I will admit it – I did get a little misty-eyed as the Clarkston Boys Varsity Basketball team ran onto the court after the championship game on Saturday.
I was swept in the moment, which was a long time coming for the Wolves, as under the bright lights of the Breslin Center they achieved a goal many teams set their sights on every year.
It was a magical moment Clarkston fans filling the arena at Michigan State University cheered and clapped as the players and coaches hugged each other.
The dream began long ago for the program as it did for long-time head coach Dan Fife when he played for the Clarkston Wolves.
The state championship – the dream never died. Instead it grew with each player who stepped onto the court sporting their navy blue and gold uniform.
I have talked to many players throughout the years. Many at the beginning of the season when they exclaim proudly their goal is state championship.
They didn’t want it for themselves but for Coach Fife and their community.
Junior Foster Loyer said it earlier and said it again after the boys beat West Bloomfield in the semifinals.
“To Coach Fife I don’t think he will admit what it means to him, but it’s defintely everyone’s goal at the beginning of every season,” Loyer said at Friday’s press conference. “You go into each season with the ultimate goal to finish with a win. For Coach Fife and the community of Clarkston it means the world to all of us and motivates us even more.”
What a thrill for the Wolves to accomplish the dream and Coach Fife to raise the trophy into the air for everyone to see and being able to share it with his family – his wife, Jan; his sons Dugan, Jeremy, and Dane; and all his grandchildren who wore white jerseys Friday and Saturday with “Fife” on the back and numbers representing the ones their fathers wore – 10, 11 and 12, adding up to 33. As no one will wear No. 33, it was retired exactly 50 years ago.
The trip to the Breslin Center starts before players don the varsity jerseys.
Many Wolves went through the McGrath Winter Basketball league and summer sessions of Dan Fife Basketball Camp and Fife Fundamentals absorbing all they could, listening to Fife’s tips and setting their goal to be able to end the season with the MHSAA announcing Clarkston as the champions.
I have watched the Wolves for the last nine seasons, seeing them work hard in practice, witnessing their ups and downs on the court. I wanted them to achieve it for Coach Fife and their community.
Coach Fife is a man of many words after a loss. A loss isn’t just a lesson in the game but in life as well. A defeat will humble you more quickly than a win ever will.
He even had words of reflection when the Wolves lost the quarterfinals in 2015 in the last few seconds.
They went back to work the next two seasons. Luckily the Wolves only had one loss this season to Southfield Arts & Technology before they went in to the playoff season. They learned and were back on the court scoring points on their opponents.
When playoffs began they rose to the challenge taking it one team at a time, including Macomb Dakota who had beat them in regional playoffs last season.
It was a great ride, Wolves! Cherish the moments and memories especially since we know you will be back to work playing in your off season basketball leagues.
My son, limited on his language at 15-months-old, did request a repeat as he did not go to the Breslin Center this weekend. (He is in his explorer stage right now and it would have been hard not to keep him from not going onto the basketball court. A little more harder than it is during the regular season.) He wants to see you guys play there again. Really, who doesn’t? He really is a great Wolf supporter.
He also requested a toddler T-shirt which says “Mom saw the Wolves win the state championship and all I got was this T-shirt.”