Senior Matt Kamieniecki hugged Bluejay Carlton Brundidge and congratulated him on winning the MHSAA Regional championship before joining the rest of his team.
Clarkston concluded their season with a 67-57 loss to Southfield on March 17.
‘I am proud of our kids and what we accomplished,? said Dan Fife, Wolves Boys Varsity Head Coach. ‘Losses don’t come easy after 28 years, but I can’t be upset with my kids? effort. They fought even when they were 12 down.?
Sophomore Nick Tatu got the game rolling scoring on three 3-point shots. A basket from senior Tyler Scarlett put the boys 11-2 with five minutes left in the first quarter.
They held onto the lead going into the second quarter but the Bluejays adjusted to the Wolves intensity, quickly catching up.
Brundidge tied the game at 20 points with one basket at the free throw line and with three minutes left in the half, Southfield grabbed the lead.
They held on and ended the half, 29-25.
Kamieniecki opened the third quarter scoring on a 3-point basket. Teammate Jordan Clark also scored on a field goal, tying the game 33-33.
The control shifted again for Clarkston and as they had a few minutes to go in the quarter Southfield scored eight points to secure their lead, 45-39.
The Wolves put on the pressure facing a 12-point lag in the final quarter.
Kamieniecki forced Southfield to turnover the ball with two minutes to go and ran down the court, scoring his gain.
He scored again and another basket from Scarlett closed the gap to seven points.
Mitch Baenziger grabbed the ball and passed it to teammate Marcus Hardy. He passed it back and Baenziger put the boys at 57-62 on the scoreboard.
Southfield scored five more points, three from free throws to end the game, 67-57.
‘We wanted to maintain the lead,? said Southfield Coach Gary Teasley.
He admitted one of the components the Bluejays had to get ready for when seeing Clarkston for the third time this season was Kamieniecki.
‘He’s a good player and came to compete,? Teasley said. ‘It’s hard to stop him. We noticed his free throw shots not making it and it could have been from scoring when coming in from behind.?
Kamieniecki hit 2 of his15 free throw shots, a concern for fans, but not for Fife.
‘We aren’t even close to where we would have been without Kamieniecki. He brought us back near the end with his effort,? he said. ‘He kept throwing baskets and if it’s there, it’s there. We have won 19 games with Kami missing at the free throw line. We can’t walk into the gym without thanking him for the record we have.?
Kamieniecki was the leading scorer with 22 points. Tatu added nine points and Scarlett, along with Marcus Hardy had eight points.
Brundidge led Southfield with 25 points and Desmond Barnes had 19 points.
‘Southfield is a good team. They beat us,? said Fife. ‘They have a lot of weapons – hard to guard, hard to control penetration.?
Clarkston ends the season 19-6 and loses three of their starters, Clark, Kamieniecki, and Scarlett.
The boys were back in the gym after the game preparing for next season and Fife said communication is the key during the off-season and turning the loss into a positive.
‘They have to battle all their lives to turn negatives into positives,? said Fife.
‘The character of how they look at the program and how they look at Clark, Scarlett, and Kami’s legacy is how they respond to the loss,? he added.
‘The kids know how hard those three worked and how hard they compete. The kids work hard and it leaves a heck of a legacy for the rest of the kids to work hard.?