I’d like to introduce you today to Howell sophomore basketball player Emma Kanka. She has only been playing basketball since eighth grade and is making a huge impact on the floor.
Kanka has a mean low post game and she grabs rebounds with long arms and hounds opposing players with aggressive play. Sometimes when she scores on her sweeping hook shots she looks like a wind mill spinning in a strong breeze.
Kanka did something off the court that amazed me. I’ve been doing this job for 37 years. (Yes, I am old). She gave the best interview of any high school sophomore I’ve covered.
She is also the younger sister of University of Michigan bound lineman Bobby Kanka who is also a fine tight end and will be a senior at Howell next fall. He is also a terrific talker and I wonder who gets the most words in during dinner time conversation.
Most young players are nervous during interviews. Even seniors. But Kanka acted like a season veteran.
She played an instrumental role in Howell’s 47-7 victory over Fenton (3-21) during a district semifinal Wednesday at Fenton High School. She pounded the boards, flexed her muscles and prepared herself for Friday’s district championship game against Hartland, a team that has beaten Howell twice this season.
“They are very strong and physical,” Kanka said of Hartland. “They are big and they keep pounding you and pounding you. You have to fight back or they will eat you alive. It is always tough playing them and I look forward to Friday’s game. It is going to be really tough.”
Howell did not get much resistance from Fenton. The goal was to land an early knockout punch and get ready for Hartland.
It is the ninth straight time the Highlanders and Eagles have meet in district and the sixth straight year they’ve meet in the finals. Howell won last year’s battle after being eliminated by Hartland the last six seasons.
Howell (16-7) is humming now after winning its sixth game in the last seven. It’s only loss came to state ranked Belleville (20-2) in the KLAA championship game.