"It was one of those things that just kind of happened. Simpkins has been actively pursuing getting a new coaching job at the high school level, but is finding his experience at Groves to be a roadblock. More:This controversial play call had Birmingham Groves' football coaches fighting in Round 2. Players. And it was just time to get the emotion going after that.". High School Sports | Fax 248-203-3636. Birmingham Groves 70, Troy 60 Birmingham Seaholm 53, Oxford 38. Hes a special shooter and when he gets it going, its a lot of fun to watch, West said of Gibson. It was about energy. This most recent season, Groves' first in the OAA White, the Falcons were competitive and finished with a 10-12 overall record. Groves won, 70-60. Marc West returns to prep bench for second, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Marc West returns to prep bench for second stint as Birmingham Groves boys hoops coach, No. "That's the big thing," West said. On 1/6, the Groves varsity basketball team won their away non-conference game against Seaholm (Birmingham, MI) by a score of 40-25. He has extensive football background from both the high school and collegiate levels. Simpkins received a letter from Flynn dated April 22, stating his appointment as head coach would not be renewed for the 2021-22 school year. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The #13 Webster University baseball team kicked off their season this evening when they traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, to take on the Depauw (Ind.) The Hawks won the NJCAA District 9 championship and a berth to the national tournament in 2009. "New coach. . They just have had a ton of success and they have a lot of great players coming back and I'm excited to be part of it.". "So we're all in new roles," West added. Athletic Director, Tom Flynn, tflynn@birmingham.k12.mi.us Athletic Secretary, Diedra Righter, drighter@birmingham.k12.mi.us Follow @GrovesAthletics on Twitter! We welcome everyone to participate. On 2/14, the Groves varsity basketball team won their home conference game against West Bloomfield (MI) by a score of 55-51. "You know, teaching at Groves and coaching there was a great set-up," West said. 25 Birmingham Groves (MI) (A) (9-4) Oxford (MI) (H) (1-8) Friday, 09/02/2022 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM Birmingham Groves 14 Oxford 17 Location: Oxford High School 745 North Oxford Road Oxford Charter Township, Michigan Get directions Birmingham Groves Coach: Brendan Flaherty Oxford Coach: Zach Line There are currently no comments. Even more impressive, an almost all-black team had done it, coached by a black man, Will Robinson. Head Coach. Coach Simpkins (@Tocoachisahonor) July 1, 2021. Lets let everyone know exactly what happened.. Coming off his first season with Groves girls varsity basketball, head coach Ant-Juan Simpkins plannedto build for the future. During his time with the Falcons, West's teams accumulated a 44-44 overall record. This controversial play call had Birmingham Groves' football coaches fighting in Round 2, How Cameron Little is making a big impact for Birmingham Groves' girls basketball team, This undersized sophomore helped Birmingham Groves football win a regional title, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. All rights reserved. 1989 high school basketball player rankings. The District prohibits harassment and other forms of discrimination whether occurring at school, on District property, in a District vehicle, or at any District related activity or event. The D Zone Basketball: Coach Benny White, Birmingham Groves Head Coach. Both Groves AD Tom Flynn, as well as principal Dr. Susan Smith were reached out to multiple times for a response to Simpkins allegations, but Groves declined comment in a statement from Executive Director of Communications and Family Engagement Anne Cron. Coach holds a Bachelors of Business Administration from Detroit College of Business and a Masters in Education from Central Michigan University. Both the highs and lows of building a new culture showed up against the Dragons. After four years as boys basketball head coach at Birmingham Groves, West resigned to accept an assistant coaching job at Henry Ford College in Dearborn. Josh Gibson's 25 points powers Groves past Troy, 70-60 2023-02-26 - By Dan Fenner . That's how the game works when you're playing it the right way.". The D Zone 100. Simpkins hasnt ruled out legal action to clear his name and knows hes possibly risking further damage to his coaching opportunities by speaking out. The time away from his family just got to be too much. Is he tough on us? We were going into the locker room up two (points) feeling pretty good about ourselves, Colts coach Gary Fralick said of the vibe at halftime. Because of these experiences, Simpkins has regret about ever accepting the job in the first place. Ant-Juan Simpkins knows what it takes to turn around a high school girls basketball program. Simpkins said he was made aware of the allegations and tried to meetwith Flynn to address them. More:How Cameron Little is making a big impact for Birmingham Groves' girls basketball team. Josh Gibson with 20pts, John Simpson 14, Jack Abbot 13, Paige Williams had 10. "This year, I was really proud of our guys," West said. Photo gallery from Troy at Birmingham Groves in OAA White boys basketball action. I said, This is nonsense. 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. The Hawks are coached by Chris Shepard, a Warren native in his second year at the helm after coming over from Macomb County Community College. On 2/3, the Groves varsity basketball team lost their home conference game against Farmington (MI) by a score of 57-55. You get to know them in the classroom and around the school. I believe we can get that accomplished this year.. What Im saying, even after when I left, and they knew things werent true, they fired me unjustly, and theyre still putting out rumors about me, that arent true thats stopping other schools from picking me up. Brandon. The Falcons. Coach is a Chemistry teacher at Groves and lives in Troy with his wife Nicole and 3 sons, Michael, Joseph, and Lucas. Im super excited to get back to the high school ranks, this was the right time to make the move, said West of his return to Groves and the OAA. MomentsMomentsMoments, current page. /*! Judging by Groves' comeback, he's got a lot of guys to choose from. Groves captured a Class A district championship in 2016and finished with his best record at 16-8. Tonight, we rebounded well, and I think the biggest thing out here was stopping Troy in transition because theyre a very good shooting team.. Groves Athletic Director Tom Flynn is currently accepting applications for the vacant varsity boys basketball coaching job. It just kind of came up in conversations with guys I had coached with in the past and, like I said, they had a need and it kind of fit what I could do for them and it was a great opportunity for me. Tom told me that a couple of different times, and Im like, Man, I dont want to hear about muscled-up, bald-headed black guy.. I was told when I was hired that they were looking for more exposure for their kids and skill development. . . Sign In; Football; Boys Basketball; Girls Basketball; News. I had talked to the AD a lot of different times about whats going on there, and everyone wanted to just put it off as, Dont worry about it. I didnt think it was going to go like this. I had some great guys to get to know. The Falcons finished the 2021 season9-9 andearnedtheir first district title since 1988 after beating Southfield Arts and Technology and Berkley in the playoffs. He said thats where the real progress happens, and that he will use his ability as a coach and a skill developer to put his team at Groves in the best position to succeed as a program, and his players in the best position to get noticed. It was the first time in 37 years that a team from the Detroit Public School League had won a state championship, due to a self-imposed exile in 1930. At the high school level, Simpkins said a major focus is on skill development, having a mix of players with different levels of experience and skills on the court, which is very different from the travel team circuit. 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. Were some mad that he started some freshmen over some seniors? West came toGroves at the beginning of the 2014-15 season following a seven-year stint as head coach at Madison Heights Bishop Foley. Photo gallery from Ferndale at North Farmington in OAA Red boys basketball action Im like, well, if you guys know this, then why arent things being done about it? This upcoming season will be his 4th coaching JV Basketball at Groves. Because of what I went through (at Groves), put a stain on my name that Ive never had. Ray Bahner/The Daily One night in early April, not long after Porter Moser was named. This is Coach John Davis' 12th season coaching basketball in the Birmingham Public Schools. Men's basketball is the oldest sport in HFC's athletic program, which has captured numerous state and regional titles. This OAA-White, if you go through it, every night is going to be an absolute battle," West said. BIRMINGHAM Marc West has come back home to the Birmingham Groves boys 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. "There were a lot of good times. The win for Groves upped its record to 14-6 overall and 5-3 within the OAA White, tying it with Troy. Mathes, 28, succeeds Jay Blossom, whose 20-year tenure ended on March. Tweets & replies. Paige Williams is a great example of that. And those particular parents, Im not going to mention their names, they know who they are, Simpkins said. He would be one of three captains of the 1978 season where the Falcons went 9-0 and earned their first playoff birth against Brother Rice. Groves went on to a 70-60 win. The only problem? 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. "Hey, you run a college-style practices.". 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. Beverly Hills, MI 48025, Call Us 248-203-3500 Troy may be in position to control its own destiny when it faces West Bloomfield head-to-head next Thursday. This game promises to be an intense battle between two. Related Articles Before this stretch, he only averaged 3.4 points in 13.3 minutes per game. 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