Walled Lake United boys lacrosse head coach Jason Lewis knew the 2025 season could be a challenge Coaching a team with a combined roster from Walled Lake Central and Northern high schools prior to this year Lewis had to incorporate a new set of players from Walled Lake Western into the team this year as the entire district plays under a unified banner And after an offseason of assimilating the roster Walled Lake United has rolled out to a 10-2 record in 2025 and has Lewis hoping to make noise in the postseason you don't know what half your team's gonna look like until you actually see 'em on the field,” Lewis said When Lewis learned in the offseason that the Walled Lake Western program would merge into his he knew his first goal was to get every player familiar with each other Some of the players knew one another from playing travel lacrosse at various levels But Lewis surmised that the newly-formed group needed to put in a good offseason of work together to coalesce which allow newly-formed co-operative sports teams to practice for 15 days in the summer Over the course of 10 practices and three tournaments over the summer Lewis saw not only a group that came together and could be a solid team but a team that could achieve something special Additional winter work only added to the budding chemistry “And as things were building from season to season in the offseason you saw the chemistry building,” Lewis said we knew we had a chance to do something really special this year.” One of the big benefits of the entire district coming together under one banner is that Walled Lake United has a senior- and junior-laden roster And Lewis also got some strong talent from the Western team like senior faceoff specialist Andrew Jones In a sport where dominating possession can decide a game Jones gives Walled Lake United a major advantage as Lewis estimated that the senior wins upwards of 90 percent of his faceoffs The midfield for Walled Lake United is generally quite strong and features a plethora of seniors like Connor Doughty A pair of junior long-stick midfielders — Lucas Shemenski and Chase Rybak A seasoned defensive unit that is Walled Lake United’s “bread and butter” has bolstered the entire operation Lewis says the offensive unit has turned a corner of late as Walled Lake United has scored an average of 15 goals per game in its last four games Lewis and this Walled Lake United team have their eyes set on some big prizes “The guys are really starting to put everything together that we've been stressing all season,” Lewis said “And we think we have a really good chance here to do something special and make a deep run.” Hampton leads Grosse Pointe SouthThe Grosse Pointe South girls lacrosse team is off to an 8-3 start in 2025 and much of that success starts with a star junior attacker An Eastern Michigan commit and one of the top scorers in the state Hampton is already closing in on the 70-goal mark and has double-digit assists And after Grosse Pointe South lost in the regionals each of the past two seasons the hope is that in 2025 she can help lead her squad on a deeper postseason run “She's earned every bit of where she's at in regards to her skills and her ability to participate,” head coach Shaun Hampton she put up another nine goals and three assists.” is one of three games this season in which Grosse Pointe South has poured in 20 or more goals Grosse Pointe South averages nearly 15 goals per game as the Hampton-led offense rolls Grosse Pointe South returned it’s entire starting defense from a year ago — Dempsey Ciconte Soleil Rodriguez and Lotty Gates — and freshman goalie Jordan LeBlanc has been a bright spot Hampton also raved about faceoff specialist Stella Fry and her growth “We're blessed with having the defense coming back; we're blessed with Lyla,” Hampton said a group of freshmen have stepped in to be some of the top secondary goal scorers and points getters for Grosse Pointe South the five freshmen that I have right now on varsity will have a year of varsity service underneath their belts,” Hampton said Things are about to get tougher for Grosse Pointe South with a matchup against undefeated South Lyon on Wednesday Grosse Pointe South should always have a shot at winning The week started with a four-way logjam atop the Lakes Valley Conference standings South Lyon and White Lake Lakeland entered tied for first place with undefeated league records while rivals Walled Lake Central and Western were one game back people familiar with Oakland County baseball would see that and say Who cares?" because of Lakeland's dominance in the conference and the half-dozen or more college prospects they have on their roster annually Trent is playing for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils And Tate struck out a career-high five batters in an 11-4 win over Ohio State last week becoming last year's LVC champion and a state title contender The Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association ranked the Lions No And judging by Monday's incredible finish between Central and Western there's no telling who will win the LVC this time More: Walled Lake Central baseball will 'keep doing the little things' in quest to win district title really important," Western coach Scott Peterson said after Lucas Hoffmeyer scored the winning run on a wild pitch in a 2-1 victory over the Vikings "It forces us to focus each and every time we take the field It's really important for us to stay sharp throughout the week because there is no lapse in the schedule You have to come out and fight every day." That's not to say it's an even playing field because Lakeland has fallen off The parity just shows how much sweat equity Western and Central have poured in since the end of last season earning their seat at the table with the other big boys Western has changed much of what it does in hopes of competing with Lakeland and South Lyon "We took a different approach in the offseason this year to really focus on each individual player and what their particular strengths were and the areas they needed to develop," Peterson said "We created a game plan around that instead of everyone being on our (singular team) game plan I think the guys have really accepted that and have adopted it." More: Former Northville baseball star gets coaching opportunity at Walled Lake Central Jamming a square into a round hole never works what does work is understanding how each player can contribute to the program putting them in positions to succeed and giving them autonomy to be their best And it's working for the Warriors who have lost only once this spring despite facing adversity they're without captains and starting outfielders Bernie Amador and Lucas Price is recovering from an injury he suffered last fall focusing on what our guys can do instead of forcing them to do what they can't fill those roles and really pick this team up," Peterson said We asked them to buy into our offseason program and commit to it and they're starting to see they can win games by outscoring our opponents heavily or by winning close It's a similar story up the road at Central "I'm not really surprised," said Troyer when asked about the Vikings contending for an LVC title so soon and I just instill that seed of confidence in them and we're seeing them buying into what we're doing and I always tell them when you put in the work The motivation to improve only increased after coming within a few runs of winning a district "We lost to Lakeland in the district final last year "(Our motivation) started in the offseason We've just got to get 1% better every day and do our job to compete That's been the big focus point in practice." the first Central-Western game of the season could've gone either way Central's Caden Buckley singled home a run in the first but Western's Mickey Gross matched it with an RBI a few innings later Macomb Community College commit Vincent Roach went the distance for the Warriors Future Madonna University left-handed pitcher Jack Shaw matched Roach for most of the evening fanning 12 before being pulled midway through the seventh celebrating at home plate thanks to one very imagine how the rest of the LVC games will look "There's not much else to say: The Lakes Valley is here to play Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on Twitter at @folsombrandonj (WXYZ) — Walled Lake Northern High School students collected over 5,000 presents for students at Allendale Elementary School They say they feel every student deserves a good Christmas Related Video: Watch as students joyfully unwrap their surprise gifts After 10 years of collecting gifts for elementary schools around the area the drive for Allendale on Thursday broke the record for their largest collection yet Over 900 boxes were filled with six items each: three to fulfill the students' needs along with three of their wishes "It's really cool seeing the looks on all the kids' faces and how surprised they are and appreciative they are of all of this." said Jesse Berman senior and student council president at Walled Lake Northern High School The high school students enlisted the help of their community to gather items and wrap presents The generosity of the students holds a deeper meaning in the hearts of Melvindale police officers The 8-year-old brother of Officer Mohamed Said who was killed in the line of duty in July was one of the kids at school who received presents Said is survived by his two younger brothers "I was wishing my brother was here to see all of this because that's why he wanted to do (it) for his whole life And that's why he was doing (it) when he was being a police officer," Said's other brother Ahmed said Related video: Flyover to mark First Day of School for younger brother of late Melvindale officer Ahmed Said and officers said that this act of kindness made the entire community's holiday a little brighter He would have been happy," said Ahmed Said his wife and serving the Lord with equal vigor It may have been a natural extension of his career as a salesman at Hudson's was a tireless promoter of his hometown and an unabashed champion of its causes "Bill was dedicated to the citizens of Walled Lake," said Mayor Linda Ackley who worked with Roberts during his more than four decades as a councilman and mayor known as the "Conscience of the Senate," served Michigan in Washington Jim Blanchard once gave Roberts a ticket behind home plate for a Detroit Tigers World Series game in 1984 adding that he liked to mention his connections "He loved politics and there wasn’t a person he was afraid to go up and talk to." Ackley said Roberts helped her learn the ropes when local officials went to Washington "It didn’t matter where they were or what the situation was," she said adding that her friend would walk up to bigshots and say Roberts became one of the youngest elected officials in the country in 1968 when he was elected to the Walled Lake City Council at the age of 22 That was the same year Roberts attended the infamously chaotic Democratic National Convention in Chicago as a member of the Michigan delegation he was enthralled by nomination process and dismayed by the violence out on the streets," said his stepson "Both incidents were very memorable for different reasons." The experience did nothing to diminish Roberts' passion for politics "Bill was a walking encyclopedia of Michigan politics,” Droste said serving the first of seven terms as Walled Lake's top elected official built a fire hall and department of public works building extended Maple Road and paved all of its streets Ackley said Roberts helped Walled Lake evolve “from being a little country bumpkin town to what we are today.” Roberts always seemed to be serving the public in various roles with the Episcopal church and as a salesman at Hudson's Hudson's department store in downtown Detroit in 1967 he quickly transferred to the Pontiac location His move to the furniture and carpet department in the 1980s proved fortuitous after he met a customer named Alicia “He cared very deeply for Alicia,” Ackley said Roberts was active in many government organizations, too, including the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) where his 17 years of service included being chairman from 2007 to 2008 Roberts became an Episcopal deacon in 2010 Roberts retired from elective politics when he decided not to run for re-election in 2013 he ministered to residents in senior and assisted living facilities on Saturday — which would have been Roberts' 79th birthday — at The Cathedral Church of St The funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m followed by a reception in Barth Hall at the Cathedral Burial will take place privately with the family at Walled Lake Cemetery M.L. Elrick is a Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and host of the ML's Soul of Detroit podcast. Contact him at mlelrick@freepress.com or follow him on X at @elrick Facebook at ML Elrick and Instagram at ml_elrick White Lake Lakeland's Alyssa Goldman entered Thursday's softball doubleheader at Walled Lake Central with a .654 batting average and 17 hits through eight games The sophomore added to that total during the 5-4 and 9-6 sweep of the Vikings even smacking her first home run of the season in Game 1 Her confidence at the plate has improved tremendously since her rookie season Her first year playing on a varsity team was eye-opening She was a freshman in the starting lineup of a team that came within one win of playing in the Division 1 state semifinal at Michigan State She shared the field with many future college players including Western Michigan's Parker Ostach Miami (Ohio)'s Nathalie Hagle and Grand Valley State's Brynn Taliercio In Lakes Valley Conference play, she saw some of the best pitchers in the state. That included South Lyon's Ava Bradshaw, the 2022 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year who's now at Duke While Goldman was as reliable as it gets at shortstop recording 132 putouts as the Eagles won 30 games she wasn't as trustworthy in the batter's box I have way more confidence because I've been putting in more work with batting But last year was also a lot to take in as a freshman but I still struggled with my hitting mindset." More: White Lake Lakeland softball bounces back from loss to No. 9 Northern by sweeping Milford Goldman approached the offseason with the same work ethic that made her a starting shortstop She trained with hitting coach Eddy Ketelhut a former baseball player at Central Michigan who has coached at Detroit Mercy and Auburn And she tried out and made the Iowa Premier Fastpitch travel team allowing her to play alongside and against some of the country's top talent "She struggled a little bit at the plate last year but she's hitting the heck out of the ball this year," Lakeland coach Mike Cleary said "She works hard and gives you whatever she's got It's been really fun watching her get better and better and better I think she's going to be one of the best kids in the state by the time she's done here." More: Fast start ensures White Lake Lakeland softball its first regional title since 2012 Goldman's already earned the respect of her coaches and teammates she wowed everyone during four-player offseason workouts "She almost forced us to play her," Cleary said "She was that good and just kept getting better and better We kept looking at her and looking at her and asking She came up to varsity and last year's seniors were all in on her being with us and thought it was great having her start at shortstop." Goldman proved she needed to be on the field at all times. By the end of the season, she was integral in helping the Eagles win district and regional championships and my teammates were always there for me when I came in as a freshman "The seniors really took me under their wing." More: PHOTOS: White Lake Lakeland softball vs. Bloomfield Hills She's already been in contact with schools from the Big Ten Mid-American Conference and some nearby Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference programs Offers will likely pour in when she leaves the state for travel ball this summer she's got a consistent bat to make her even more marketable to colleges "Her fundamentals were so solid when she got here that it wasn't that big of a deal putting her out there at shortstop as a freshman even though that's a really important position It's going to be fun watching her continue to get better." — Walled Lake Western High School was bustling with nervous energy anticipation and excitement on Saturday as hundreds of middle and high school students competed in a forensic speech competition Teens and pre-teens clad in business-professional attire lined the hallways and filled every available room and table during the day-long competition's lunch hour Some practiced carefully written and rehearsed speeches reviewing well-memorized note cards and offering feedback for each other in anticipation of the semi-final and final rounds in the afternoon ran through mock news broadcasts to make sure they were perfectly in sync Forensic speech competitions like Saturday's test students' speaking and presenting skills There were at least 14 different events that fall into two broad categories: interpretation and public address Public address events call on students to present a speech they prepare themselves these speeches can be prepared ahead of time or on the fly they are meant to persuade the audience to buy a certain product they can answer a question or share a belief on a provided topic they (judges) are looking at the format of your speech sixth grade math teacher and coach of the Royal Oak Middle School's forensic speech team "And then also looking at their performance as well with diction and movements and presence overall." Royal Oak Middle School seventh grader Abigail Woodruff competed Saturday in the oratory category with a speech she wrote about preventing teasing She won top middle school competitor in the event "It's a speech about teasing and how we need to prevent it before it turns into something worse and how we need to help people who are too scared to tell people who are being teased or bullied," Woodruff said Woodruff said it's helpful if you're passionate about the topic you chose to talk about and she's already tried to incorporate some of the feedback judges gave her at her first specifically including more statistics this time around and I don't want to be one of those people who is scared of public speaking," Woodruff said "I've learned a lot about movement when you're speaking and about writing a speech." and involve students picking and performing material that has already been published a sixth grader from Royal Oak Middle School Ho performed his own dramatic rendition of "This Book Is On Fire!" by Ron Keres in which he plays a frog chef trying to please a picky eater He enjoys acting in community theater productions so competing in the storytelling event was a good fit so Ho had to practice miming cooking movements so it is clear to judges what he's acting out Woodruff and Ho's teammate, 12-year-old Eleanor McManaway, won first place in the declamation category in which students recite a speech, or portions of a speech previously delivered. McManaway decided to deliver Emma Watson's "HeForShe" speech that she gave at the United Nations headquarters in 2014 "It's about gender equality," McManaway said adding that it's an important topic for her McManaway first joined the club because she thought it was for scientific forensic investigators She's learned how to speak in front of others more confidently then I'm saying it in my head," McManaway said This is the first year Royal Oak Middle School has had a forensic team "Not only does it teach us how to be able to speak in front of other people but it's teaching them time management skills They always get their critiques back after every competition and they're able to look at those critiques and look at the constructive criticism to be able to apply it for their next competition," Miller said hopes that Royal Oak may be able to host their own competition next year to grow the team and that she'll be able to start a team at the high school within the next two years 491 students from 31 schools across Michigan competed Each student presented their speech in their category to three different judges in the morning the top 12 students in each category move onto the semifinals and the top six onto the finals Forensic speech is rebounding following a slump in participation at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic coach of the Birch Run High School team and chair of the Individual Events Committee for the Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association which runs the regional and state competitions each year and larger teams at schools that already had programs People see that public speaking and acting are important skills "The skills that are taught in forensics are vital and people need them in order to be successful in society and do more things," Urbanowski-Nowak said Correction: This story has been updated to correct that Walled Lake Western High School is in Commerce Township A personal matter forced Gio Charles to miss practices with the Walled Lake Central boys basketball team earlier this season and cost the 6-foot-6 senior forward his spot in the starting lineup He has since returned to the Vikings (14-3 albeit in a new role as one of the first players off the bench make shots close to the basket and provide a spark of energy in times of need And Wednesday's 58-48 win over Pontiac Notre Dame Prep was definitely one of those times of need Central maintained a consistent lead throughout the first half but the Fighting Irish fought back after halftime even making it a four-point game late in the third quarter Had the Vikings not sorted themselves out in a hurry they would've seen their 12-game winning streak snapped More: The Avengers of the Lakes Valley Conference have assembled with Inspire U Basketball He entered the game and kickstarted a 14-0 run that put his team ahead by 18 points and ended any hopes of an NDP comeback down the stretch The big man accounted for 10 points during the scoring spree including making three consecutive field goals in the paint to close out the third More: College basketball coaches, pick up the phone! Call Walled Lake Northern and Stone and he works his butt off and is coming through for us," Central coach Chuck Spolsky said he's someone teams are going to have to plan for because he kind of changes the dynamic when he's in the game offensively."  The fourth saw Jake Nellett, arguably the best player in the Lakes Valley Conference while Preston Dado battled down low for another field goal But the run was capped by Dado tossing an alley-oop pass for Charles to throw down only this time the senior dished to the backside for Charles to finish near the block More: Jake Nellett does it all for rebuilding Walled Lake Central boys basketball "We knew this was going to be a really intense game," said Charles but we knew we had to keep the intensity going for this game because they battled (Waterford) Mott hard They battled Birmingham Groves hard yesterday We just knew we had to keep that intensity we've had."  That's admirable to hear from a towering post player who has hopes to play in college one day but he hasn't lost his belief in his teammates He might be playing fewer minutes on the floor but he understands his role and isn't letting his ego get in the way of helping the Vikings "Everybody knows their role," Spolsky said "We've got a little (winning) streak going so everyone wants to keep things (the starting lineup) the same We adapt to what we want to do offensively when he's in the game he's a beast on the boards and at altering shots We wish we could start six players instead of five."  Added Charles: "I'm just bringing what I have to off the bench to help my team win I was more accustomed to the starting role More: Why you won't catch Walled Lake Central boys basketball looking ahead again Charles could see his minutes increase the closer we get to March Just like last year, Mott and Central are battling it out to see who will finish atop the final LVC standings — the Corsairs upset Central to snap the Vikings' 18-game winning streak late last season The two programs settled for being co-league champions Mott holds a one-game lead over Central in the standings after it erased a 13-point deficit and beat the Vikings by three points on Dec in a game that will likely decide the LVC champion A great game from Charles could spell heartbreak for the Corsairs "We know when we play teams with size that he's going to have to play more," Spolsky said He steps up when needed and plays it perfectly The Walled Lake Central boys basketball team (4-3 3-1) is seven games through the season following a 50-36 win in Lakes Valley Conference play Thursday at Milford arguably the best all-around player in the league has spent more time on the floor with two of his opponents from his most recent game than his actual teammates Nellett has spent most of his summers playing alongside Milford's Carson Lutz and Owen Stark on the AAU circuit for the Inspire-U travel basketball program whereas this current group of Vikings is basically brand new but its competition in the postseason was literally the best in the state The challenges the Vikings face are obvious They have to acclimate a new group of starters into the lineup The only thing that can help them is getting actual game experience More: The Avengers of the Lakes Valley Conference have assembled with Inspire U Basketball "He's been a great teammate and has really stepped up his leadership role," Central coach Chuck Spolsky said "The best thing about Jake is he makes everyone else around him better and that's a sign of a great player when they make everyone around them better He knows when they're doubling him where to go He knows every position that we run plays from."  who averaged 14.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game he's doing everything but driving the team's bus to away games It just depends on the lineup that Spolsky throws out there brings the ball up the floor as a point guard he played more of a facilitator role in the first half and was held scoreless for almost the first 12 minutes of action looking to find an opportunity to get to the rim and draw trips to the foul line His best strength is his ability to play off the ball He did exactly that on a baseline jumper in the second quarter More: Why you won't catch Walled Lake Central boys basketball looking ahead again Nellett's ready to play wherever you want him to who scored a team-best 13 points and slammed down two dunks against Milford "I am still trying to work out where to find my spots I had Nick Hopkins and Vish Das at the one and two he had one role because we had other pieces around him he's got to play multiple positions depending on who is in there He's really about doing whatever we need him to do for the benefit of the team."  That's not to say the current Vikings aren't talented Spolsky said this group is actually just as talented as last year's only senior Preston Dado saw meaningful playing time But now everyone's finally getting their shot at making a difference "It's been a learning curve," Spolsky said but we just need to get some game experience We've had a gauntlet of a schedule before break It's not easy getting a win in Milford's gym They've also beaten White Lake Lakeland and South Lyon in LVC play and Romulus in the nonconference. The games they've dropped have been against a senior-heavy Novi squad which has three of the best players in the state in Greg Grays Jr. Spolsky's crew continues to figure things out on the fly we had to work out a few kinks," said Nellett who was a first-team All-Area selection a year ago we dropped one because we weren't really flowing well and we're starting to learn each others' strengths and weaknesses a lot Helping against the Mavericks were Dado (12 points) Gio Charles (12) and Peyton Kassab (eight) as well as guard Anthony Camacho and forward Asa Clay "It's just about getting them (to play well) together but it's just about coming together as a team There's no other way to do that than by getting the game experience that we need."  The tally will only continue to grow for the next month or so A handpainted banner hangs in the northeast corner of Walled Lake Northern's gymnasium "AMAL YOUNES 1041 PTS," but judging by recent modifications That's a hat tip to the senior's recent milestone Younes scored 29 points in a win over rival Walled Lake Western on Jan 31 to become not only the first girls basketball player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points but the first player to do it the school has never seen a greater scorer than Younes "She's the heart and soul of the program," third-year coach Josh Pees said last week she comes here for two hours on her own and shoots and it's hard to find someone with that passion and love for the game nowadays." That's not to say it's been an easy journey to 1,000 points she missed almost a half-dozen games when she fractured her left foot While he installed his way of doing things such as making the weight room mandatory and setting up a consistent open gym schedule He asked his star sophomore recovering from injury to help lead the program alongside former All-Lakes Valley Conference selections Mia Lanni and Morgan Black "She just took over the leadership role from Day 1 as a sophomore," Pees said she was energetic and involved as we started open gyms and did things that hadn't been happening here."  That's a lot of pressure to thrust onto an underclassman More: PHOTOS: Farmington Hills Mercy girls basketball vs. Walled Lake Northern So much so that she's done nothing but pile on the accolades ever since then As a junior, she averaged 14.9 points, 4.5 steals, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists en route to earning All-LVC first-team honors as well a third-team nod on Hometown Life's All-Area team That success continued into the AAU season when the 5-foot-7 guard earned offers from Adrian College Rochester Christian University and the University of Olivet Now, as a senior, she's averaging 18.3 points, 4.4 steals, 3.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists and, better yet, Pees believes she's one of the two best players in the league, meaning he thinks the LVC's Player of the Year honor will likely be won by Younes or South Lyon senior Izzy Nooe stay true to myself and know all the hard work pays off," said Younes reflecting on how much she's accomplished while being a focal point for opposing defenses over the years "I fell into the leadership role when I was younger I've come to the sense that that's where I need to be and have just tried my best to do my role every day for the team."  That's been Younes' modus operandi since she was younger She was exposed to basketball early on because her older family members played She started playing herself when she was in kindergarten she believes it'd be unfair to waste her potential knowing others would love to be in her position because there's a good chance she's in the gym I've just had a passion for it since I was little and it keeps progressing as the years go on as she expects to announce her college decision before her senior season ends Some team will be fortunate to add her abilities as a scorer She's already the all-time leading scorer in school history regardless of how many more points she scores But one thing is certain going forward: Someone will have to update the tally on her banner in the gymnasium It's nice to see my hard work is paying off and I wouldn't be able to do it without my teammates knowing the people I'm surrounded by every day helped me get here."  Five of the six All-Lakes Valley Conference first-team boys basketball selections from a year ago have returned for their senior seasons and are doing an admirable job of leading their teams From Walled Lake Central's Jake Nellett to Milford's Carson Lutz who reached the 1,000-point scoring milestone for his career with Waterford Mott earlier this week But there's another senior in the LVC many aren't talking about Stone Seyburn has been Walled Lake Northern's leading scorer one of its toughest defenders and its most important ballhandler especially when opponents throw full-court pressure at the Knights The third-year varsity player has received some recruiting interest from Division III and NAIA colleges 172-pound point guard can play at the next level He has the fundamentals and basketball IQ to make any team better He's shown that all season long for Northern But the colleges haven't necessarily been calling him Seyburn doesn't promote himself on social media There aren't HUDL highlights or promotional graphics floating around X.com (formerly known as Twitter) as you see from the other standouts around the league Braun tied South Lyon's record for most rebounds in a single game last week A quick tweet that night notified hundreds of college coaches on social media about his achievement When Lutz set the Mavericks' modern-day scoring record with 45 points in a game in November Milford wasted no time promoting the milestone Almost every state-wide high school basketball media outfit in Michigan had a tweet about it immediately afterward playing at a high level without the fanfare that comes from being online that's not him," fifth-year coach Ryan Negoshian said Tuesday night after Seyburn helped the Knights (6-10 5-6) stave off a late comeback attempt by Braun and the Lions to win solid offense and a lot of good things from him But he's not going to toot his own horn or gloat about anything goes to work and does what the team needs to be done."  Northern held onto the lead most of the game especially in the fourth quarter when Braun a 6-7 center with point guard-like ballhandling skills But every time Braun knocked down a 3-pointer or sank a foul shot to make it a four-point deficit Seyburn responded with a big play of his own whether that was moving the ball against South Lyon's press finding open teammates for high-percentage shots or That included making two field goals in the paint and earning a trip to the foul line "He wants the ball in his hands at the end of the game to make sure it gets in the hot man's hands," Negoshian said but there's a lot of pressure there in games like this."  But that's been Seyburn's modus operandi since he got to high school "He's a pretty hard-nosed competitor," Negoshian added "It doesn't matter what it is (practice or games) he really worked on his game to show that he did belong."  And Negoshian would know who belongs on the varsity at a young age He comes from a long lineage of respected coaches. His father, Tom, was inducted into the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan's Hall of Fame in 2024, while his younger brother, Todd, led North Farmington to last season's Division 1 state championship, where it ultimately fell to Orchard Lake St. Mary's and five-star recruit Trey McKenney If a Negoshian says you can play at the next level "I know there's some people interested in him," he said While Seyburn mostly lets his play on the court speak for itself he has worked on his sales pitch to prospective schools "I would say that I would work my butt off for you," Seyburn said I want to be a great leader for anyone's team out there I'll work my butt off for whoever wants me."  The senior just needs the spotlight so that colleges know he's available to be recruited He hasn't ruled out signing up for social media to start promoting himself His elite colleagues in the LVC are doing so and they're all likely to play at the next level It's not too late for him to start his own hype train "Maybe I've got to put myself out there more," Seyburn admitted "Because I would love to play (at the next level) I'd love to keep playing basketball because I love basketball."  always a coach — even when your last game was 18 years ago and your next victory might come on Election Day A coach in his own lifetime of everything from college lacrosse to his kid's floor hockey team, Kanner has been sidelined this football season by surgery. But he's still considered a volunteer assistant coach for the squad at Walled Lake Western High School he has a question for the potential backup to the leader of the free world: and he's the Democratic nominee for vice president of the United States he was the defensive coordinator for a Mankato West High School team that lost four of its first six games then bulldozed its way through the next eight to claim a state championship He'll probably be zipping into Michigan repeatedly between now and Nov. 5, given that we're a swing state in an uncertain election amid perilous times. Walled Lake Western has clobbered its first two opponents "it would be a great experience for the kids," and as far as he and the internet know no other school has had the nerve or optimism to ask MORE FROM NEAL RUBIN: Optimism reigns at Ford Field — but what you're hearing there might be dangerous Western still has four home games on its schedule including a big rivalry faceoff against Walled Lake Central on Oct even if his most pressing concern just now is Friday night's showdown at unbeaten South Lyon "I've had a lot of time on my hands," he explained prompted by too little time on his feet; one had an ulcer and the other had bone problems and now both are wrapped in post-operative slippers and he can barely get to the front door of his home in West Bloomfield behind a three-wheeled walker and the varsity lacrosse coach there at age 24 Gretchen Whitmer for help with his invitation but she's not much easier to reach than Walz so instead he sent a text to the Free Press It's a near certainty Whitmer's staff will see his notion here. Maybe she'll speed it along to Walz's team, or the Kamala Harris campaign. Maybe it'll go viral and Lester Holt will mention it on the "NBC Nightly News" and even the BBC will come asking for a tour of Walled Lake Western's glorious new academic wing and Domino's will deliver free pizza for everybody "We tell our kids that anything is possible," he said and at various points has worked for his family's security company RUBIN: Fox 2 anchor needs a kidney — but not for herself most recently junior varsity football and lacrosse at Western and get them so they have a smooth transition to varsity." 3-year-old standard poodle named Einstein was tearing apart a black surgical mask after blithely ignoring instructions to stop jumping on an amused visitor that is — was wearing a Walled Lake Western jacket a Western baseball cap with his glasses perched on its visor "Nevin always lightens the mood," said Cioroch He and Kanner see a lot of those things in Walz which is one of the reasons Kanner wants to see him on campus and Harris calls herself and Walz "joyful warriors." Western's best recent player plays for the University of Minnesota; when Kanner told him about his idea Minnesota and Michigan are both original Big Ten states "and he was saying one person can make a difference." OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A 72-year-old Oakland County woman is excited to do “whatever she wants” after winning $500,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. The player, who decided to stay anonymous, won playing the Michigan Lottery’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year game. She purchased the winning ticket and AMS Enterprise Inc. at 1715 North Pontiac Trail in Walled Lake, according to lottery officials. “I love the holiday games, and I play them every year when they come out,” the 72-year-old said. “I scratched my The Most Wonderful Time of the Year ticket when I got home and thought I’d only won $5 at first. After looking the ticket over a second time, I realized I’d actually won $500,000 and yelled: ‘Oh my gosh! I can’t believe this!’ You never think you’re going to win the big one and then one day, when you least expect it, it happens!” The woman recently claimed her prize and said that with her winnings she plans to take care of her family and then save the rest. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year instant game launched in October, and each $10 ticket gives players the chance to win prizes that range from $10 up to $500,000. Copyright 2025 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. Sara Powers joined WDIV as a digital content producer in Oct. 2024 and has been covering Metro Detroit news since 2021. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WDIV Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group Not even cramps could slow down Gabe Cancellara The junior midfielder netted all three goals for the Walled Lake Central boys soccer team ensuring the Vikings (13-3-2) a 3-1 victory over North Farmington (8-10-1) in Tuesday's Division 1 district semifinal They'll face West Bloomfield in Friday's district championship but he still found a way to notch the third one that solidified (the win) for us," Central coach Joel Sharpe said "He was brilliant coming off that left wing and then he got one when we put him up top He's just that kind of dynamic player that knows the game and just finds himself in the right spots." Which is saying something because Cancellara isn't their best scorer as he finished tied for second place for the most assists in the Lakes Valley Conference this past fall But with North trying its best to neutralize Central's scoring threats Cancellara made the most of the open real estate he had to boot in shots Nolan Kashat slotted a perfectly placed ball down the middle for Cancellara's second goal two minutes before halftime And then he iced the victory by making an athletic play near the left post on a pass from Marcus Kashut with just over seven minutes left in regulation "The funny thing about Gabe getting three goals tonight is he's our assist leader," Sharpe said it's Reece McCreary and Taj that are our goal scorers When we're in those situations and whatever a team is going to give us and it was Gabe's night and he finished for us."   While the match looked like a runaway victory for the Vikings Sullivan Totin buried a goal in the 50th minute to make it a one-score game and give the Raiders a chance at a comeback and they (North) certainly made that true tonight Credit to them in the second for giving us everything they had."  Central will likely get everything West Bloomfield (8-6-2) has in the championship but then we came out and (North) had a couple of good opportunities," Sharpe added "But credit to coach (Erika Rust) and those boys over there Banners with each senior's name hung from the top of the away bleachers The word "SENIORS" was displayed on the Daktronics scoreboards in bright red and bold font Parents were dressed to impress as they walked their players onto the court en route to a giant arch made of green and white balloons with the word "SENIORS" at the very top And the Novi volleyball team put the exclamation point on its tremendous senior night celebration by sweeping nearby Walled Lake Central 3-0 in the regular-season finale Wednesday night Aside from this weekend's Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament and next week's playoff tuneup tournament featuring every team in Novi's district and regional the head-to-head matches are over for the Wildcats Which is hard to believe for seventh-year coach Kacy Byron who isn't ready to whisk off her seven seniors just yet "A lot of them I've seen go from freshmen and sophomores and grow into seniors To see their maturity and how much they've improved on the court To see the pride they have for Novi volleyball and for them to keep that tradition alive year after year it was extremely great to celebrate them today but it was also bittersweet because you know the season is winding down at this point."  The Wildcats have been one of the best teams in Michigan over the past few years but many outside of Oakland County don't realize it because of their early playoff exits like current Ohio State sophomore Kaitlyn Hoffman They've had Michigan Miss Volleyball nominees like current Long Beach State redshirt freshman Sarah Vellucci the 2022 Division 1 state runner-up and a state semifinalist in 2023 has stood in the way of the Wildcats from collecting league and district championships That's been a point of frustration for Novi over the years It's often exited great seasons with no hardware to show for it But the Wildcats are hoping this inspired group of seniors pulls off an upset here and there over the next month that's definitely a driving force behind this," said senior Izzy Earley It's ramped up these past few weeks just knowing the tough games we have over the next few weeks and we're just trying to prepare in any way that we can and prepare for the best outcome."  Their region features some of the best teams in the state a recent honorable mention in the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association's rankings And getting past the Mustangs and Cougars means they'll likely get defending state champion Farmington Hills Mercy in the regional rounds. The Marlins are the top-ranked team in D-1, led by setter Cambell Flynn, the No. 1-ranked recruit in Michigan committed to Nebraska That's why Novi has ratcheted up its intensity in practice Byron has put her girls in high-pressure drills and had them play out challenging scenarios such as what if the Wildcats were down 24-23 in a set or how they would rally when it's 19-19 really worked hard at serving just because you know with those teams that when they're in system "We put a lot of emphasis on serving and getting teams out of system we're really working on taking care of the volleyball and making sure we make those points count "We've worked a lot on putting things in the rearview mirror faster and washing plays away because when you get into districts emotions are already so high for everyone because the girls are fighting for that win So being able to let go after a silly play or a play that's uncharacteristic is what we've really been working on with a lot of pressure drills and what they're going to feel in those games." Make no mistake: Novi will be the underdog in its home district But it has the horses to compete with Northville and East who has played exactly how you'd expect a senior committed to a D-I college to play on her way out the door But there's also sophomore Nellie Alves de Sa Freire 16 blocks and 78 kills and seniors Gracie Hoener among a slew of other vital contributors and seniors it's easy to see why senior night was so emotional in the locker room before the game," Earley said This program at Novi has really produced so many great memories for us to take with us after high school But it's really sad to leave here because this is a great group of girls We were crying because the underclassmen all wrote us notes It hasn't lost a set since falling to Northville 3-0 in early October 25-15 and 25-19 wins over the Vikings on senior night And they're excited to see what happens in the playoffs "Volleyball is one of those sports when it can be anyone's game on any given day because momentum can change so quickly," Byron said Going in with the mindset that we can win and compete is going to be huge."  A man has been shot in a neighbor dispute in Walled Lake that led to a barricaded gunman situation Sources tell us that Walled Lake police were called to a home in the 1400 block of Dover Hill N on a report of a man shot in the leg by a neighbor Police arrived and were able to get in contact with the victim and get him treated and taken to the hospital The suspect then barricaded himself inside the home the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said on X that the incident has been resolved and the suspect is now in custody because you should be able to resolve those things without violence," said Bill Matlack who lives in the neighborhood where the shooting happened there were two other disputes between neighbors in metro Detroit that turned violent a 50-year-old man is accused of stabbing his neighbor to death and then sexually assaulting the man's wife and daughter one man shot his neighbor over an ongoing dispute about noise With these back-to-back violent altercations between neighbors happening in our area Gerald Sheiner who heads up DMC Sanai-Grace’s psychiatry department to talk about the psychology behind these violent encounters Sheiner shares ways people can de-escalate situations I think our culture is tolerating gun use and violence much more often," said Dr “The other issue is we see these things in the summer and the police will tell you that in the summer you’re more likely to have alcohol which amplifies the risk of danger of violence in these disputes that come up.” Sheiner also gave advice on how to de-escalate heated arguments so they don't turn violent “There’s a couple of things to keep in mind when you’re having a disagreement," said Dr you can only politely ask them to do something and if they get belligerent Sheiner added that if you’re having a heated argument with someone and they bring out a weapon