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| Until the final whistle Bloomfield Hills Lahser football bows out in semis By Christian Davis BIRMINGHAM — When the final seconds ticked away on the Bloomfield Hills Lahser football season, coach Dan Loria could be certain of one thing — the Knights never quit. And when they faced a 10-point deficit at halftime against Warren Fitzgerald in the regional final, they responded by winning 21-17. They certainly never considered throwing in the towel during their 36-20 loss to Inkster High in a Division 3 semifinal Nov. 22 at Birmingham Seaholm. “It’s a shame we can’t coach them one more week,” Loria said following the loss. “We had great senior leadership. To come back in the games that you’re down, it comes down to the kids and it comes down to the leadership. “I think that’s the greatest mark of a football team. How do they react when they’re down?” The Knights’ reaction was to battle. After trailing Inkster 20-0 late in the first half, the Knights began their rally. First it was a 2-yard touchdown run by senior running back Tevin Gibson just before halftime to make it 20-7. “We were sitting in the locker room, and we said, ‘We have an opportunity. We’ve been down before. We’ve had a gut check twice, and you’ve come through,’” Loria said. The Knights answered the second-half bell swinging, getting another score from Gibson with 1:38 left in the third. After senior linebacker Jason Gikas recovered a Vikings fumble on the next possession, the Knights’ offense again rose to the occasion. This time it was senior quarterback Drew Jackson hitting senior receiver Mike Hafeli for a 23-yard score. With junior Cody Henderson’s extra point, the score was knotted at 20 with 11:14 left in the fourth. “You could feel the excitement,” Loria said. The Vikings, however, then showed their resolve, scoring on two of their next three possessions. Loria said the Vikings earned their opportunity to play for a state championship. You can reach Sports Writer Christian Davis at cdavis@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1062. |