In some ways, he never fully left in the first place. Ant-Juan Simpkins alleges racial discrimination, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Ant-Juan Simpkins alleges racial discrimination in dismissal from Groves, No. The Falcons also had the edge in rebounding, which Fralick admitted can be a problem for his undersized team when its shooting starts to falter a bit. Name: Season: Points: Coach: 1. "So we're all in new roles," West added. "You always think about collegeand, playing ball at Kalamazoo, it's always kind of in the back of your mind. As a parent, its hard to see your student athlete be held to such high standards. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Coming off his first season with Groves girls varsity basketball, head coach Ant-Juan Simpkins planned to build for the future. On 2/24, the Groves varsity basketball team won their home conference game against Troy (MI) by a score of 70-60. "The neat thing with this new job is that I can continue to teach at Groves. I believe we can get that accomplished this year.. I love teaching there and I love the kids there. We have a record. More:How Cameron Little is making a big impact for Birmingham Groves' girls basketball team. Coach Simpkins (@Tocoachisahonor) July 1, 2021. Coach is a Chemistry teacher at Groves and lives in Troy with his wife Nicole and 3 sons, Michael, Joseph, and Lucas. They were trying to establish pride in the program. "(Henry Ford) had a really, really good season last year," West said. The athletic office can be reached by telephone at 248-203-3585 or by email.Any Questions? High School Sports | (DAN FENNER For MediaNews Group), Birmingham Groves' John Simpson (33) lays in a basket in front of Troy's Zach Penoza (15) in an Oakland Activities Association White Division basketball game on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. Jacob is producing on the second unit, thanks to his movement off the ball. And that is not disrespect to the prior coaching staff. We have a district title. To be totally honest, I think I exceeded the expectations, Simpkins said. . And that was unfair.. "There were a lot of good times. JV Head Coach John Davis This is Coach John Davis' 12th season coaching basketball in the Birmingham Public Schools. Yeah. The first time we played them was tough. But then West reminded his players to start sharing the ball again. Contact Marty Budner at mbudner@hometownlife.com. (Upset parents) blame me for recruiting and said that they have video of me picking up a kid that doesnt live in our district that I recruited, he said. Schedule. . Stats are entered by the coach or designated team statistician in the admin. (r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); Photo gallery from Troy at Birmingham Groves in, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Photo gallery from Troy at Birmingham Groves in OAA White boys basketball action, No. We brought a little bit of life to that program and it was sabotaged by squeaky politics. 3 North Farmington uses third-quarter explosion to end Ferndales OAA Red reign, Photo gallery from Ferndale at North Farmington in OAA Red boys basketball action, South Lyon East topples Milford to keep LVC title race complicated, Photo gallery from South Lyon East at Milford in LVC boys basketball action, 2023 MHSAA boys basketball district pairings for Oakland Countys teams, Rochester Hills mom who lost 2 sons to fentanyl poisoning to testify Tuesday before U.S. congressional subcommittee, Woman: Drug friend, lover killed long-time boyfriend, WWJ anchor, Oakland Schools Scripps Regional Spelling Bee 2023 contestants, 2023 MHSAA boys basketball district pairings for Oakland County's teams, Brother of slain WWJ radio anchor questions motive after testimony given in key hearing, Milford finishes fourth at D1 regional, punching ticket to state finals for first time in 29 years, Man sentenced for OD deaths of Kiessling brothers, teen girl, Royal Oak to recommend changes to controversial parking system, Lions target CB, LB in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft, Search of speeding motorists car turns up weapon, fake Social Security cards, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. These statistics for 2020-21 from . 3 North Farmington uses third-quarter explosion to end Ferndales OAA Red reign, Photo gallery from Ferndale at North Farmington in OAA Red boys basketball action, South Lyon East topples Milford to keep LVC title race complicated, Photo gallery from South Lyon East at Milford in LVC boys basketball action, 2023 MHSAA boys basketball district pairings for Oakland Countys teams, Rochester Hills mom who lost 2 sons to fentanyl poisoning to testify Tuesday before U.S. congressional subcommittee, Woman: Drug friend, lover killed long-time boyfriend, WWJ anchor, Oakland Schools Scripps Regional Spelling Bee 2023 contestants, 2023 MHSAA boys basketball district pairings for Oakland County's teams, Brother of slain WWJ radio anchor questions motive after testimony given in key hearing, Milford finishes fourth at D1 regional, punching ticket to state finals for first time in 29 years, Man sentenced for OD deaths of Kiessling brothers, teen girl, Royal Oak to recommend changes to controversial parking system, Lions target CB, LB in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft, Search of speeding motorists car turns up weapon, fake Social Security cards, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. As a Varsity Head Coach he is 108-75. On 2/9, the Groves varsity basketball team won their home conference game against Bloomfield Hills (MI) by a score of 76-74. Tweets. The time away from his family just got to be too much. This file is auto-generated */!function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(! Then it was Williams and Jack Abbot driving to the hoop to hit teammates for open looks on the opposite side of the block. /*! After Groves started on a 4-0 run, Lake Orion dominated play in the paint, whether that was drives to the hoops, put-backs or drawing fouls near the blocks. More Friday boys basketball. Please feel free to contact us. Never. Because of what I went through (at Groves), put a stain on my name that Ive never had. Fax 248-203-3636. They cant get rid of those emails. The Hawks won the NJCAA District 9 championship and a berth to the national tournament in 2009. The Gorloks defeated the Tigers by a final score of 16-5 to improve to 1-0 on the season. On 2/3, the Groves varsity basketball team lost their home conference game against Farmington (MI) by a score of 57-55. Creating that kind of culture has been key since West returned to the Falcons' bench this past offseason. Birmingham Groves head coach Brendan Flaherty watches his team during their game against Oak Park at Birmingham Groves High School on Friday, September 15, 2017. 9 Birmingham Groves (14-6) Another Coach West special, these guys are set up for a very special next couple years in the OAA. We didnt play a cookie-cutter schedule. But once he broke down to his players what he was trying to do, Simpkins saidthe team became very cohesive and adapted to a winning attitude. My teammate, John, got us going. On 1/17, the Groves varsity basketball team lost their home non-conference game against Adams (Rochester, MI) by a score of 62-57. More:This controversial play call had Birmingham Groves' football coaches fighting in Round 2. The 6-foot-9 junior averaged 7.7 points in 14.3 minutes per game during OU's last three contests while shooting 66.7% from the floor. "It was one of those things that just kind of happened. The parent responded, thanking her for the conversation while telling Smith, "if this coach finds out that I spoke with you before the season ends it will be some type of retaliation and my child already comes home in tears" every day. But I love them just as tough.". We played a lot of tough games, but we competed and got better. But after four years of traveling the country with the Hawks, he had to step away from being a college assistant. The D Zone Basketball: Birmingham Groves at Redford Thurston, Friday, 12/09/2022 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Redford Thurston High School, 26255 Schoolcraft Avenue, Redford Charter Township, Michigan You get to know them in the classroom and around the school. The only problem? Groves went on to a 70-60 win. NCAA Men's Basketball; Maui Invitational; Coaches Vs. Cancer College Hoops ; Chaminade Silverswords; National Invitation Tournament; NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament: NCAA Midwest Regional; Las Vegas Invitational; Ncaa Regional Championship; Pepsi Blue And Gold Classic; Hula Bowl; Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl; Whitney Young Classic; Sugar . Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Even though it may be his first year with the program, Simpkins has shown in the past all it takes is one year to turn a high school team around. Photo gallery from Troy at Birmingham Groves in OAA White boys basketball action. I knew there was going to be some resistance of making kids work hard that werent used to working hard, but I didnt think that it was going to go this personal. At No. Now, Simpkins is on a crusade to clear his name and address allegations raised by parents while speaking out on how he was treated while coaching the Falcons. Birmingham Groves Head Basketball Coach. Our Team Brian Cygan, Co-Founder, CEO Gerianne Cygan, Co-Founder, Administrative Director Brad Bundy, COO Kevin McKee, Franchise Support Manager T.J. Lux, Franchise Support Manager John Suazo, Franchise Support Manager Exercise Coach Studio Owners Michigan High School Athletic Association 1661 Ramblewood Drive, East Lansing, MI 48823 Office 517-332-5046 Fax 517-332-4071 info@mhsaa.com John!" How is my presence intimidating? Simpkins said. High School Sports | The Falcons finished the 2021 season 9-9 and earned their first. This community is different. Playoffs. "Keeping share the basketball!". The game soon became a defensive battle, as no team scored from the seven-minute mark to the three-minute mark in the quarter. If I knew it was going to go like this to where me being a black bald-headed guy had anything to do with anything, I would have never taken the job.. Kurajian, who coached Bloomfield Hills (13-6) for five seasons, brought on now-head coach Brian Canfield onto the Bloomfield Hills staff as a volunteer assistant for the 2022 season. Before this stretch, he only averaged 3.4 points in 13.3 minutes per game. Groves Athletic Director Tom Flynn is currently accepting applications for the vacant varsity boys basketball coaching job. Simpkins said one of the most common arguments over his coaching style was he was intimidating due to his appearance. We have interviews with players that said they dont have a problem with Coach Simpkins. A self-described tough coach, Simpkins took to Twitter on July 1 to address why he wouldnt be returning to Groves next season, stating that he believed race was a factor in his termination. /*! More:This undersized sophomore helped Birmingham Groves football win a regional title, "It's amazing. Please feel free to contact us. Birmingham Groves hosted Troy for an Oakland Activities Association White Division basketball game on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. Contact reporterColin Gay at cgay@hometownlife.com or248-330-6710. The OAA-White is a tough league, and the Falcons are only one game back from first-place Troy in the standings. This game promises to be an intense battle between two. While sitting on the bench, I knew my team was struggling and needed my help. Deadline for submitting applications is May 4. I knew my attitude was a little off. Fv 27, 2023 . His clubs won a 2016 Class A district championship and raised a 2017 OAA Blue banner. 72 Birmingham Groves (2018 - 2021) Roles. Groves announced on Monday that it has hired Alison Hidey to take over the girls basketball program. Although West has been an assistant at Henry Ford Community College the last four seasons, hes stayed at Groves for his day job and remained teaching chemistry in the building. 3 North Farmington uses third-quarter explosion to end Ferndales OAA Red reign, Photo gallery from Ferndale at North Farmington in OAA Red boys basketball action, South Lyon East topples Milford to keep LVC title race complicated, Photo gallery from South Lyon East at Milford in LVC boys basketball action, 2023 MHSAA boys basketball district pairings for Oakland Countys teams, Rochester Hills mom who lost 2 sons to fentanyl poisoning to testify Tuesday before U.S. congressional subcommittee, Woman: Drug friend, lover killed long-time boyfriend, WWJ anchor, Oakland Schools Scripps Regional Spelling Bee 2023 contestants, 2023 MHSAA boys basketball district pairings for Oakland County's teams, Brother of slain WWJ radio anchor questions motive after testimony given in key hearing, Milford finishes fourth at D1 regional, punching ticket to state finals for first time in 29 years, Man sentenced for OD deaths of Kiessling brothers, teen girl, Royal Oak to recommend changes to controversial parking system, Lions target CB, LB in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft, Search of speeding motorists car turns up weapon, fake Social Security cards, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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