West Bloomfield had a legitimate shot at winning the Division 1 state championship last year. Although the Lakers came up short against Clarkston in an improbable 3-2 battle, they can at least thank Makari Paige for helping them get to Ford Field for the first time.
Paige’s ball-hawk instincts in the secondary were key to West Bloomfield’s 9-7 semifinal win over Detroit Cass Tech. With time winding down and Cass driving toward a potential go-ahead score, Paige stepped in front of a Technicians’ wide receiver and intercepted a pass with 42 seconds to play, preserving the Laker victory.