8th Grade Blue-March 19th-20th

Aaahhhh, how sweet it is to be a part of the "Tournament Champion YBA Dawgs 8th-Blue" team!


We were crowned the champions because we believed in each other and we played as a TEAM! Vance is the ultimate team player. He is our utility guy that is always ready no matter when he's called upon. Vinny, also, eagerly awaits his time to shine. He brings a high-powered spark into the game on both offense and defense a we've called upon him to lock down an opponent's go to guy. Our 4/5 positions has done a 360° turnaround from just our last season. Amran never shy away from defending any player and is always looking for that big block shot. He can go strong to the basket or hit the 3. Josh has become a true inside threat for us. He's beginning to understand how we want him to be an inside bully. Josh, too, has racked up numerous blocked shots. Gunner does a great job boxing out his man. You can always count on him for hustle. He has shown great improvement controlling the ball. With his speed and quickness, Tanner is always a problem for the opposing team. Tanner is confident with his offensive skills and can hold his own on defense. Malcolm (MJ), unbelievably, has only played in 2 tournaments with us but is fitting in like he's been here since day 1. MJ has a knack for setting up the steal. When he takes 1 power dribble to the side, his jumper is lights out. Madd Maxx is very high wired that plays the game with passion. He's my on-the-court general. He is a leader in the games and in practice. Although he is an offensive threat, Max never denies himself the challenge of taking on the opposing top player. Daniel has improved all facets of his game. His dedication and hard work is paying off. He is, by far, our best 3 point shooter after hitting 5 (4 in the books, but that's another story) against the Predators in our championship game. Daniel is, too, becoming a vocal leader. His "help defense" is probably the best on the team. Dribbling in traffic is an area he can most improve but showing his will to better his all-around game he also plays back up point guard. Thanks coach Randy for all of your assistance.

Great job team! Now we see what working hard and playing together can bring you. Teams will now bring their "A" game against you so you must continue to work hard in your development! See you at practice

The YBA Dawgs Blue 8th did very well in their last tournament. Our 1st game against the EDH Trojans was our toughest match up of the tourney. We played great for 3 quarters. During a time out in the 4th quarter Coach Pickett told his team to work the ball around til we get a good shot. Well, we never got a good shot after that. Our next score came with less than 2 minutes to go on a 3 pointer from Tanner. Although it was a battle to the end, we loss to the eventual tournament champions. In game 2 versus Cal Reign, we bounced back with a running attack that was not to be denied. Max showed his leadership during fastbreaks and running the offense. With Tanner not in the line up, Daniel and, newcomer, MJ (Malcolm) picked up the slack on offense rainning numerous 3's. Of course my hustlers, Vance and Amran, were all over the court doing whatever it takes for us to control the game, diving after balls, blocking shots, rebounding, steals, or just solid defense. Yes, we rained on the Cal Reign's parade while handing them their 2nd loss of the tourney. My 2 bigs had a solid game against Cal, but in game 3 against Folsom Force they turned their game up a couple more notches being dominant in the paint on both offense and defense. Vinny also stepped it up in this game with his intensity and poise while running a little bit of pointguard. With a 27 point lead and less than 30 seconds left in the game, we called a crucial timeout to help seal this victory. We let our 1st tournament championship slip away from us but we continue to improve as a team and individually. Go Dawgs!