Bloomfield Hills wins OAA White wrestling title
A recap of high school sporting events reported to The Oakland Press on Wednesday night:
WRESTLING
BLOOMFIELD HILLS WINS OAA WHITE
The Bloomfield Hills wrestling team completed an unbeaten OAA White regular season on Wednesday with a win over Birmingham Seaholm.
The Black Hawks roster consists of Hamzah Sharaf, Nathan LeDuc,Cole Rodriguez, Abdul-Majid Shahin, Blaize Berr, Connor Cahill, Alex Aaron, Ashlee Yang,Max Tognetti, Justin Tioran,Jordan Jones, Emir Sarkic, Aidan Warren, Charlie Psenka,Sean Hawkins, Garrett Jansen, Steven Macaj, Jarrett Tioran, Lucas AbiAdal, Nathan Reynolds, Nolan Bramlitt, Connor Brando, Amar Sarkic and Allan Spence.
Kurt Deflin and Tony Scigliano are the coaches of the Bloomfield Hills wrestling team.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
STONEY CREEK 41, WL NORTHERN 28
The Stoney Creek girls basketball team improved to 10-1 on the season on Wednesday with a 41-28 victory over Walled Lake Northern.
Sydney Laprairie led the
Cougars with 13 points, while Milana Skoric scored 11.
LAKE ORION 37, LAPEER 24
The Lake Orion girls basketball team bested Lapeer on Wednesday night, picking up a 37-24 victory.
Liv Peplowski had 15
points to lead the Dragons in the win, while Maddie Ebbert had 12.
MARIAN 44, GABRIEL RICHARD 27
The Birmingham Marian girls basketball team defeated Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard on Wednesday night, 44-27.
Anna Herberholz had 14 points to lead the Mustangs in the win while Shannon Kennedy added 10.
MERCY 37, REGINA 11 The Farmington Hills Mercy girls basketball team put on a defensive showcase Wednesday night, besting Warren Regina 37-11.
Jill Smith had 13 points to lead the Marlins in the victory. Mercy is now 9-3 on the season.
WESTFIELD PREP 65, CLARKSTON 64
The Clarkston girls basketball team was edged by Westfield Prep on Wednesday, 65-64.
Maddy Skorupski had 24 points and seven rebounds to lead the Wolves, while Izzy Hadley had 15 points and nine rebounds.
BOYS BASKETBALL
THURSTON 72, CLAWSON 60
The Clawson boys basketball team fell short against Lee M. Thurston High School on Wednesday, 7260. Zac Foster had 16 points to lead the Trojans while Kyle Gougeon and Alex Cordone each had 13.
GABRIEL RICHARD 67, SHRINE 43
The Royal Oak Shrine boys basketball team suffered a 67-43 loss to Gabriel Richard on Wednesday.
Ben Plunkey had 16 points to lead the Knights, while Stephen Ruhle scored 11.
MIAMI Meyers Leonard’s coach and Miami Heat teammates offered no excuse Wednesday for his use of an anti-Semitic slur while livestreaming a video game earlier this week, nor did they make any effort to hide their disappointment in him in their first public comments about the incident.
“He said something that was extremely distasteful and hurtful,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And we’re left with the aftermath of that.”
Leonard’s use of the slur began circulating widely on social media Tuesday afternoon. Within a few hours, he apologized, the NBA opened an investigation and the Heat announced that he will be away from the team indefinitely.
His season was already over because of a shoulder injury; it’s not a stretch to say his Heat tenure may be over as well.
“There are consequences to words,” Spoelstra said. “And those were extremely hurtful words.”
The Heat went back to work Wednesday to end their All-Star break. The team opens its second-half schedule Thursday against Orlando. Spoelstra has spoken with Leonard, as have other team officials.
“Meyers has been a really good teammate,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a good human being.”
Leonard issued a public apology, saying he did not know what the slur he was using meant. The NBA is investigating and could fine or suspend Leonard when that probe is completed.
“We can’t tolerate that here,” Heat captain and 18year veteran Udonis Haslem said of the usage of the slur. “Right is right and wrong is wrong. And since I’ve been here in this organization, to the day I leave this organization and beyond, we’re going to try to be on the right side of everything — especially issues like this.”
Haslem was asked if Leonard ever used language around him that was offensive.
“No, sir,” Haslem said. “I’ve never heard him use any language that made me uncomfortable at all.”
The video drew reactions from league officials, members of other teams, celebrities and even athletes from other sports.
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who has openly embraced his Jewish heritage, posted a letter to Leonard on social media and said he did so to offer perspective. Edelman also said he is in Miami often, and invited Leonard to meet for a Shabbat dinner with friends.
“I get the sense that you didn’t use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance,” Edelman wrote. “Most likely, you weren’t trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. That’s what makes it so destructive. When someone intends to be hateful, it’s usually met with great resistance. Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence.”
Spoelstra has offered high praise for Leonard’s work ethic and effort many times during the 7-foot center’s year and a half with the team.