Broncos cap off dominant season with sweep of Delton Kellogg

BATTLE CREEK -- It's a drill the North Branch volleyball team ran countless times in practice this season: Coach James Fish put his team in a 21-18 deficit and made it try to come back and win the game.

If they didn't, they ran.

In Kellogg Arena on Saturday, the drill was repeated with even higher stakes -- and a greater reward.

The No. 1 ranked Broncos kept falling behind in the exhausting second game of the Class B state championship match, but kept refusing to go down for the count.

The result was an epic 30-28 win that gave North Branch a commanding 2-0 lead in the match and set up the clinching 25-23 third game win.

And with that the school, thanks to a group of girls dedicated to erasing the memory of a stinging semfinal loss last year, had its first state title in any sport.

"We've been in those situations so many times because that's how we practice it," said junior Jordan Fish. "It was something we were familiar with. There was no pressure."

Second-ranked Delton-Kellogg, making its first finals appearance in any sport, simply couldn't knock the Broncos off their mission.

"The better team won," said legendary Delton-Kellogg coach Jack Magelssen. "That's how it should be."

Magelssen won 10 state titles while at Portage Central and has turned around the Panthers' program, but this was North Branch's year.

"We had a dominant, talented team last year that unfortunately didn't win a state title," said James Fish. "But you know what? All eight seniors from that team a year ago we're here today.

"Without them, we don't win this championship."

The Broncos (76-5-2), never trailed in winning the first game 25-19. But the second game was another story and Delton-Kellogg (59-7-2) saw itself serving for the game leading 24-22.

But Broncos' senior Katie Owens delivered back-to-back kills and the battle waged on. Finally, a kill by Jordan Fish and a point off of a serve clinched the game.

"The second game was everything," said James Fish. "I really didn't want the match to go five game because, to be honest, I thought they were a little more athletic than us.

"I told the girls beforehand that we were better at some positions and they were better at coaching, so we just had to find a way to make it work."

North Branch never trailed in the decisive third game, though Delton-Kellogg came back to tie the match 23-23. But a kill by Katie Steuwer and an ace by Danika Racknor clinched the title.

Amazingly, the Broncos lost just one game -- to Cadillac in Friday's semifinal -- after Oct. 17.

"It's just been a great fall season for our school," James Fish said. "Our football team qualified for the playoffs for only the second time in school history, and people underestimate how things like that feed on each other.

"The community rallied around both teams and today they get a chance to celebrate."