Performance: Clarkston's Foster Loyer
February 5, 2017
Foster Loyer
Clarkston junior – Basketball
The Wolves’ junior point guard has been making good on high expectations since entering high school, and in one way he didn’t miss for nearly a year. Starting with last season’s regular-season finale against West Bloomfield, Loyer put together an MHSAA record streak of 119 straight made free throws to earn the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week” for Jan. 23-29.
Loyer’s streak came to an end when he missed his first free throw in a 59-39 win over North Farmington on Jan. 24. His record surpassed by 17 the former milestone set by Frankenmuth’s Brad Redford during the 2007-08 season and will rank second in the national record book when submitted after this season. Loyer joined the Clarkston varsity as a highly-touted freshmen two years ago and this winter has led the Wolves to a 13-0 start averaging 25.2 points, six assists and 4.4 rebounds per game, making 44 percent of his 3-point attempts and 95.6 percent of his tries from the free throw line.
Some of the high expectations for Loyer rise from legacy; his dad John has been an assistant for four NBA teams including the Detroit Pistons, whom he led as interim head coach at the end of the 2013-14 season. Foster also has learned under the tutelage of longtime Clarkston coach Dan Fife, who took over the program in 1983 and is the fourth-winningest in MHSAA boys hoops history. Loyer – who also played baseball for a season at Clarkston – has committed to sign this fall with Michigan State University. A strong student as well, he’s looking to study business management with an eye on working in sports once his playing days are done. But first, he’ll try to lead Clarkston its first MHSAA championship after the team fell in overtime in a Class A Regional Semifinal last season to eventual semifinalist Macomb Dakota, and also by two in 2015 in a Quarterfinal to Detroit U-D Jesuit.
Coach Dan Fife said: “He shoots every day, and when he shoots, he shoots with a purpose. He’s a hard worker, he puts a lot of time in, and all the time he puts in really shows in the way he plays. … His court IQ is just incredible. He sees the game ahead of time. He has a great floor sense, where people are. As a freshman he was the same way, and one of the bigger things is when he gets upset, he doesn’t show a lot of anger when he makes a mistake. Mistakes don’t lead to two mistakes with him. He doesn’t get caught up in that stuff, he doesn’t get caught up in who he is; he just keeps his focus. And as good a player as he is, he’s just as good a kid. In the hallways, you wouldn’t know (he’s a basketball standout); he doesn’t walk like that. He’s just one of the kids.”
Performance Point: “Going into this year, I knew I’d made a bunch in a row but I had no idea what number I was at,” Loyer said of his free throws. “I didn’t pay much attention, but I think when I passed 100 some of my teammates started messing with me, letting me hear it when I missed one in practice. … I approach every free throw the same, and when the shot (that broke the streak) left my hand, I had no thought going through my mind that it wasn’t going to go in. It rolled in and out pretty bad, and when it came off the front of the rim, the thought definitely went through my head and I heard the rest of the crowd knew about it. They took a loud gasp, and that’s pretty much how I felt about it. I was definitely disappointed, but when something like that comes to an end, you move on and go on to the next play.”
Part of the arsenal: “I would consider free throw shooting a serious weapon, especially being the point guard in an end-of-game situation. At the end of the game, being able to hit free throws, especially in high school where there’s no shot clock, the game is over in my mind. I’m confident in myself and my teammates to be able to go and knock free throws down. Just being in the gym every day, it’s something you practice every day, day in and day out. It’s called a free throw for a reason; in my mind, you’re supposed to make them.”
Thanks Dad: “If we’re watching film or being in the gym every day, my dad has been a positive influence in my life and basketball career. Just being able to take the things he says, and build off of them to make myself a better player. Every time we watch film, normally you should look not only at what you did right but also what you did wrong and can improve on. That’s been the biggest part of the game my dad has helped me improve.”
Win one for Coach: “(A Class A title) would mean the world to us guys as players, as a team, with the brotherhood we’ve built. But not only that, it would mean the world for us to win Coach Fife that state championship. Coach Fife doesn’t talk much about how much that means to him, but he’s had some difficult losses, and I think in the back of our minds it would solidify his legacy, solidify our legacy as a team, that we came in here and made our mark.”
Leading the way: “Day in and day out at practice, I pride myself in doing so, bringing leadership to the team, making sure guys are working as hard as they should be. As a leader and a point guard on a basketball team, you have to push guys not only to do what they should be doing, but it’s more than that. Going into March, we had a lot of guys in the locker room after (last season’s Regional loss), and we have a lot of guys who know what that feeling is like, and that’s a feeling we never want to go through again.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2016-17 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2016-17 honorees:
Jan. 26: Nick Jenkins, Detroit Catholic Central wrestling – Read
Jan. 19: Eileene Naniseni, Mancelona basketball – Read
Jan. 12: Rory Anderson, Calumet hockey – Read
Dec. 15: Demetri Martin, Big Rapids basketball – Read
Dec. 1: Rodney Hall, Detroit Cass Tech football – Read
Nov. 24: Ally Cummings, Novi volleyball – Read
Nov. 17: Chloe Idoni, Fenton volleyball – Read
Nov. 10: Adelyn Ackley, Hart cross country – Read
Nov. 3: Casey Kirkbride, Mattawan soccer – Read
Oct. 27: Colton Yesney, Negaunee cross country – Read
Oct. 20: Varun Shanker, Midland Dow tennis – Read
Oct. 13: Anne Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country – Read
Oct. 6: Shuaib Aljabaly, Coldwater cross country – Read
Sept. 29: Taylor Seaman, Brighton swimming & diving – Read
Sept. 22: Maggie Farrell, Battle Creek Lakeview cross country – Read
Sept. 15: Franki Strefling, Buchanan volleyball – Read
Sept. 8: Noah Jacobs, Corunna cross country – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Clarkston's Foster Loyer brings the ball upcourt during a game this season. (Middle) Loyer attempts a free throw; he recently capped an MHSAA record streak of 119 straight makes. (Photos by Larry Wright/WrightActionPix.com.)
Vance in New Role Has Muskegon Heights Academy Rolling In Regional
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
March 5, 2025
MOUNT PLEASANT – Cartier Vance could only smile when he looked out at the big throng of Muskegon Heights fans that made the two-hour trek to watch his team play in Tuesday’s Division 4 Regional opener at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
“Basketball is a big deal in Muskegon Heights – always has been,” said Vance, one of the senior leaders on an experienced Tigers’ roster.
“Where I come from, it’s hard sometimes, so this is great.”
Vance made it worth the trip for all of the orange-and-black clad Tigers’ fans, scoring 13 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter as Heights held off a strong Pentwater team, 74-63.
Heights (12-10), which entered the postseason sub-.500 at 9-10, advanced to face No. 3 Fowler (22-3) in Thursday’s Regional Final.
The Tigers were a totally different team at the start of the season, stumbling to a 2-5 start, when Vance came to longtime Heights coach Dalrecus Stewart with an idea.
“He told me that he thought it would be better for the team if he came off the bench,” said Stewart, a 1989 Heights graduate and former standout player. “How many high school kids are mature enough to say something like that?”
Stewart made the lineup adjustment and the Tigers caught fire, winning their final four games of the regular season and now three in a row in the tournament.
Vance, a varsity starter since his sophomore year, had been getting into foul trouble on a regular basis, which either forced him to the bench or forced him to change his trademark aggressive style of play. Coming off the bench has allowed him to play more freely and have extra energy in the fourth quarter, Stewart said.
That was certainly the case Tuesday night. When Pentwater went to a zone in the fourth quarter to try and contain the Heights “bruise brothers” – seniors D’Marion Buchanan and Marcus Bradford – Vance made them pay with three 3-pointers, followed by a pair of driving layups to essentially put the game away.
“When I come in, I just try to bring extra energy and help out wherever we need it,” said Vance, who averages 14 points per game. “This game, I had some open shots and just tried to finish the job.”
Experience has been a big part of Heights’ postseason run, with five senior starters. Buchanan and Bradford are the 1-2 inside punch, Willie Hector is the point guard and facilitator, while Jamarion Taylor (the leading scorer at 16 points per game) and Robert Wallace are slashers and scorers.
Vance is the first one off the bench, followed by talented freshman Cardiyah Harris, who had a huge offensive rebound and putback in the fourth quarter to thwart Pentwater’s comeback attempt.
“Once we get all of our guys involved, we can be a very good team,” said Vance, also a standout student who hopes to play college basketball. “Us seniors have been through a lot together. We all have different talents, so we try to build each other up.”
The veteran team has certainly caught the hearts of the city’s residents, who have seen the school’s enrollment decline as it transitioned to Muskegon Heights Academy. Many of those residents took the school’s fan bus to the game, while others listened to Frank St. James’ broadcast of the game on the hometown station, WUVS-FM 103.7, The Beat.
Stewart, who also serves as Heights’ dean of students and athletic director, has worked hard to maintain the program’s high standards despite lower student numbers. He said this season has unfolded the way he thought it might.
“We started with some big schools, so I knew we could get beat up in December,” said Stewart. “Then I thought we could level out in January and then get rolling in February, which is kind of how it worked out.”
Now the Tigers are trying to advance at least one step farther than a year ago, when they lost to Sacred Heart in the Regional title game. They face a huge challenge in a strong Fowler team, which rallied in the fourth quarter Tuesday to knock off host Sacred Heart.
“I know one thing for certain – these kids are going to play extremely hard,” said Stewart. “Everyone who knows me knows that I bleed orange and black, and that I love my community.
“These kids, the way they play and how hard they work, are a source of pride for our community.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Muskegon Heights Academy’s Cartier Vance (0) gets to the rim during his team’s 59-46 District Final win Friday at Fruitport Calvary Christian. (Middle) Vance makes a move just outside the 3-point arc. (Photos by Michael Banka/Local Sports Journal.)