Turnaround year for Lakers ended by N. Farmington

A memorable turnaround season for West Bloomfield ended prematurely with a 54-49 loss to North Farmington in a Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) district playoff tournament game at Farmington on Monday, March 7.

“I think every time there was a loose ball or bounce, the North Farmington kids were diving to the floor and they got a lot of good shots,” said Lakers Head Coach Jeremy Denha. “They shot well from the free-throw line while we shot 11-of-20. We just weren’t doing the little things.”

North Farmington led 14-11 at the end of the first quarter and 26-20 at halftime and played even with the Lakers in the second half to pull out the win.

The Raiders went on to defeat Farmington Hills Harrison two nights later in a district semi-final before falling to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the district final on Friday, March 11.

Spencer Parker finished with 19 points to lead West Bloomfield.

Last Monday marked the final game for West Bloomfield seniors Parker, Russell Jones, Eric Talampas, Landen Denha, Jordan Evans, Derrick Mason, Nick Leventis, Louis Daranda and Will Rabun.

The seniors helped lead the Lakers’ rebound from last year’s 5-16 record to finish 13-8 and 10-4 in the tough Oakland Activities Association (OAA) Red Division in Denha’s first season as head coach.

“We’re losing a lot of seniors that sold out and left everything on the floor,” Denha said.

“They’ve set the tone for the future.”