After a long-awaited rivalry game between the unified teams of Grosse Pointe South and Grosse Pointe North, the game on Jan. 5 went down to the wire after South fell just short of a win. The South team put up a good fight and North prevailed in the end.
With help from team player Chris Runk ’25, the team was off to an amazing start and has many more better games against North to come. Runk helped players both on and off the court cheering them on and passing the ball.
“I think overall we had a great performance,” Runk said. “You know there’s a lot of things we can work on. I’m looking forward to playing them again because we’ll beat them.”
With the whole crowd holding up big heads of the team, thanks to Mrs. Smith, the crowd went wild as Titan McKenzie ’24 scored his first point. The game went into a halftime dance party as Smith gave the team some more motivation.
“I think we are learning. I think our most important thing right now is to play fair, have fun and give it our all,” Smith said. “My favorite part is the connections that although our athletes and partners seem to share, so just seeing the friendships formed in true genuine connections.”
The game started off with Michael Banaszewski ’24 dribbling the ball and making an assist to William Loosvelt ‘23 and Loosvelt scored the first point of the game. With the great lead-off to the Blue Devils game against North, Asher Dodson ’25 scores the following point after Loosvelt.
“I think we did really great and amazing,” Banaszewski said.
Toward the end of the second period, North ended up persevering in the lead with a score of 27-18. Tommy Haggarty ‘25 gets nothing but net, making sure at the end of the third period South was back in the lead, with help from Donte Ormond ’26. The student section went crazy when Ava Griesbeck ’24 made her first point of the game. Lina Baer ’24 helps encourage the team full of spirit.
“I think looking at the fans and the students that look so happy, and the players are just so joyful to see all the fans,” Baer said. “I am so happy that there are so many people.”
While the game ended in a battle, North came out with the win, scoring four three-pointers in the last three minutes of the game. South gave it their all and put up a good game with amazing sportsmanship.
“I think the excitement was in the air,” Smith said. “We are a new team so we’re going to do great things.”
