Winter break is officially upon us, which means more than just no school for students and opening up holiday gifts. It also means there will be plenty of action around he high school sports season, with seemingly each sport having holiday tournaments and events of some sort. Of course, it also leads to the annual argument of why athletes are allowed by school districts to play in events over winter break, but those same districts mandate to coaches that they can go on vacation for spring break in April. What is the difference? Why is there no such mandate to allow athletes to go on winter break without discipline from coaches? After all, there seemingly is more time to regroup for winter athletes since the winter sports season is a full month longer than the spring season. There has to be some rhyme or reason for school districts to favor spring over winter break in terms of excusing athletes. Kosmo just has no idea what that reasoning is be because each year it makes no sense.

The song "Have A Holly, Jolly Christmas" has obviously been blaring over the radio a lot recently and for obvious reasons. But every time the song is played Kosmo is reminded of just how jolly of times these are for Holly basketball. Believe it or not, one of the top combinations of boys and girls hoops teams in the state resides in Holly. Led by senior Alyssa Copley, the girls team is a good bet to win at least 15 games and a Flint Metro title. As for the boys team, it is simply one of the most interesting teams in the state. A high-scoring squad that is lighting up the scoreboard, Holly is averaging almost 90 points a game with a roster that has only 2 seniors. Sophomore Kyle Woodruff is a shooting stud who is already a Division I college prospect while junior Jake Daniels is off to a terrific start also. When Christmas fades away and that song is no longer on the radio, there will still be a lot of jolly in Holly with how good each basketball team at the school should be.

We are one week away from Christmas and Kosmo would say that he is excited about all the presents underneath the tree piling up, except it is a little hard to have a lighted tree with presents in a cave. But with Christmas rapidly approaching, there aren't many more chances until the New Year for Kosmo to hand out his 3 stars. Here they are for Tuesday night. Third star Erika Davenport, Clarkston basketball If it wasn't for the fact Clarkston lost to Lathrup, Davenport would be a higher star. It sure wasn't her fault though, as she once again dominated with 22 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocked shots for the Wolves. Second star Zach Leveta, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood basketball Name a statistical category and Leveta racked up numbers in it during a win over Madison Heights Lamphere. Levels had 21 points, seven steals and six rebounds for the Cranes. First star Akhemji Williams, Rochester Adams So much for maybe the best player to ever play at Adams needing time to warm up this season. Williams was already a raging ball of fire against Stoney Creek, scoring a school-record 46 points for the Highlanders in an 88-68 win. Get ready for a big year from him

Ah there is nothing like watching the season's change. Sure others might not feel that way with how brutally cold weather has gotten, and believe me Kosmo has gotten plenty nervous now that he is sharing his cave with hibernating bears for the winter (hopefully this typing doesn't wake them up). But for Kosmo, Tuesday represented a fresh start, as the transition has officially been made from football to basketball season. Here are your seer's best three performances. Third star Jonathan Radner, Berkley This performance may have been in defeat but it was still impressive by the Berkley junior. He poured in 35 points and looks like he is ready to build off an outstanding sophomore season. Second star Jake Daniels, Holly As if Holly wasn't an intriguing enough team to watch, along comes Daniels, who scored 27 points in a win over Flint Kearsley. Kosmo didn't see his name in the boys basketball preview but now knows the talented Bronchos have another weapon. First star Amber Jamison, Rochester Adams The Lady Highlanders sure do have a good one in this junior. As versatile as they come, Jamison had 13 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks in a win over Utica Ford. She is going to be fun to watch all year.

Kosmo is back from a post-football hiatus on this blog, and even though he hasn't been writing, he had paid attention to what happened during the first week of girls basketball season. He didn't like what he saw. Scoring has gotten worse and worse every year since the season change, with countless teams not even scoring 10 points in a half or 25 in a game. In fairness, the talent for boys basketball around the state has dipped as well, but girls games just don't seem to have the offense as in years past. That is not making fun of girls who do play because they bust their behind each day and give it all they got. They really do. It is just with club volleyball and club soccer competing for a female athlete's time in the winter, basketball only players are getting fewer and fewer. Maybe the ensuing weeks will be better with some games under the belt of teams. Kosmo sure hopes so because it is just unfortunate to see such low-scoring games.

Kosmo is sorry for his tardiness on this, but a combination of holiday travel plans and needing time to calm down from such an exhilarating weekend from the state football finals kept your seer from highlighting his stars from this weekend's state football finals. Instead of 3, Kosmo has 5. Fifth star The Catholic Central student section. Was that neat or what to see the students creatively and classily form a 33 with a combination of white shirts within blue shirts of the CC student section on Saturday. It was in honor of David Widzinski, a player from last year who died tragically shortly after last year's game. As good of a tribute as you'll see. Fourth star Alex Malzone, Birmingham Brother Rice. Forget a future star. Malzone already is one, going 20 of 24 passing and thoroughly dissecting Muskegon in a 38-21 Rice win. Kosmo can't wait to see what he is like as a senior next year. Third star Ian Eriksen, Clarkston. It was awesome to see Catholic Central coach Tom Mach pay tribute to Eriksen after the game by saying he would fit right in if he were at CC, because Eriksen and the Clarkston offensive line did something nobody usually does, which is dominate CC. Eriksen finished with 237 yards and 3 TD's and will forever be a legend around Clarkston. Second star Kurt Richardson, Clarkston. Speaking of legends, Kosmo has always thought Richardson has been one with how great Clarkston is year after year and the fact he is a Hall of Fame coach. Hopefully others in Clarkston realize how much this native son has done for the community after helping deliver the Wolves their first state championship. He had given back far more than this state title, but maybe winning the title will make some realize just how much. First star Al Fracassa, Brother Rice. What more can Kosmo say about the state's all-time winningest coach? There will never be another one like you, Al. Enjoy your retirement and all the best to you forever.