonight’s quarterfinal game advances to the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University on Thursday to face the winner of the McBain (21-2) and St. Ignace (23-1) contest.

That game will be the second of two semifinals in East Lansing. Tip-off is slated for 2:50 p.m.

The Class C state title game is set for Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.