Even a week before the Wolves took on Southfield Lathrup on Feb. 10, Clarkston Coach Dan Fife fretted about the game citing the Chargers gym as a place his team did not fare well in the past.
‘I’m a worrier. If we were playing a third grade McGrath team, I’d be worrying before the game,? Fife said.
As the game turned out, Fife’s misgivings were well placed as Clarkston not only lost the contest 61-56 to Lathrup, but also control of their own destiny in the race for supremacy over the OAA I.
Unlike the teams? first meeting on Feb. 20, in which Clarkston routed Lathrup 77-54 at home, the rematch was close throughout. The Wolves trailed 25-24 at halftime and the game was tied 36-36 after the third quarter, but Lathrup managed to out score Clarkston 25-20 in the fourth for their final margin of victory.
‘Not a lot went right. I thought they out competed us. (Southfield Lathrup) is a very well coached team and I think I was out-coached,? Fife said. ‘They took us out of our comfort level.?
Senior Joe Moran tied Lathrup’s Tim Giles for the game high, each with 19 points. Junior Bren Bergquist was the Wolves second leading scorer with 11 against the Chargers.
The Wolves have been cruising since they last saw the Chargers. Clarkston defeated Lathrup 77-54 at home on Jan. 20, then strung together a six-game winning streak which included an 83-40 throttling of West Bloomfield on Feb. 7. Bergquist scored a game high 26 points in the swamping of the Lakers; a contest which marked the third time this season the Wolves have led by 40 points during a game.
The CHS gym has been exceedingly kind to the Wolves this season as they are 7-0 at home with an average margin of victory of 26 points. Conversely, the team is 3-3 on the road. Their average margin of victory on the road is still high at nearly 23 points and their average margin of defeat is just under seven points.
‘Up until the other night (against Lathrup) I thought we’d come a long way, but then we went into someone else’s gym,? Fife said. ?(The OAA I) is getting to be like the Big 10, hardly anybody wins on the road anymore.?
The point of reference Fife used in his evaluation is Clarkston’s losses at Pontiac Northern on Jan. 6 and Pontiac Central on Jan. 17. The time for revenge is upon the Wolves though as both the Huskies and Chiefs come to C-Town this week.
‘We just have to put that loss (to Lathrup) behind us,? senior Rob Ronk said.
Clarkston’s game against Pontiac Northern on Feb. 14 finished too late for this edition of The Clarkston News. Check www.clarkstonnews.com on Feb. 15 for an update of the Wolves fate against Northern.
Due to Clarkston schools? mid-winter break, the traditional Friday night game this week will be played on Thursday, where on Feb. 16 the Wolves host Central.
‘We definitely have to win these two games,? said Fife in reference to his team’s chances for a league title.
Clarkston’s record stands at 10-3 (5-3) good for fourth place in the league. Lathrup is now tops in the OAA I at 8-5 (7-1). Pontiac Central 10-3 (5-2) and Northern 9-5 (5-2) are tied for second in the league.