Two county students are among the four seniors playing basketball for The Leelanau School Thunderbirds this year.

Zach Stanz of Glen Arbor and Chris Omerza of Empire will hit the floor for co-coaches Jim Douglas, a 1996 St. Francis graduate, and Kurt Westie, a counselor. Last year, the Thunderbirds didn’t field a team.

“We’ve only had three practices,” said Douglas, adding that the school was closed all last week for holiday recess. “We had practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the previous week and special events the last two days and then we were off.”

In addition to Stanz and Omerza, locals who are attending the day/boarding school, Douglas expects to call on the services of Connor Landick and Jesse Warner, both seniors, and juniors Chris Carson, Erich Hasselbusch, Tripp Kilburg, Han Myung Song and Ji Soo Chin, the latter two from South Korea. Also on the team are sophomores Sam Jollie, Jesse Allen and Andrew Campbell.

Currently, the Thunderbird schedule includes just 12 games – half of them against fellow Cherryland Conference members Northport, Lake Leelanau St. Mary and Traverse City Christian. Other contests are scheduled against the Grand Traverse Academy, Traverse City Bulldogs (a home-schooled team) and Traverse City Prep, a new school that opened this fall near Centre Ice in Traverse City.
Athletic director Joe Blondia is working to schedule additional contests, Douglas said.
Leelanau will tipoff the season Dec. 7, hosting Northport. Contests on the road against Grand Traverse Academy and T-C Christian are slated Dec. 11 and 14, respectively before a nearly 1-month break for Christmas.
The Thunderbirds will have four games at home in early 2008 and will also be considered the “away” team when they host T-C Prep on Feb. 5.
– By Amy Hubbell