8th Grade Black-January 15-16

The team got through the always-interesting first tournament of the season with a reasonable 2-1 record. Overall, the coaches were pleased with the results. The team played very good defense in 10 of the 12 quarters. We held Natomas to 0 points in the 3rd quarter, the Wildcats to 2 points in the 3rd, and the Yellow Jackets to 4 in the 1st. No team scored more than 14 points by halftime. That shows impressive hustle and hard work! In almost all cases, the players worked hard while they were on the court. Please congratulate your sons on that.

The execution and results on offense were good in spots, but not as good as on defense. That isn't surprising this early in the season. Many of the mistakes came from a young man trying to do too much. Those mistakes are much easier for the coaches to accept than those that result from lack of effort. As the players become more comfortable with the offenses and with each other, we believe they will make better reads on their cuts, passes, and shots.

YBA 26, Yellow Jackets 7th 49
The Dawgs started strong in this game and forced several hurried shots and a few airballs. Unfortunately, we were also thrown off by the Jackets' aggressive defense and missed several chances to extend our early lead. Despite many turnovers, YBA trailed by only 4 at halftime, 14-10. Early in the 2nd half, more Dawg turnovers and missed shots led to some easy baskets for the opposition. Once the team fell behind, there was a noticeable drop-off in our energy and intensity. This was really the only disappointing part of the weekend. It allowed the Jackets to get into a groove on offense and extend their lead. The coaches hope the team learned something about patience and staying together. Connor Milnes led the way with 8 points. Jackson Sterling and Grady Collins had 4 each. The two newcomers also contributed, with Bret Lynch handing out 2 assists and Bryce Crouch garnering 4 rebounds and 2 steals to lead the team in those categories.

YBA 38, Natomas Spartans 9th 20
After a long break to consider our mistakes, the team came out hungry to battle against the older Natomas team. The Dawgs played great perimeter defense, helped in the lane, and pursued rebounds which limited the Spartans to only 11 points after 3 quarters. Our execution and shot selection also improved, which resulted in 34 points by the end of the 3rd quarter. Jackson had 10 points, followed by Bret with 7 and Mitchell Holt with 5. Mitch also blocked 3 shots to help close down the lane. Nicholas Clough and Grady notched 2 assists apiece.

YBA 40, Franklin Wildcats 9th 15
The Dawgs played another strong game in the 3rd place matchup on Sunday. Our defensive pressure was too much for the Franklin freshmen, and the team ran out to a 19-4 lead after one quarter. Jackson was a force on the ball with 8 steals, several of which resulted in easy buckets. Nicholas, still getting into the swing of things after missing 2 months with a knee injury, played a strong game to total 7 points and 5 boards. Jared Flowers also had 7. Connor and Mitch each hustled for 4 offensive rebounds. Colin Hawkins and Connor had some strong moves inside but couldn't quite finish. We're sure they will score more often than not off such moves as the season progresses. Bryce impressed throughout with his energy and intensity, especially since he also played in all 3 games for the blue team! Colin was very consistent throughout the weekend.

Best Offensive Player: Jackson Sterling

Best Defensive Player: The entire team
Best Hustle: Bryce Crouch
Best Attitude: Grady Collins