As the Cagers head into the last week of games before playoffs, the focus will have to be on offense.
Clarkston beat their opponents last week, Rochester Adams and Oak Park, but both were closer than they should have been.
‘Defensively, we are still solid and I always breach that,? said Coach Dan Fife. ‘We were better as a team. Tonight (against Oak Park) it felt like if Staton didn’t get an opportunity for us, we couldn’t get one.?
Though the boys beat Oak Park, 56-36, something was missing on the court and Fife didn’t know what it was.
‘I just haven’t seen this sort of thing,? said Fife. ‘I don’t know if I am pushing the right buttons, strikng the right nerves. Hopefully we get better. We have two more games to get better and get ourselves stronger.?
Tom Staton got the game going for the Wolves. He ran down the court and passed the ball to Brandon Verlinden.
Staton made his way through Oak Park’s defense and positioned himself under the basket for Verlinden’s return pass.
Verlinden threw the ball back to Staton, who put it in for two points. The boys held the Knights to 17 points going into the second half, while they led with 31.
During the last half of the game, Knights Coach Alfred Kattola tried something different on the Wolves – a half-court trap.
‘I have seen them (Clarkston) three times and hadn’t seen anyone do a half-court trap. That was something I thought about,? said Kattola.
‘They played a defense we were familiar with and we couldn’t get into the zone very well,? said Matt Kamieniecki.
The Wolves shot five points in the third quarter, but found a way to shoot past Oak Park and score 20 in the fourth.
‘The second half, we didn’t turn and weren’t aggressive,? said Fife. ‘That’s not the way you are going to turn against a Northern or Arthur Hill, someone who really wants us.?
Brandon Pokley led the game with 20 points and connected four of his eight 3-point attempts. Pokley also led with 20 points in the boys victory over Rochester Adams on Feb. 24, 48-38.
‘It was a tough game. They were ready for us,? said Fife.
The Wolves finish their regular season this week against West Bloomfield and Pontiac Northern.
‘It’s a tough week. We are playing two of the better teams in the league,? said Kamieniecki. ‘We have to come out ready to play.?
The Lakers are in second place in OAA Red, behind Clarkston’s first place spot and Northern holds third.
They played West Bloomfield on Tuesday.
They host Northern on Thursday.
Last time the Wolves played their rivals they won, 57-39.
JV begins at 5:30 p.m. at the high school, varsity follows.
The freshman team will play their last game of the season at Clarkston Junior High at 4:30 p.m.
District playoffs begin Monday, the Wolves have a bye in the first round and will use it to prepare.
‘This game is 90 percent mental and we have to get the mental back. They could have two weeks left and that’s it,? said Fife. ‘We better turn it up and come up on a different approach.?