This week at West Bloomfield High School (WBHS) features the spring sports season in full action!

The varsity softball team hit the field swinging and was able to collect another win on the season. The Lakers took edged their way passed Stoney Creek High School 5-4 on Tuesday, April 21. The Lakers had some pop in their bats and were not hesitant to strike first. Lauren Powers (sophomore) hit a home run with Nicole Schwerin (sophomore) on base, bringing in the first two runs for the Lakers. Avra DeYoung (junior) followed with a triple and Alexis Forsyth (freshman) with a double. The girls improve to 4-1 on the season. In a double header against Avondale High School on Thursday, the lady Lakers kept their winning streak going, for both games. Natalie Rosenau (junior) went 5 innings for the Lakers and only allowed 3 hits and 1 run. Avra DeYoung had 3 hits in the game, leading the robust Laker offense. Lexi Michaels (junior), Brooklynn Powers (senior), Nicole Schwerin, and Natalie Rosenau concluded with a solid 2 hits apiece and, incredibly, each player had a double. Lakers Varsity Softball continues to punish their opponents, and they are now 5-1 with a 5 game win streak.

In the second game, the Lakers mustered up a dynamite 15 hits collectively. They were also able to get out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning, leaving three Avondale players stranded on base. Lauren Powers jacked a 2-run bomb out of the park that game, which made it her second of the week and the season. Schwerin, DeYoung, Rosenau, and Emily Chaben (senior) each recorded 2 hits. Brooklynn Powers and Rachael Jaffe (junior) each had doubles driving in more runs to add to the Lakers’ substantial lead. In the end, the Lakers won their second game of the day, with a final score of 12-6. They continue their win streak, making it 6, and are now moving forward with a 7-1 record. Keep it up Lakers!
The freshman Lakers baseball team suffered a tough lost to Troy HIgh School on Tuesday, April 21. The boys were unable to pull off the victory and fell with only a one run difference to finish, 4-3. In the bottom of the seventh the Lakers were ahead, but they just could not claim the victory and failed to hang on for the remainder of the game. The next day, April 22, the mighty Lakers looked to strike back, this time against Seaholm. Ryan Horwitz (freshman) had a 2-run triple in the second inning, accompanied by hits from Jordan Beletskiy (freshman), Alex Payne (freshman), and Uday Kode (freshman). Mario Pallazola (freshman) threw an excellent game by lasting for 5 whole innings and only giving up 2 runs. The final score was 11-8, Lakers collecting the win. This young Laker team looks to carry this momentum to next week and continue to be a threat on offense.
The Varsity baseball team swooped back into action this week and picked up another win against their fierce Groves High School competition. Chandler Sedat (senior) pitched a complete game and finished with 11 strikeouts and only allowed a narrow 5 hits. Clayton Kowalewski (senior) finished with a single and 2 RBIs to go along. Robbie Jones (senior) also contributed by scoring two runs. Akif Lodhi (junior) and Sedat each had a base hit and an RBI which helped the team secure the, 12-4, victory.
The WBHS varsity lacrosse team came off of a 18-1 victory, but were unable to keep that momentum alive for their visit to Stoney Creek High School. The Lakers fell by a slim 6 points  to finish with the 14-8 loss on Tuesday, April 21. Josh Averbach (senior) absolutely dominated Creek’s strong defense and concluded with an exceptional 5 goals. Right behind him, Jarrell Ku (senior) finished strong with 3 goals. The Lakers traveled to North Farmington High School to take on Farmington United, but unfortunately came up short in the second half to finish with the 12-8 loss. Josh Averbach and Ben Reinheimer finished with 3 goals apiece and Josh Plyer (sophomore) and Max Gold (senior) pitched in one apiece. The Lakers were forced to play short handed this game due to a good portion of the team being involved in the national stage of DECA (Delta Epsilon Chi and Distributive Education Clubs of America) contests. Once again, WBHS students continue to excel academically and on the field. The JV boys lacrosse team was also in action this week, but created little offensive action in their showdown against Stoney Creek. The Lakers were beaten on both ends of the field and finished the game with a 12-1 loss. The only goal scored was by Max Hammerland (sophomore).
The WBHS varsity girls lacrosse team struggled on defense against an offensively talented Plymouth High School on Monday, April 20. The Lakers were outscored in the first half 12-3 as they could not managed to effectively make stops on the defensive end. WBHS entered the second half with much more aggressive defense and were able to hold Plymouth to only 4 to finish with the 16-4 loss. Erin Simon (junior), Taylor Cantelon (sophomore), Amanda Wigler (junior), and Katie Froling (sophomore) each finished the game with a goal apiece. The Lakers then came back much stronger in their next match against Harrison High on Wednesday, April 22. WBHS got off to a good start keeping the game in play with 5 goals to Harrison’s 9. In the second half, Harrison was able to convert on offense and tighten up on the defensive end to hold the Lakers to a 17-7 loss. Amanda Wigler dominated throughout the match to finish with 3 goals and right behind her was Taylor Cantelon with 2. Rian Berry (senior) and Rachel Harnish (senior) each added one goal apiece and in net Ashley Thomas played a terrific game with 11 saves. The lacrosse team then traveled on to Farmington High School on Friday in one very exhausting week. Despite the team’s hard battle on both sides of the field, WBHS fell 16-4. Audrey Shaw (senior) and Amanda Wigler led the team with 2 goals apiece. Despite a challenging week for the Lakers, the WBHS lacrosse program is still a young and rapidly growing program. With the dedication and perseverance these players show day in and day out, WBHS will have a very talented Laker lacrosse team for both girls and boys.
The WBHS boys varsity golf team dominated their Harrison High School competition in the first OAA Gold match of the season at Tam O Shanter Country Club. The Lakers took the 211-183 victory and were led by Sean Wigler (senior) who finished with 40 and Joey Murzyn (junior) who concluded with 42 with a par 35 for the front 9. This gave WBHS their first victory on the year and hopefully one of many more to come.
The varsity girls soccer team kicked their way into the week away in Garden City, but unfortunately could not find the back of the net on Monday, April 20. The Lakers maintained a good stead offensive temp throughout with numerous shots at the net, but just could not seem to get them to go in and ended up falling 2-0. Despite the two goals, the Laker’s defense remained strong for the entirety of the match. The freshman team ran into the same difficulties this week as they concluded the week with a 2-0 loss to Lake Orion and a 1-0 loss to Royal Oak. WBHS’ defense played at an extremely high level only allowing few goals in their contests so far this season. With the freshman team’s two loss, they fall to 1-6 on the season. Both teams look to strike back next week, with a weekend of rest and practice.