Wildcats varsity basketball wins, 75-40
By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
OXFORD — Oxford High School senior Jake Champagne tied Oxford’s all-time scoring record during a 75-40 win over Anchor Bay on Dec. 6.

Champagne’s 1,120th career point came in the second half of Friday’s basketball game, and was his 22nd point of the night. Champagne made six two-point shots, three three-point shots and one free throw during the game’s second and third quarter. He called tying the record a great feeling.
“That’s been a goal of mine since freshman year,” Champagne said. “So finally catching it, it feels good.”
Wildcats Head Coach Joe Fedorinchik called Champagne the best to ever play basketball at Oxford, citing Champagne’s “incredible ability to score,” leadership and hard work.
“He comes in before school to shoot at sometimes 6 a.m., three days a week,” Fedorinchik said. “His hard work has paid off.”
Oxford started the game with an 11-0 run that included three three-point shots and a layup. Anchor Bay would score the game’s next six points before calling a time out with 2:45 left in the first quarter. When the timeout was taken, a layup from Oxford senior Nolan Mauser pushed the Wildcat lead to 13-6.
Good defense from Oxford forced Anchor Bay to turn the ball over roughly 1:45 before the Wildcats ended the quarter with another three pointer. The score was 16-8 after the game’s first eight minutes.
Both teams started the second quarter by making multiple three-point shots – Oxford with three and Anchor Bay with one.
Oxford senior Luke Stoffan scored the first two-point basket of the quarter with around 3:30 left in the first half. Champagne, who scored 16 in the second quarter, then scored while being fouled. His free throw gave the Wildcats a 30-16 lead.
The Wildcats immediately stopped Anchor Bay on the defensive end after Champagne’s free throw, leading to a fastbreak score and an Anchor Bay time out. After the time out, two made free throws by senior Luke Diegel extended Oxford’s lead to 39-16.
In the final minutes of the quarter, Champagne missed a shot, collected his own rebound and scored. Champagne’s basket put back gave the Wildcats 41 points, which was all they needed.

Champagne led all scorers with 22 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Junior Brennan Elling and Stoffan scored the second and third most for Oxford with 17 and 10 points, respectively. Stoffan’s five made three-point field goals were the most in the game.
Fedorinchik said the team is in “a good spot” thanks to its seniors providing leadership. He called Champagne and Stoffan an incredible back court, and said the team has great culture and spirit.
“(If we) just keep gelling and keep growing, I think we got a chance to be pretty dang good,” Fedorinchik said.
Seniors Zach Norman’s 13 points and Karsen Thomas’s 12 were the most points scored for Anchor Bay.
The team is now 4-0 with wins against St. Clair, Davison, Anchor Bay and Grosse Pointe North. Oxford’s next home game is Thursday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. against Harper Woods in the first league matchup of the season.