Pokely. Kamieniecki. Staton. Heartbreak hung from every face as the final buzzer sent them across the basketball court and into the locker room.
Scarlett, Verlinden, Prudhomme, Ronk. There wasn’t any ceremony; no shouting, no laughing or hugging’just a few arms draped over a teammate’s shoulder in comfort and brotherhood.
Baenziger, Calvano, Kouri, Dellinger. It was a painful loss, and they were hurting.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this; just three days earlier they exploded with joy after holding off a very determined Flint Northwestern. Finally, they’d broken down the quarterfinal barrier that kept them, for so many years, from the Breslin Center and a shot at the Class A Michigan High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball State Championship.
Finally, the Clarkston Wolves were going to Lansing.
But before they knew it, the team was headed back home again.
Clark, Collins, Lawrence, Tatu. One by one they disappeared from the court and into the locker room as the dream of a state basketball championship evaporated behind them.
It wasn’t to be; not this year.
But while the Wolves were getting ready to head home, fans who turned out at the Breslin Center were nothing short of proud; proud of the long, winning season that not only gave Coach Dan Fife a chance to take his team to Lansing, but also drew a close-knit community even tighter together.
‘They’ve got nothing to hang their heads about,? said Alan VanLoon, who came to the game with his wife, Louise to watch grandson Tommy Ronk play at the Breslin Center. ‘We’ve been watching them the whole season, and they should be proud; it was a great year.?
Anne Ronk agreed, noting the team’s appearance in the state semi-finals made her think of Tommy’s brother, Robbie, a CHS grad, and all the Wolves who’ve previously played under the direction of Coach Dan Fife.
‘Every team that came before helped make this team who they are, and helped them get here today,? she said. ‘This was for all of them too, and that made it even more exciting.?
Lindsey Prudhomme Gill, a 2000 CHS grad, and her sister Allison Prudhomme, a 1997 grad, flew from New York to watch their brother Luke Prudhomme play in Lansing.
The loss, she said, was painful’but did not define the day.
‘It hurts for the kids,? she said. ‘Luke is a senior, so he’s not going to get a chance to come back next year. It hurts, and it’s disappointing, but they made it to the top four in the state and they’ll always remember the feeling of what it was like to play at the Breslin Center.?
Both Lindsey and Allison played basketball at CHS, and although they now live out of state still feel like members of the Clarkston athletic community.
‘Win or lose, it doesn’t matter what the outcome was,? she said. ‘No way was I going to miss seeing my brother play today. I wouldn’t have missed this game for anything.?
And it wasn’t just parents, grandparents and siblings; administrators, teachers and students took a day off school and showed up in great numbers to support Clarkston at the 1 p.m. game last Friday.
Clarkston High School, said Principal Vince Licota, was operating with about 65 percent student attendance.
‘That’s pretty low,? he said. ‘Usually we run about 95 percent. But parents called in; obviously this was a community event; we all wanted to be there.?
Looking around as the team warmed up and the community rallied, Licata said, created a ‘really proud moment.?
‘Obviously we all wanted a victory,? he said. ‘But look at the big picture; we got there. The kids played hard, and they played the right way, with the high standards of Coach Dan Fife. We want a state championship; we’ll be back.?
CHS Senior Eric Leichtnam, who can usually be seen front and center of ‘The Jungle?’the large group of kids who show up at every game to support their team’was optimistic, as well.
‘They got the monkey off Clarkston’s back as far as getting past the quarterfinals,? he said. It came down to missing some shots, but they brought the entire community out today, they played hard and we’re really proud of them.?