Boys Basketball Shortcomings-2021.

Written Friday August 9th at 12:15 AM

Updated Wednesday July 14th at 10:25 AM

The Boys Basketball season came to a close for 2021. Ferndale had a deep postseason run to the Division Two State semifinals but lost a tough one to Grand Rapids Catholic Central on Thursday afternoon at the Van Andel Arena. 

Here are the shortcomings for Boys Basketball.

Boys

Ferndale: The Eagles had a very good season which included a Red, district, and their first regional title since 1985. They played a very brutal non-league schedule which included playing three of the four State Champions this season along with several Division One schools including Grosse Pointe South, Detroit Fredrick Douglass, Flint Beecher, and Orchard Lake St. Marys. Ferndale is in Division Two for the postseason and they play in the Red which is considered to be one of the toughest divisions in the State. They fell to Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the State semifinals after giving up a 28-0 run in the second half of that game. The Eagles had a classic double overtime with Croswell-Lexington in the State quarterfinals and had victories over Detroit Fredrick Douglass, Clarkston twice, and North Farmington. Ferndale has Treyvon Lewis, Cameron Reed, Chris Williams and Jason Drake coming back. They lose Jack Kennedy to graduation which hurts. Program strength looks to be improving for Coach Juan Rickman. The Eagles should be back in the conversation next season for not only the Red but the State title as well.

North Farmington: The Raiders were in the midst of having another good season and was coming off a huge road win at Ferndale. They saw their season end after someone within the program tested positive for COVID-19 just before the postseason began. North Farmington loses four seniors including Basheer Jihad, Justin Ross, and Deon Hayes to graduation. The Raiders have program strength which always helps along with some experience. They have Landon Williams, PJ Gardner, and Aaron Rice coming back along with transfers Prince Jackson and Ryan Hurst. Coach Todd Negoshian will always be in the mix in the Red.

Clarkston: The Wolves had a very strong season despite seeing their dominance in the Red end this year. It was supposed to be a rebuilding season for them. Clarkston earned another district title with wins over Adams and Lake Orion. They were a missed free throw from pulling off a major upset over Orchard Lake St. Marys in the regional semifinals. The Wolves lose three seniors in Luke Scherler, Cole Wilson, and Isiyah Harris to graduation. They have Nathan Steinman, Desman Stephens, Keegan Waslik, Zach Austin, Brady Kosin, and Mike DePillo coming back for Coach Tim Waslik. Clarkston should be very good again next season despite program strength could be a concern going forward.

Oak Park: The Knights had a very interesting season which included a major win over Clarkston on their home floor. They earned the number two seed for the postseason despite being in a district with Detroit University-Jesuit, Detroit Renaissance, and Berkley. Oak Park had a very controversial double overtime loss to the Cubs in the district semifinals including a play where they were up four in the first overtime and didn't need to foul but a real questionable call and a bad mistake caused them to give up a four point play to force the second overtime. The Knights lose Deon Henderson, Durand Roseboro, and Kobe Kyle to graduation. They have Bwana Miller, Derald Blackmon, and Ashton Henderson coming back along with newcomers in Rob Smith and Jason Harris for Coach Durand Sheppard. Oak Park is heading in the right direction under Sheppard. Program strength is going to be a question for the Knights. They should be a team to watch next season.

West Bloomfield: The Lakers had a very challenging season which they were better than their record indicated. They had some good wins over Troy Athens and Bloomfield Hills but they had a ton of very tough losses to good teams in North Farmington, Warren De LaSalle, Stoney Creek, Clarkston, Detroit Henry Ford, Ferndale, and Oak Park. West Bloomfield saw their season come to an abrupt end before the postseason started because of COVID protocol. The Lakers lose four very good seniors including Jaylen Adams, Rishad Weaver, and Kipras Blazevicius to graduation. West Bloomfield has, Mitchell Seay, Shawn Patrick and, Davier Burt coming back. They did take a bit of a hit as Coach Jeremy Denha left the program this offseason to coach at Utica Ford II. The Lakers named Arnette Jordan to take over the program. It wasn’t a great year for West Bloomfield but next season I think they should be better going forward.

Farmington: It was a very challenging season for the Falcons. They saw two key players transfer out prior to the start of the season and was in the Red which is never an easy thing. Farmington had some blowout losses and very tough losses including to Seaholm in the first round of districts. The Falcons have Zion Carroll, and Jalen Silver coming back along with six other sophomores whom are juniors. Program strength is still a concern and they will have a new coach as Coach Terrance Porter stepped down in June and Derrick McDowell was named the new coach in August. Farmington is in a really tough spot staying in the Red heading into next season.

Bloomfield Hills: The Blackhawks had a great season which included wins over Stoney Creek, Troy twice, and Adams. Bloomfield Hills shared the White with Stoney Creek and Adams despite having more wins than both the Rochester schools. The postseason was a different story especially with the chance to get to the district finals on their home floor and earning the two seed. They had a very disappointing loss to Waterford Mott in the district semifinals. The Blackhawks lose five seniors including Mason Canfield to graduation. They have a loaded group in Noah Adamcyzk, Derrick Lee, Carson Brodsky, Mohammad Farahani, and Nash Gilbert coming back for Coach Phil Kurajian. Bloomfield Hills should be the favorite in the White next season with the talent that is back.

Stoney Creek: The Cougars had a historic season in 2021 which included their longest postseason run in school history. Stoney Creek earned a share of the White with Bloomfield Hills and Adams. They earned a district title with wins over Utica Eisenhower in the district semifinals and Troy in the district finals. The Cougars postseason success continued into the regional round. They earned a regional semifinal victory over Chippewa Valley however they saw their season come to an end when they fell to Macomb Dakota in the regional finals. Stoney Creek loses 10 seniors including Trevor Smith whom scored over 1,000 points as a Cougar, along with Lance Fogerburg, David Angel, Alex Reiter, Jacob Felton, and Josh Korson to graduation. Gage Beers and Calvin Becker should have bigger roles for Coach Steve Norgrove next season. Program strength is going to be an added bonus for the Cougars. Stoney Creek is going to be very young next season.

Adams: It was a very good season for the Highlanders. It saw them earn double digit wins and clinched at least a share of the White with Bloomfield Hills and Stoney Creek. When the postseason came it was very different for them. Adams earned a bye and won over Romeo in the district semifinals. They fell to Clarkston for the second straight year in the district finals. The Highlanders lose three seniors including Austin Brown and Ben Churmside to graduation. Adams has Justice Mims, Jon Usury, Peter Kardasis, Nick Paterra, Brady Prieskorn, and Jacob Durand coming back. They have Gunner Walters coming back after he spent two years in North Carolina as well. They also have a ton of program strength for Coach Jaret Thomas. The Highlanders moved up to the Red and even though the league is tougher they are going to be a tough out next season.

Troy: The Colts had a very rough season despite all the experience but they were in COVID protocol multiple times which really hurt them. Troy fell to Stoney Creek in the district finals this season. The Colts has Darius Whiteside and his brother Jon Whiteside coming back next season. Darius emerged as a star during their postseason run. They lose Brody Parker, Jake Emerzian, Ethan Emerzian, Imad Hage, and D’Anthony Hamilton to graduation. Coach Gary Fralick is going to be very young next season but Whiteside will be a huge piece next season for Troy.

Groves: The Falcons hovered around 500 this season which included some heartbreaking losses along with great wins. They beat Southfield Arts and Tech in the district first round and was very competitive in their heartbreaking loss to Birmingham Brother Rice in the district semifinals. Groves loses a ton of talent including Daniel Lee, Mark Watson, and Jack Woods to graduation. However Aaron DuBose and Nick Lutz are coming back for Coach Benny White next season. The Falcons will be an interesting team to watch next season.

Southfield Arts and Tech: The Warriors had a really tough season even though they beat Adams early in the season on the road. They fell to Groves on their home floor in the first round of districts. Southfield Arts and Tech loses Jaylen Mack, Anthony Davis, and Caleb Banks to graduation. The Warriors have Craig Hayes coming back for Coach Darreyle Buchanan. They have a very good sub-varsity program however the transition from the junior varsity to varsity will be a huge challenge for them next season. Southfield Arts and Tech should be an interesting team to watch next season.

Lake Orion: The Dragons had a bounce back 2021 after being in the Red for two years. They shared the Blue with Troy Athens and won 11 games this season. Lake Orion had wins over Troy Athens, Berkley, and Lapeer along with very tough losses to very good teams in Dexter, Troy Athens, and Detroit Cass Tech. The Dragons beat Waterford Kettering in the first round of districts. They had Clarkston on the ropes numerous times until divine intervention took over in the district semifinals in which things didn't go their way. Lake Orion loses six seniors in Nick Fisher, Will McClear, Xander Blackney, Mark Smith, Andrew Bryant, and Brendan Jones to graduation. They have Alden Ritt, DJ Morrow, Nate Harvilla, Malachi Grandberry, Jeff Perkowski, CJ Witt, Trevor Witt, and Blake Leidell coming back for Coach Joel Schroeder. Program strength is a huge concern in the long term for the Dragons. Lake Orion will be an interesting program to watch next season.

Troy Athens: The Red Hawks had a very good season despite the circumstances they been through this season. They had wins over Lake Orion, Berkley twice, Oxford, and Rochester but they had really tough losses to Groves, Lake Orion, and West Bloomfield. Troy Athens earned the top seed in their district but they didn’t have a few players due to COVID protocol in their district semifinal loss to Chippewa Valley on their home floor including Michael Justice. The Red Hawks are in a very interesting spot heading into next season after sharing the Blue with Lake Orion this season. Troy Athens loses Jacob Thornton and Justice to graduation. They have Jordan Sebaugh, Andre Shelton, Jonah Botardo, Alex Justice, and Christian Jemmoa coming back for Coach Dave Scott. The interior will be a question mark along with program strength for the Red Hawks. There are a lot of questions but they will have the guards to be competitive next season.

Berkley: The Bears saw a ton of peaks and valleys this season. They beat Royal Oak in the first round of districts however they had a very tough loss to Detroit Renaissance in the district semifinals. Berkley loses seven seniors including Arshad Walker, Logan Thomas, Joey McNamara, and Cody Rigley to graduation. The Bears junior varsity had a great year and will look to continue that success on the varsity level even though the transition from junior varsity to varsity will be very tricky. Program strength will be heavily relied upon next season for Coach Joe Sermo. Berkley should be very good again despite losing seven seniors to graduation because of program strength.

Seaholm: The Maples were senior heavy but it didn't look like it at times even though they had wins over Berkley and Oxford in the regular season. They beat Farmington in the first round of districts and had a forfeit win over North Farmington due to COVID issues surrounding the Raiders. Seaholm went to the district finals but fell to Birmingham Brother Rice on their home floor. The Maples loses a ton of leadership including Johnny Cross to graduation. They have John Chinonis coming back which should help even though the strength is their freshman class whom had a strong season. Coach Mike DeGeeter will have a different team come next season.

Oxford: It was not a good season for the Wildcats after losing Trey Townsend last season and is now at Oakland University. They didn’t have Zach Townsend and Pedro Bottete which hurt. Townsend didn’t come out and Bottete moved out of state. Oxford had good wins over Lakeland and Rochester but they had a ton tough losses to Romeo, Adams,Rochester, and Berkley. They fell to Romeo in heartbreaking fashion in the first round of districts on their home floor. The Wildcats lose Mason Mulholland, Tristian Bennett, Palmer Speck, and Trent Brown to graduation. They have Logan Rozanski, Mitchell Vivano, Alec Brown, and Bryce Essman coming back for Coach Steve Laidlaw. Program strength is a major concern for Oxford even though their long term program strength looks very good but not in the short term. They should have a strong group back next season even though it is possible they could be in the Gold. The Wildcats could be a team to watch next season.

Rochester: The Falcons had a very inconsistent season despite winning the Gold and getting huge wins over Oxford, Avondale, and Pontiac. They were upset by Utica in the first round of districts. Rochester will look to continue to make progress heading into next season but it will be for a new coach in Nick Evola. The Falcons lose two seniors in Mark Williams and Brendan Khelifa to graduation. They have Matt Stone, Gabe Mendoza, Armann Hussaini, Preyston Schroyer, Connor Cracium, and Louis Bowes coming back. Rochester should be a team to watch especially with the experience they have coming back but program strength is a question mark.

Pontiac: It was an interesting season for the Phoenix. They played a league only schedule which was very unusual for anyone. Things were going very well for them which included a huge road win at Rochester. However after that game things really started to go south in a hurry. They ended up losing their final three games of the season. The three game losing streak ended up costing them the Gold. It also included their first round district postseason loss to Waterford Mott. Pontiac loses Tarah Hazard and DeShawn Owens to graduation. The Phoenix have Diontie Harris and Tyree Long coming back for Coach Damion O’Neil. There are a ton of questions as well especially when it comes to program strength for Pontiac next season.

Avondale: It was a much better season for the Yellow Jackets despite seeing a ton of peaks and valleys. Avondale had a tough start early then got on a winning streak and then after the Seaholm game they went back to struggling a little bit but they picked up a huge victory to close the season over Pontiac. The Yellow Jackets picked up a forfeit win over West Bloomfield in the first round of districts because of COVID-19 issues surrounding the Lakers. They were no match for Orchard Lake St. Marys in the district semifinals. The Yellow Jackets lose nine seniors including Jeremy Neal, AJ Knox, Josh Buggs, and Jy Smith to graduation. They have Malik Adams, Abe Herrea, Anthony Howard, Marshall Dennis, Aaris Gordon, Issac Gordon, and Darren Pagel coming back for Coach Pat Clancy. Avondale should be a team to watch next season.

Royal Oak: The Ravens are in a crossroads this offseason. They struggled this season with the win-loss record and they still have an identity crisis heading into next season. Royal Oak fell to Berkley in the first round of districts at Detroit Renaissance. The Ravens lose four seniors including Jack Norton and Charlie Garbowski to graduation. They have Jessie Hosington, Camden Clark, Jason Gilbert, Dylan Hoffman, and Colton Champion coming back for Coach Aaron Smith. If Royal Oak wants to turn things around they are going to need their returners to step up next season.

Ferndale University: It was an interesting first year for the Eagles however it wasn’t a great season for them (they did not win a game technically.) The Eagles lose five seniors and program strength is not great even though Semaj McGhee, Rasheed Jones, Zach Sillah, Javon Sanders, Aaron Tucker, and John King are coming back for new coach Sammy Hines. Hines comes from Madison Heights Lamphere where he spent three years coaching the Rams. Ferndale University fell to Ferndale in the district finals after Detroit Henry Ford had to forfeit because of COVID-19 protocols. The Eagles have been very competitive despite the win-loss record but they are 26-66 since the 2014-2015 season. It will be very interesting how Ferndale University adjusts to Hines and his coaching style this offseason. 

Harper Woods: The Pioneers have a ton of aspirations heading into the OAA this winter. Harper Woods has a ton of experience returning to a team that took some lumps last season. They have Julian Young, DeAndre Williams, Marquise Kelly, Isiah Lewis, Quincy Dickinson, and Rozell Matthews coming back. They will have a new coach in Tujuan Porter taking over the program. The Pioneers should be an interesting team to watch and see how they do in their new league.