Top Games This Week. Boys and Girls Basketball Top 21.

Written Saturday February 22nd at 11:00 AM

Boys Top 21

1. Clarkston (16-1): Wolves clinched another Red title with a win last week over Ferndale.

2. Southfield Arts and Tech (13-2): Warriors had some trouble with Southfield Bradford last week.

3. Troy (13-3): Colts are 4-1 in February which is a good sign.

4. North Farmington (12-5): Raiders probably played their most complete game last Tuesday night.

5. Berkley (12-4): Bears are 6-1 since January 30^th. Coach Joe Sermo’s team could be dangerous come postseason.

6. Ferndale (8-9): Eagles looking to finish the season strong and hopefully make some noise in Division Two for the postseason.

7. West Bloomfield (7-9): Lakers snapped a five game losing streak with a convincing win over Oak Park last week.

8. Lake Orion (6-11): Drew Van Heck’s return to the Dragons lineup is a serious game changer.

9. Troy Athens (12-5): Red Hawks still in the thick of the Blue race.

10. Stoney Creek (8-8): Cougars are probably the team no one wants to see in the White right now.

11. Oak Park (6-11): Knights are 1-5 in February, that’s not good.

12. Farmington (8-10): Falcons haven’t looked sharp lately.

13. Groves (8-10): It’s really hard to see where the Falcons are right now.

14. Adams (6-10): Ah what happened last Friday night Highlanders???

15. Oxford (9-8): Wildcats have lean a ton on Trey Townsend this season.

16. Seaholm (9-7): Maples are 1-5 in February. That’s not good.

17. Bloomfield Hills (5-13): Blackhawks need to develop that post presence to go along with the shooters.

18. Royal Oak (4-13): Ravens need to ride their two posts in Seth Werner and Jesse Hoisington the rest of the way.

19. Pontiac (6-8): It’s hard to describe the Phoenix right now.

20. Rochester (3-14): It’s hard to describe the Falcons right now.

21. Avondale (1-16): The Yellow Jackets finally got their first win of the season and the first for Coach Pat Clancy.

Girls Top 21

 1. Clarkston (14-4): Wolves appear to have gotten everything ready for the postseason.

2. West Bloomfield (12-5): Lakers have a tough stretch looming before the postseason.

3. Avondale (13-5): Yellow Jackets gearing up for a postseason run but lack of depth has me concerned with this group.

4. Troy (13-5): Kendal Zeiter has been a difference maker for the Colts.

5. Southfield Arts and Tech (12-7): How does Cheyenne McEvans not get mentioned in the conversation for Miss Basketball??? Come on now that’s terrible.

6. Oak Park (11-6): Kyla Wilson has been a scoring machine lately for the Knights.

7. Adams (11-7): I still can’t figure out the purple shoes.

8. Berkley (14-4): Bears have been really impressive in the last two games. Ashley Loon has been huge for them.

9. Royal Oak (9-9): Ravens still trying to find that second scorer to Sarah Soroghan.

10. Lake Orion (7-11): Maddie Ebbert is going to be a special player just watch.

11. North Farmington (11-7): Raiders have been up and down lately.

12. Groves (10-8): Falcons have been up and down lately.

13. Troy Athens (12-6): Red Hawks are 2-6 since their loss to Adams on January 17^th.

14. Rochester (11-7): Ah I have concerns about the Falcons.

15. Stoney Creek (5-13): It’s been a rough year Cougars, hang in there.

16. Oxford (5-13): Emma Morris has been the go to scorer with Mackenzie Methner out for the Wildcats.

17. Bloomfield Hills (7-11): Blackhawks picked up a huge win at Royal Oak but they have some odd losses that don’t add up.

18. Seaholm (7-12): Maples have appeared to have gotten things on track.

19. Farmington (3-14): Falcons have lost three straight but they have been competitive.

20. Ferndale (4-11): Eagles will be an interesting team to watch in the postseason.

21. Pontiac (0-15): Phoenix put up 38 points last week is a start.

Top Games (Boys)- Feb 17 thru Feb 21.

West Bloomfield at Lake Orion (Friday): This is a rematch of a 57-51 Lakers win over the Dragons on January 24^th. It will be interesting now that Lake Orion is getting healthier at the right time for the postseason. West Bloomfield has had their fair shares of ups and downs lately so this makes for an interesting game.

Oxford at Troy (Friday): This is a rematch of a 62-43 Colts win on January 24^th. Oxford has lost two straight games while Troy has won four straight since their loss to Southfield Arts and Tech. The Colts control their destiny in the White race. It will be interesting to see what happens in this game.

Stoney Creek at Adams (Friday): This is a rematch of a 38-37 Highlanders win on January 24^th at Oakland in the Crosstown Showdown. Both of these teams have improved and look to make some noise in their postseason districts. The Cougars have responded real nicely in an underdog role. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are the favorite heading into this game even though they lost to Adams. It will be interesting to say the least and expect both the “Gold Rush” and the “Corre” to be out in full force.

Stoney Creek at Southfield Arts and Tech (Monday): This is a rematch of a 68-63 Warriors win on January 21^st. Stoney Creek has beaten some really good teams lately and they are more than capable could spoil anyone’s season especially those in league races. Southfield Arts and Tech has to be careful in this game because the Cougars could beat them.

Southfield Arts and Tech at Southfield Bradford (Wednesday): This is a rematch of a 58-52 Warriors win over Southfield Bradford on February 21^st. Southfield Arts and Tech has played their private city rivals Southfield Christian and Southfield Bradford tough in the past. It will be interesting how these respond this time around.

Avondale at Birmingham Detroit Country Day (Tuesday): The Yellow Jackets got their first win of the season by beating Rochester last week. I’ll be curious if they can maintain it against another struggling squad in Birmingham Detroit Country Day. Both teams are named Yellow Jackets and have Adidas as their uniform providers but the main color is different, with Avondale purple and Birmingham Detroit Country Day dark blue. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Oak Park at Bloomfield Hills (Friday): This is a rematch of a 59-50 Knights win on January 24^th. Both of these teams have been struggling thus far but Oak Park has really struggled in February by going 1-5 in that stretch. The Blackhawks beat West Bloomfield on their home court last week and have made it a habit beating really athletic teams on their home floor. It will be interesting to say the least.

Summit Academy at West Bloomfield (Wednesday): The Lakers have to be very careful with Summit Academy even though it’s in the Swamp. They have won 11 games even though they haven’t played the strength of schedule West Bloomfield has. It should be a great indicator heading into the postseason.

Groves at Southfield Arts and Tech (Friday): This is a rematch of a 66-65 buzzer beater that the Falcons got against the Warriors on January 24^th. Southfield Arts and Tech has not lost since that game which has them tied for the White with Troy. It’s possible these two teams could meet again in the postseason.

Royal Oak at Seaholm (Friday): This is a rematch of a 49-45 Maples win on January 24^th. If there is a team right now that’s in trouble it’s Seaholm. The Maples are 1-5 in February which is not good heading into the postseason. The Ravens played Seaholm tough in Royal Oak and they picked up a huge win over Pontiac last week. It will be interesting to say the least.

Berkley at Pontiac (Friday): This is a rematch of a 60-47 Bears win on February 10^th. Berkley has been rolling which has resulted in them having the lead in the Blue but it’s never easy heading into Sy Green Gym. Pontiac is a really tough place to play at and the Phoenix have fared well at home lately.

Top Games (Girls)- Feb 24 thru Feb 28.

Troy at Lake Orion (Tuesday): This is a rematch of a Colts 48-35 win on January 17^th. The Dragons had no answer for Athena Sampson in the last meeting. Lake Orion has been starting to get their act together heading into the postseason. Troy has a tough district first round game with Utica looming so they need to get ready for that game.

Lake Orion at Oxford (Thursday): This is a rematch of a 42-30 Dragons win on January 23^rd. Both of these teams have struggled for the Wildcats with the injury to Mackenzie Methner while Lake Orion has had to deal with inexperience all season long. The key matchup looks to be Kacy Lauer vs Emma Morris. It will also be an interesting coaching matchup between Bob Brydges and Rachel Bryer. It will be a very interesting game at Ian Smith Gym.

St. Clair Shores Lakeview at Oxford (Tuesday): It’s interesting to see how the Wildcats see themselves against a very good Huskies squad and their star center in Joslyn Brennan. Brennan has gotten a ton of attention this season and has performed well. It’s going to be a tough task for Grace Cleland and Elana Hubbard to go up against Brennan. If Oxford can get Emma Morris going along with Sarah Tyrell and Gabby Dinges then it could be very interesting.

Warren Mott at Rochester (Tuesday): This should be an interesting test for the Falcons as they play the Marauders of Warren Mott. They are solid and should test Rochester. It should be an interesting measuring stick game for Coach Bill Thurston and crew on Tuesday night.

Adams at Troy Athens (Tuesday): This is a rematch of a 48-41 Highlanders win on January 17^th. The Red Hawks are 2-6 since that game while the Highlanders are 5-3. It will be interesting with the game being at Troy Athens. It will be an interesting coaching matchup between Stacie Klumpp and Shay Lewis and a great individual matchup between Isabelle Crum and Maddie Dolenga. I think this is a much bigger game for the Red Hawks especially given their struggles.

North Farmington at Adams (Thursday): This is an interesting rematch of a 66-60 Raiders overtime victory on December 12^th. The Highlanders are experienced and talented but North Farmington is as well. It will be an interesting coaching matchup between Shay Lewis and Jeff Simpson along with Mya Kelly vs Maddie Dolenga. It will be an indicator heading into the postseason to see where each team is at.

Avondale at North Farmington (Tuesday): The Yellow Jackets are athletic and talented but when teams have to go to the “NoGo Dome” they tend to cringe. Avondale will have to deal with North Farmington’s gym and the advantages given to the Raiders. The Yellow Jackets have past every test given to them thus far, this might be the toughest yet.

West Bloomfield at Detroit Edison (Friday): What a way to head into the postseason if you’re the Lakers by going down to Detroit to play a loaded Detroit Edison squad. West Bloomfield struggled against Harper Woods Chandler Park last week and the Pioneers are loaded with talent. It will be a tough task for Coach Bert Mosley and company.

Royal Oak at West Bloomfield (Tuesday): This is a rematch of a 32-31 shocking upset by the Ravens on January 17^th. I wonder if the Lakers haven’t forgotten that game. West Bloomfield was rolling at that time before the upset. It will be an interesting game now that it will be at “The Swamp.”

Royal Oak at Clarkston (Thursday): This is a rematch of a 46-42 Wolves win on January 23^rd. Clarkston has won nine of the last 10 games since losing to West Bloomfield back in January. Royal Oak has given the Wolves fits as mentioned. The Ravens are a defensive first team which could give Clarkston issues but the big court could give Royal Oak some issues.

Oak Park at Ferndale (Tuesday): This is a rematch of a 35-28 Knights win on January 17^th. The Eagles have been competitive lately but Oak Park has taken it to another level. If Ferndale can keep up then it could be interesting.

Farmington at Oak Park (Thursday): The Knights have had a great season under Coach Peggy Carr but this is a rematch of a 41-34 win over the Falcons on January 23^rd. Farmington does have a depth advantage on Oak Park but the Knights have the best player in Kyla Wilson. This shapes up to be an interesting contest.

Madison Heights Lamphere at Ferndale (Monday): This shapes up to be an interesting game as the Eagles will play the Rams. Madison Heights Lamphere has had an up and down season in the Macomb Area Conference while it has been a rough first season for coach Keith Paris who is putting a program in place at Ferndale. It will be interesting to say the least.

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