Wolves hound West Bloomfield to earn OAA-Red title share
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
CLARKSTON — Members of Clarkston’s basketball team watched some film one afternoon in January of this year. The film received a low-star rating and the stars of the flick were nowhere to be found.
What the Wolves viewed was their own struggling game, and the tape showcased Clarkston’s dismal 67-51 defeat by the hands of Pontiac, one of their rivals, in an OAA Red Division tilt earlier this year.
“I think they watched the film of that game and realized how bad they were playing,” admitted Dan Fife, Clarkston’s head coach since 1983. “Growing up in Clarkston, these kids know how important the Pontiac-Clarkston game is and how important playing well in that game means to people. I think it was after that game, that we started to play better.”
Clarkston, despite opening the year 2-4, clinched at least a share of the OAA Red Division boys basketball crown Tuesday in grand fashion, throttling visiting West Bloomfield, 66-24. The Wolves (14-5, 11-2) have now won nine straight games after that defeat to Pontiac in early January and can clinch the title outright Friday with a win at Southfield Lathrup in the regular season finale.
Clarkston has now won or shared five straight league titles and eight of the last nine, all in the top division of the OAA. The Wolves finished second in 2006 and have seldom not been in a title chase since Fife became coach nearly three decades ago.
“I think we weathered the storm,” said Fife. “I know we have started seasons slow before. I think one year we started something like 2-7 and we still won a district championship. We faced a tornado, maybe a hurricane, early in the year, but we fought through it and weathered the storm.”
Against West Bloomfield, which was trying to gain a share of the pie in its own right, Clarkston simply didn’t give the Lakers an inch. The Wolves opened the game with an 18-4 run and were in complete control at the half, 33-13.
Clarkston also hounded West Bloomfield 33-11 in the second half to sink the Lakers’ title hopes.
Senior forward Marcus Hardy scored 14 and junior guard Nick Tatu added 11 points for the Wolves, who held West Bloomfield to under 25 percent shooting on the night.
Spencer Parker was held to only six points to lead West Bloomfield (12-7, 9-4).
“We came out and knocked down a bunch of shots early and we never let them back into the game,” explained Fife, whose team will face Flint Metro League champion Fenton next Monday in its Class A district title. “We had a lot of guys score points. This was a good game for us. Almost everyone scored.
“I think the guys have just (matured) over the course of the season and have realized what it takes to win at this level,” added Fife. “Early in the year, we just weren’t that good. All of our other losses, other than Pontiac, were close losses. But still I think it was that Pontiac game, seeing themselves on film, that helped us turn it around a little bit.”
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Category: Clarkston, High School, Prep Wraps
