EAGLES' HOOPSTERS FINALLY TAKE FLIGHT, TROUNCE POWERS IN NEUTRAL COURT CLASH

Returning most of it lineup from a very good team last year and making the move down from Class B to Class C, Madison Heights Madison's 87-64 lackluster loss at the hands of Macomb Dakota on opening night wasn't exactly what Eagles fans expected for the start of the 2012 campaign.

Bouncing back with fearsome resolve and flawless execution, the team's 68-53 dismantling of state hoops heavyweight Flint Powers for its first win of the season was more what the Madison faithful had in mind.

The Eagles led from the opening tip to the final buzzer, showing everyone in attendance at the slate of showcase games held at West Bloomfield High School on Saturday, why they will be one of the top cage squads in the area this winter.

Two-time all-league pick Damon Bozeman headlined Madison's winning effort with a double-double of 27 points and 14 rebounds. On Tuesday against Dakota, he had 26 points and 10 boards. Bozeman, a 6-foot-3 bulldog of a competitor is getting looks from various small-level and mid-major D1 programs. He has been on varsity for four years and started as a sophomore on the Eagles' league championship team in 2010.

Last season, Bozeman and Madison compiled a record of 16-5 overall and finished in second place in the MAC Silver standings behind state quarterfinalist East Detroit.

Over the summer, Bozeman considered leaving Madison and transferring to Walled Lake Western, even playing with the Warriors in summer league action. However, by the end of the summer, he had experienced a change of heart and returned to the Eagles for his senior year.

The team is far from a one-man show and in addition to Bozeman have a series of talented complimentary pieces, almost all of them members of the school's successful football program.

Danny Larkins, Tevin Washington and Jermaine O' Bryant put in eight points apiece on Saturday. Washington and Larkins were the football team's starting wide receivers this year and Larkins will be playing next year in college at the University of Toledo.

Senior point guard William Bradley, the Eagles starting quarterback back in the fall on the gridiron, chipped in with a solid outing on Saturday with six points, eight assists and five steals.

Fellow football studs Nick Wallace, Denzel Manning and Alvin Mingo all fill roles as "glue guys" on the hardwood and will be x-factor guys that don't necessarily light up the stat sheet. Wallace had five points against Powers, while Manning and Mingo scored a bucket each.

The tactical attack for the Eagles is led by sideline veteran Steve Rhoads, who has been coaching in the area for four decades.  

Rhoades cage crew was in front 37-28 at halftime and 48-27 entering the fourth quarter.

Madison will face-off with crosstown rival Lamphere for its next game on Thursday at home.