The Wolves basketball team gave all they had against Carman-Ainsworth, but it wasn’t enough to capture the Class A boys basketball quarterfinal game at Saginaw Valley State University. Clarkston fell in overtime 68-60.
“It was a really classic type of game,” Clarkston coach Dan Fife said. “It was the underdog against the heavyweight. Carman-Ainsworth showed the character of a senior team.”
Clarkston was led by Chris Johnston who scored 32 points. The Wolves played Carman-Ainsworth to a 12-12 tie after the first quarter, but trailed 34-25 at halftime.
Then came the motivational halftime speech.
“At the end of the first half I knew we had to get their focus back because I could see they were panicking and were frustrated. I got on them a little bit at halftime but I could tell I wasn’t changing their minds,” Fife said.
Enter Dane Fife who came into the locker room and offered his advice.
“Dane came in. I didn’t ask him, but he came in and really made an impact,” Fife said.
Clarkston pulled within five at the end of the third quarter and took the lead in the fourth. However, the Cavaliers rallied and put the game into overtime. They outscored Clarkston 10-2 in the extra session to advance.
‘It was like a boxing match. We knocked them down but they got right up and came back strong,” Fife said.
The loss ended a magical run from the Wolves who started the season 2-5 before winning 16 of their final 19 games. They finished the season with an 18-8 record.
Clarkston was a young team this year with only two players having varsity experience. Matt Orris and Justin Whetstone were the only seniors on the team.
“I really credit the seniors for sticking with me and the system after our start. If the older kids bail on you then you have no chance,” Fife said. “They were able to turn it around and that is a credit to them. The kids grew up in a hurry. They made it a really fun season for me. I really enjoyed going to practice everyday.”
Fife is looking forward to next year with a wealth of experience returning. However, he said the key will be how the players respond to the season ending loss.
“Losing a game like that can affect you in different ways and we will be able to tell in the next couple of weeks. Will we roll up our sleeves and get to work to get better or will we get complacent and comfortable by the winning at the end of the season? Championships are not won during the season, they are won out of season,” Fife said.