MaxPreps is pleased to announce that the
Clarkston (Mich.) Wolves have officially been named to the 13th Annual MaxPreps Basketball Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard, which is in its 12th year honoring boys basketball.
This is one of the most prestigious team awards in all of high school sports and it is an exclusive honor reserved for 100 of the top teams nationwide. In order to be eligible, a team must win a state championship and be highly ranked in the MaxPreps National Rankings. For basketball, only 20 of the country's best are invited and with nearly 40,000 competing varsity teams, this puts the Wolves ahead of 99.9 percent of their opponents!
In order to be eligible, the team not only had to be nationally ranked, but also had to win a state championship. Beating West Ottawa 81-38 on Saturday, Mar. 24 in the
MHSAA Class A state championship contest marked the completion of an incredible 26-1 season — and earned Clarkston an invitation to the Tour of Champions.
The Wolves scored the first six points of the contest and bolted out to a 19-6 advantage after a quarter of play to take the drama out of Clarkston's second straight state title win. Clarkston guard Foster Loyer opened play with a 3-pointer just 14-seconds into the contest to give the crowd a quick image of how the contest would eventually play out. Loyer scored 40 points in the title game, giving him 82 points collectively in the semifinals and finals, and the Wolves went on to lead 49-20 at intermission and 66-26 going into the fourth period.
Clarkston led all the way and took its largest lead of the game on three different occasions, the latter coming on Matt Nicholson's tip-in with 4-seconds remaining in the contest, putting the Wolves up 81-38. Clarkston scored 19 points on turnovers to just eight for West Ottawa and outscored the Panthers 12-0 on second chance points after outrebounding the runners-up 29-17. The Wolves made 13 of 22 3-pointers for the contest and shot 59.2 percent from the floor for the game, while also making 10 of 12 free throws. A running clock was put in use at the start of the final period.
Loyer, Michigan's Mr. Basketball, led the way for Clarkston with 40 points, three rebounds, seven assists and a steal, while C. J. Robinson put up 18 points, three boards, three assists and a couple of steals in the title game. Taylor Currie produced the lone double-double of the contest after scoring 13 points for the champions and pulling down 10 boards. Currie also had a blocked shot and two steals.
Clarkston opened postseason play with a 71-46 win over Troy. Then, following a 58-35 triumph over St. Mary Prep, the Wolves kicked in the door to the Final Four with a 52-31 win over Carman-Ainsworth. Dan Fife's club bumped De La Salle Collegiate from state championship contention with a 74-49 semifinal win to set up the championship bout with West Ottawa. The Wolves, who are 98-6 over their past four campaigns, opened the season with a 65-55 win over Wayne Memorial. Then, following a 72-67 triumph over Carman-Ainsworth, Clarkston took it to Lake Orion 69-34 to open the season 3-0. The Wolves won a couple of more contests before falling to East English Village Prep 80-71. Clarkston did not lose again and outscored its opponents 67.1-43.1 per outing for the year. The Wolves held 19 opponents under 50 points while scoring 70 points or more 13 times themselves. Clarkston scored a season-high 90 points in a win over Romulus.
Having won 21 straight contests to end the year, the Wolves set themselves up for some rather high rankings come season's end. Not only are the Wolves ranked No. 1 in
MaxPreps' Michigan Class A Rankings, Clarkston is the best squad in all of
Michigan. The Wolves are ranked No. 11 in
MaxPreps' National Rankings and played their way into the
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Writers' Poll at No. 5!
These incredible season achievements have earned the Clarkston Wolves an invitation to the 13th Annual Tour of Champions. Please join us at Depot Park (375 Depot Road, Clarkston) for a community celebration as we celebrate with the boys basketball team, coaching staff, students and fans on Thursday, May, 17 at 4 p.m.
For more information about the Tour of Champions, please visit the
MaxPreps Tour of Champions site.
