By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
FAYETTE (December 8, 2025) – Before the season even began, many of the prognosticators believed the Fayette Eagles would be a contender for the BBC title and also be a threat in the postseason tournament.
The Eagles’ early fast start continued Monday night, as they opened up a second-quarter lead and went on to beat Hudson, Michigan, 60-48.
Addison Schang scored eight early points to counter a pair of Sam Anderson three-pointers and two buckets from Macayle Grayer, to give Fayette a slim 13-12 lead late in the first.
Monroe Simon came off the bench and bagged a late triple that bumped the Eagles up 16-12. Fayette opened their lead to double figures in the second, mostly thanks to Kelsie Storrs.
The senior guard netted 2-2 from the line to start the frame, then nailed a wing triple with 5:50 left to make it 23-16.
Willow Mitchell’s no-look pass to Mesa Gorsuch for a layup got it to 25-16, and Storrs’ step-through move to the rim got the bulge to 10 at 28-18 with 3:17 to go in the half.
“Kelsie got to spots where she likes to score,” Fayette mentor Travis Arkwright explained. “We got her on the block a little bit. She has great footwork down there, and she hit a couple of threes.”
“Kelsie is a great shooter from the outside, and after she had a couple layups go in, that jump shot feels a whole lot better taking it.”
Simon’s fast break hoop and Mitchell’s score with under a minute left made it 34-23 at the break. Storrs went back-to-back hoops to open the third, then found Schang for a wide-open triple that gave Fayette their biggest lead of the game at 41-25, two minutes into the second half.
Hudson had one run left in them as Maci Godfrey and Taylor Kopin each scored twice during an 8-0 spurt to bring the Tigers within 41-33 at the 3:05 mark
A textbook ball reversal where Kennedy Kunkle found Simon for an open triple, a drive by Schang, and Simon’s layup off a turnover kept Fayette up 48-35 going into the fourth.
“Monroe is just another starter for us,” Arkwright said. “For us, we have a number of girls who come off the bench. Monroe did a great job again tonight. Maycee Beers did a great job tonight, Ally Kessler, Ellie Williams, they all did a valuable job coming off the bench, giving us good minutes.”
The Eagles kept the Tigers to one-and-done numerous times late in the third and into the fourth as Kunkle did her best impression of Ms. Clean, wiping the glass with nearly every rebound and blocking three Tiger shots to keep the Eagle lead between 11 and 16 the rest of the way.
“Ken has a great nose for basketball; she tracks the ball very well around the basket,” Arkwright said of his sophomore post player.
“She kept a lot of balls alive, tipping it to herself and just being bigger, a prime example is the rebound off the missed free throw in the fourth that she put back.”
“She does a great job being around the rim, and tonight we did a good job being gang rebounders, having more girls get after the basketball.”
Schang scored 24 to lead all point producers. Storrs had 12 and Simon 10 for the Eagles. Kopin hit for 17 and Grayer 14 for Hudson.
Fayette (5-1) went 23-58 from the floor with 26 turnovers. Hudson coughed the ball up 23 times and was 20-62 from the field. Thanks to Kunkle, Fayette held a solid 35-29 edge on the glass.
HHS 12 11 12 13 – 48
FHS 16 18 14 12 – 60
HUDSON (48) – R. Rogers 0; Frantz 0; Williams 0; E. Rogers 0; M. Rogers 0; Godfrey 8; Anderson 8; Kopin 17; Czeiszperger 0; Grayer 14; Ramirez 1; Totals: 18-2-6 – 48
FAYETTE (60) – Schang 24; Storrs 12; Simon 10; Mitchell 3; Kessler 0; Phillips 0; Gorsuch 3; Kunkle 8; Williams 0; Beers 0; Totals: 17-5-11 – 60