When Rochester's girls basketball team lost to Southfield-Lathrup, Kosmo had one reaction out of utter love for the Falcons. Bravo. That loss was the best thing that could've happened to the Falcons. The pressure of having to maintain an unbeaten season entering the playoffs was off, and Rochester could have a reason to get better the next day in practice. It's paid off so far, as Rochester hasn't been tested in its playoff run and has a solid chance to make a run at a state title.
— Other coaches may not like looking ahead, but Kosmo does, so that's why he's already looking forward to Monday's regional semifinal round of the boys basketball tournament. Barring a titanic upset, Oakland County power Clarkston and Macomb County power Romeo will hook up in a regional semifinal at Lake Orion. The winner should get out of that regional, but unfortunately would likely earn a date with defending state champ and No. 1-ranked Saginaw in the quarterfinals.
— Sad to say, but this past week was about as dark a week for Lake Orion athletics. Five days after the girls basketball team's season ended via a shocking upset by Waterford Kettering, both the boys hockey teams and the boys basketball teams were upset on Monday, seeing their seasons end in the process.
Oh well, the fine folks at Lake Orion can take solace in a couple of things. One, the wrestling team will compete in the state quarterfinals in Battle Creek on Friday. Second, Lake Orion's defending state champion baseball team officially begins practice on March 10, right around the corner.

Well, the time is just about here. After weeks of toiling and witnessing virtually meaningless regular season contests, the fun is about to begin with the state playoffs around the horizon for just about every winter sport.
Knowing that, please pay special attention this week to Kosmo's main man, Marvin, who will be providing his usual stellar wrestling coverage as area teams begin districts this week.
The Division 2 and Division 4 team districts start on Wednesday, with the Division 1 and 3 districts happening on Thursday. The individual districts are Saturday.
As Marvin always says, "Someone's goin' down!" once the playoff starts, so not only heed that slogan starting this week, but pay attention to see which wrestling teams and wrestlers are still alive after this week.
- If Kosmo has said it once, he'll say it again. Birmingham Marian head coach Mary Cicerone is the best girls basketball coach in the state. Granted, Michelle Lindsey has had a breakout year, but the Mustangs don't have the most talented team they've had in years past.
Here they were on Sunday, winning another Catholic League title with a convincing win over state-ranked Livonia Ladywood. Look out for Marian in the playoffs as well, particulary in a district it will host. Pontiac Northern will be the main competition.

There are a lot of people Kosmo wouldn't want to be right now, and one of them is athletic directors, particularly after Friday.
With all the snow forcing school districts to close and games to be postponed, one simple question comes to mind.
When can these games be made up?
There's only two weeks left in the regular season for girls hoops teams and three for boys hoops teams. Throw in a winter break in that time frame for school districts, and all AD's should be awarded a medal if they can find times to make up the games.
Not that it would be the end of the world to simply cancel games, particularly if they have no bearing on league championship races.
Still, it's yet another headache for AD's that's been enhanced by what else, the sports season change. It's a safe bet not many girls teams have had to deal with "Snow Days" in the fall in recent years.
- Tis the season already for postseason conference tournaments, with the Catholic League, WLAA and Metro conference having their girls conference tournaments this week. Each league will have its boys tournaments the following week.
Kosmo remembers the time earlier in the decade when the OAA had a boys and girls hoops tournament, but sees the reasoning why it was abandoned.
The K-Man can't argue with teams who didn't want to play a rival four times, as Pontiac Northern and Pontiac Central did in 2002, or deal with all the extra busing costs for away games not planned for.
Also, scheduling gym time was hard enough back then and would be even harder with the cramp on facilities now.