Photo by David Schreiber Southfield-Lathrup senior Drew Gilchrist goes up for a shot against Southfield High earlier in the season. The Chargers lost, but host the Blue Jays at 4 p.m. Feb. 5.

Southfield-Lathrup boys basketball in championship race

By Christian Davis
C & G Sports Writer
           
LATHRUP VILLAGE — If there is one thing Southfield-Lathrup boys basketball coach Mike Avery is certain about this season, it’s that there are no guarantees in the Oakland Activities Association Red Division.
           
“This Red Division, you never have a night off,” coach Mike Avery said Jan. 29 while taking a break from practice. “It’s tough. It’s pretty much playoff intensity every night in the division.”
           
At press time, the Chargers were 6-6 overall, 4-2 in the division. After losing the first three games of the season, they’ve posted 6-3.
           
The teams in the Red Division are bunched at the top. Lathrup was sitting a game behind Clarkston High in the standings, but only a game ahead of four other teams.
           
“The OAA is real competitive,” senior captain Roy Marble Jr. said. “There’s no telling who’s going to win night in and night out, so you have to give your all every game. If you do that, you should be able to get the job done.”
           
“Every loss counts, so you have to come out and play hard,” added fellow senior captain Bryan Coleman.
           
One of the reasons the Chargers have been successful is their ability to adapt.
           
“I think we’re very unpredictable,” Avery said. “I think we can play any style, and I think our December preseason really prepared us playing Detroit Pershing and the (Public League Schools) that we played.
           
“I thought we grew up a lot, and I think we’re going to be OK towards the end of the season.”
           
Avery said the division this year might be as talented as any he’s seen. Each team, seemingly, has a player who can take the game over — whether it’s Southfield High junior Dale Brundidge, who verbally committed to the University of Michigan, or North Farmington senior Kyle Vinales, who has verbally committed to Grand Valley State University and scored 40 against the Chargers earlier in the season.
           
“Every team has someone that can hurt you,” he said. “Anyone on any respective team can go off for 30 or even 40. But you can’t key in on one guy, because they have other guys stepping up and doing things for their team.”
           
For Lathrup, the scoring threat comes from Marble, Coleman and the third senior captain, Drew Gilchrist.
           
Avery said if the Chargers are going to win the division, they’ll have to run the table at home and then steal some wins on the road.
           
As for taking care of business at home, Marble said he believes his Chargers have a true home court advantage, which will keep his team in contention throughout.
           
“We don’t even have to have a lot of fans in the stands, but once we get going and the crowd is behind us, there’s not too much a team can do to stop us,” he said.
           
The Chargers will put that to test against Southfield at 4 p.m. Feb. 5 at home.
           
You can reach Sports Writer Christian Davis at cdavis@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1062.