7th Grade Blue-February 5-6

The YBA Blue 7th grade team ventured beyond the friendly confines of Hardwood Palace on Feb 5th for a Sac Area Sports tournament at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School Academy of Fine Arts and Sciences
Magnet Program. Inspired by the four-color portrait of Mike Shaw hanging in the bulletproof faculty display case on the wall, and the fact that it was Kyle Turner's 13th birthday, the Dawgs took the court for some Division 1 action. Game 1 was versus the Franchise Boys, led by Hurricanes/Cooley Middle school Isiah Tennette's identical twin brother, Isiah. The Franchise Boys applied strong pressure and created numerous turnovers, running away with the game. Positive highlights included Michael Downen showing some great post moves and touch under the basket, and Dom Pericin getting some breakaway layups and foul shots.

Game 2 was versus the Junior Elite Top Gun Flite Academy. These guys were also very strong, applied big pressure and jumped out to a big early lead. However, the Dawgs put together a great comeback, led by
the front row parents cheering section who never let up the energy for the whole second half. Ty Williams had some nice shots and passes in the key, and there were some disciplined attacks/jump stops in the white offense. Logan Echeveria and Jack Kearns were really quick and aggressive on defense. With a full 10-player roster, the Dawgs did some hockey-like line changes to pump up the energy. The game was closed out nicely by Cole Kelly, Nick Cherry, Kyle Turner, Alex Patton and Ty Williams.

Game 3 was versus the Ponderosa Bruins. The Dawgs jumped out to a big early lead with a great zone offense and many steals on defense. The Bruins mounted a strong comeback as guys started bombing in 3's and coach Garcia was distracted when a couple Sacramento City cops entered the gym. Alas, they were just parents watching the game and had no association or interest in any alleged outstanding parking tickets. Alex Isola was on fire in this game and ended with a Dawgs season-high 20 points. He stroked in a couple threes and then another jumper in succession to put a safe distance between the Dawgs and the Bruins.

The game was a great chance to learn about keeping cool during an opponent's rally and close out the game successfully. Kyle Turner set the tone in this regard by being patient with the ball and seeing the floor well during all three games. Immediately after the final game, the whole team gasped in awe as Kyle was whisked away in a stretch Hummer limo to an undisclosed location for a VIP-only birthday celebration with, get this - Mike Tyson and Adam Sandler!