A new look Chelsea boys’ basketball team cruised in its season opener with a 63-36 win over Michigan Center Monday night.

The Bulldogs returned just one starter from last season’s squad and will look to make up for the graduation of a pair of all-state players in Jake Stephens and Joey Cabana.

Chelsea will rely on the lone returning starter and leading scorer from last year in senior Drew Blanton to lead the young squad this season.

Blanton did just that in the opener Monday night with a team high 33 points as the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half for the win against the Cardinals.

Both teams were cold to start, but the Bulldogs got going with seven straight points from junior Beckett Boos for a 7-2 lead.

Michigan Center answered, but a pair of triples by Blanton late in the quarter tied the game at 15 after one period.

Chelsea opened the second quarter with a 6-0 run to force a Cardinal timeout.

The lead reached double-digits with a 16-4 run to push the lead to 31-19 and force another Michigan Center timeout.

Blanton was on fire in the second with 16 points to help the Bulldogs outscore Center 24-10 taking a 39-25 lead into the break.

Michigan Center got within ten in the third but a triple by Gibby Ichesco and a Blanton basket pushed the lead to 46-31 after three

The lead reached 20 early in the fourth with a triple by Sam Borcherding and the Bulldogs started clearing its bench.

Blanton ended his night with a pretty ankle-breaking move on a Cardinal defender for a step back three-pointer to for his 33^rd point of the night.

Freshman Josh Stephens closed out the night with seven straight points in his first varsity game.

To go along with Blanton’s 33, Boos finished with 11 points.

Borcherding and Stephens scored seven each, Ichesco three, and Wyatt Matusik two.

The Bulldogs return to action Wednesday, December 5 when they host Ann Arbor Pioneer.

Photos by Mike Williamson