Basketball
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Players Anthem At The Park – HP Soaring To New Heights On Hardwood
Playing with purpose and poise and displaying maximum execution, the Hazel Park boys hoops squad is a force to be reckoned with in 2018. Causing carnage wherever and whenever they step foot on the floor, the Vikings are 7-0 and have stacked plenty of signature wins so far (see dubs versus U-D Jesuit, East English Village, DEPSA and Detroit Henry Ford last month).
Back on Wednesday, they opened play in the OAA Red with a 76-45 stomping of Southfield A&T to announce their presence in the OAA’s top flight with authority. Hazel Park will surely test 11-time defending league champ and defending Class A state champ Clarkston this winter. Last year, the Vikings competed out of the OAA White and played in the Class B state tournament.
This season, the HP cage contingent can go toe-to-toe with any club in the Mitten. The Vikes are gritty, experienced and balanced. The starting five of guards Carl Bow, David Hearns and Devin Pettus and forwards Khari Adams and Kyle Washington, can all go for double digits in the scoring column without breaking sweat. That’s how easy they make it look. Bow and Hearns are both four-year starters and Division I-level college prospects.
Malik Allen (G) and Julian Jones (F) are the first two off the bench and have greatly contributed to the scorching start. Fab frosh DeAndre Gillette is one of the best in the Class of 2021.
Head coach Brandon Barrett believes his troops might be on the verge of something special.
“We’ve worked very hard for this, I think we’ve progressed to the next level in our play this year” he said. “We’re enjoying the fruits of our labor, but there is still more to accomplish higher plains to reach. I think this could be a very memorable season.”
