YBA 49, The Olympic Club 26
The Dawgs got off to a strong start in our Saturday morning Reno debut. We seized an early lead against a tall team from San Francisco. Our ball pressure and defensive aggressiveness generated several easy buckets and set the tone for the first half. Our opponents played much better in the second half, but we held tough and maintained our strong defense in allowing only 26 points, which was the fewest points allowed in a game in our bracket. Mitchell Holt, Michael Beachley, and Vinnie Safin defended the interior well against the rangy Olympic Club team and never allowed them to get rolling on offense. Vinnie led a balanced attack with 10 points and 7 rebounds, followed by Nicholas Clough with 9 and Mike with 8. Max O'Rourke distributed 5 assists.
YBA 40, Yellow Jackets 50
The boys battled both the other team and frigid shooting in this early Sunday game. The first half was very even, with the Dawgs trailing 22-21 going into the break. The team did a great job of limiting the Jackets’ fast break opportunities and points in the paint but gave up a few too many open 3s. The game remained close for much of the second half, but our continued cold shooting and a string of 6 consecutive turnovers allowed the opponent to open a 10 point lead. We fought back and cut the deficit to 5 with less than a minute to play, but the Jackets’ excellent shooting from the line sealed our fate. It was a tough loss to swallow, but the team learned a lesson about the need to stay patient on offense. Vinnie again produced on offense by netting 13 points, and he also collected 10 boards.
YBA 60, Spokane Rebels 58
Despite the disappointing loss earlier in the day, YBA came out strong against the eventual first-place team in our pool. Neither side could gain an advantage early, but with Vinnie scoring from the baseline the Dawgs went on a run to close the first half with an 11 point lead. Unfortunately, we lost the ever-aggressive Vinnie to a shoulder injury late in the half. The well-coached squad from Washington turned up their defensive intensity in the second half to close the gap, and they eventually took a narrow lead. The teams exchanged baskets for a while, but Grady Collins drained a difficult 3 followed by a breakaway layup to give our boys a 56-50 lead with less than a minute to play. The Rebels answered with a bucket inside to cut the deficit to 4. We had to win by at least 8 to qualify for the championship bracket, so the Dawgs got back to work on offense but missed a couple of short shots. Spokane scored at the buzzer to tie the game at 56 and send it into overtime. With the score tied at 58 and 10 seconds to play in OT, Nick calmly swished both ends of a 1-and-1 opportunity to bring home the victory! Mike had a strong game with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Nick contributed 13 points. Jackson Sterling grabbed 6 steals.
YBA 62, Rainier Select Basketball 49
Although YBA went 2-1 in pool play and beat the pool winner, our point differential put us in 3rd place. The Dawgs got off to a lethargic start in this Monday morning match up and trailed 6-0 against our counterpart from the other pool, a hungry RSB team from Seattle. Coach Shaw made some substitutions looking for the right combination, which he found midway through the half. Grady turned up the heat on the RSB guards to spark the team, garnering several steals and contesting other passes that Gavin Smith or Scott Zabrowski swiped. The three wings combined for several quick offensive opportunities that resulted in layups or open jumpers. Behind those efforts, YBA took a double-digit lead into halftime. RSB fought on in the second half but could never again establish an offensive rhythm against the Dawg defense, thanks in no small part to Mitch's 5 blocks. We continued to move the ball well on offense (except for a couple of short stretches) and earned a convincing victory. Gavin played an outstanding game throughout, totaling 16 points, 4 assists, and 5 steals. Grady also had a complete game with 11 points, 5 steals, and only 1 turnover plus relentless ball pressure on defense.
Summary
The blue team finished the weekend with a 3-1 record in a strong Division 1 bracket and played solid basketball throughout the tourney. We beat the team that represented our pool in the championship game. The coaches thought those were good accomplishments, especially since the boys have been together for less than two months. The team is already defending at a pretty high level, and our offensive execution is improving. We will get better in both areas as the players learn the sets and get used to each other. Coach Shaw said the boys did a good job in playing to their strengths. He was happy that we competed hard in all of the games.
The coaches decided not to name a single player of the tournament, since all of the boys had strong contributions at different times. Vinnie inspired with his effort and mental toughness, gathering rebounds and loose balls alike and finishing strong inside. Nick and Grady each consistently attacked the basket and did a good job of pressuring the opposing guards into mistakes. Mike was aggressive on offense and worked hard to help on defense by blocking shots. Gavin had some strong stretches on offense and played a great all-around game in the final. Mitch fought back from a difficult Yellow Jackets game to intimidate our opponents by blocking and altering shots, and he also made some strong post moves. Jackson played his usual steady game, using his length to advantage on defense and showing flashes of aggressiveness on offense. After missing the first game due to family obligations, Scott got up to game speed quickly and played a big part in the decisive run in the final game with his defense and passing. Max O’Rourke displayed his typical energy and got everyone involved on offense while filling in well for Scott in the first game.
YBA Youth Basketball Academy
Founded by Director, Ken Gee in 2004
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
7th Grade White
The 7th grade YBA White team hit all the right cards to start the Reno tournament. The Dawgs started with a royal flush against Team Select. The Dawgs pressed Team Select from the start, forcing them into turnover after turnover. Zach Chodes' shot was deadly from the coffin corner and Jaeden Calton had a strong scoring performance driving to the hoop and from the perimeter. Dawgs win 57-16.
In the second game the Dawgs hit the jackpot with another high pressure game against Monterey Bay. The Dawgs had their highest point total of the tournament in a 76-33 win. Jared Flowers and Colin McHale lead the way on the offensive end.
In the third game against the Norcal Heat the the Dawgs came up with nothing but aces. Vance Gregg, Max O'Rourke, and Garrett Kauppila did a great job distributing the ball to the open man for the easy shot. Dawgs win 63-38. After watching the game YBA Director Ken Gee commented " I love watching your team, they pass the ball so well and are very unselfish".
In the fourth game against the eventual champion N Your Court the Dawgs started off great. Lead by Colin Hawkins and Conner Milnes down low the Dawgs pounded the other team for a 13 point halftime lead. The Dawgs luck changed in the second half as the offense went bust and the Team Select could not miss from inside and out. Dawgs lose 40-50.
In the semi final game against the first place Norcal Warriors from the other bracket, the Dawgs started off with a very strong hand. They handled the high pressure and dealt it back to the Warriors, the half ended with the Dawgs down by one. In the second half turnovers and a cold shooting hurt the team. The Dawgs kept up the defensive pressure and intensity but they were not able to get over the hump and ended up losing 41-50. Overall, I was very proud of the kids they played hard in every game and gave it their all. Even though we did not bring home the trophy like we wanted to, we played very well. Thanks to all of my players for a great season it was a lot of fun.
In the second game the Dawgs hit the jackpot with another high pressure game against Monterey Bay. The Dawgs had their highest point total of the tournament in a 76-33 win. Jared Flowers and Colin McHale lead the way on the offensive end.
In the third game against the Norcal Heat the the Dawgs came up with nothing but aces. Vance Gregg, Max O'Rourke, and Garrett Kauppila did a great job distributing the ball to the open man for the easy shot. Dawgs win 63-38. After watching the game YBA Director Ken Gee commented " I love watching your team, they pass the ball so well and are very unselfish".
In the fourth game against the eventual champion N Your Court the Dawgs started off great. Lead by Colin Hawkins and Conner Milnes down low the Dawgs pounded the other team for a 13 point halftime lead. The Dawgs luck changed in the second half as the offense went bust and the Team Select could not miss from inside and out. Dawgs lose 40-50.
In the semi final game against the first place Norcal Warriors from the other bracket, the Dawgs started off with a very strong hand. They handled the high pressure and dealt it back to the Warriors, the half ended with the Dawgs down by one. In the second half turnovers and a cold shooting hurt the team. The Dawgs kept up the defensive pressure and intensity but they were not able to get over the hump and ended up losing 41-50. Overall, I was very proud of the kids they played hard in every game and gave it their all. Even though we did not bring home the trophy like we wanted to, we played very well. Thanks to all of my players for a great season it was a lot of fun.
6th Grade Blue
6th Grade White
3rd PLACE VICTORY FOR 6th GRADE WHITE TEAM!!
The 6th Grade White Team came together as an aggressive, smart and physical team this weekend. They played four tough games against very physical teams who have been playing together for a long time. This tournament produced tremendous tenacity from the players, and displayed their intense refusal to quit. The season’s finale showed that the players have truly come together and have become a team, as indicated by the second game of the tournament where they played an extremely physical and talented team from the bay area. At the beginning of this year, their first year as a team, they may have been intimidated by this aggressive play, but they held their own and fought back to win!!!! Parents, family and friends jumped out of their seats cheering with a frenzy. Although the team lost the third game to a very seasoned team, the players came back and won their last game. The character, fortitude, and growth shown by this team has been amazing to witness.
In this season finale, the team won its first game 58-45 against the San Francisco Olympic Club. They won their second game 36-31 against the Bulldawgs. The team lost the third game 46-64 against Team Select. The 6th Grade White Team proudly won their game in the 2nd Place Pool, 57-53 and finished third in their division.
5th Grade Blue-CHAMPIONS
And win it they did.
The team was "laser beam" focused from the Friday before the games. Even with a tough schedule ahead of them - early games, and no knowledge of the opponents - they did not let that phase them.
Game 1
YBA 67 Next Play (Farifax, CA) 46
The 9:15AM start time, (and only game of the day) was not in our favor, as the adrenaline from the weekend was rushing through everyone the night before. A combination of a very well coached, "scrappy" opponent that passed the ball great, and our lack of help defense saw YBA leading at half by a mere four points.
YBA turned up the offense in the second half, and never looked back. Joshua Ohara led all scorers with 14 points (5-10 shooting), while Jashon Lewis (12 points), and Alex Martinez (12 points, 6-8 shooting) also made huge contributions. Bryson Zorich handed out 10 assists, and Joshua led the team with four steals.
Coach said "It was a good effort by all of our players, not our best effort, and our defense needed help, but they did what they had to do to win the game."
Game 2
YBA 66 N Your Court (Foster City, CA) 57
Playing their earliest game EVER (8:00AM), coach didn't know what to expect from the boys. But, their focus was the key. They all went to bed early, with the goal to win in mind, and put their basketball game and the team in front of the arcade. Also, a surprise visit by the teams assistant coach from a year ago, "Coach Jim" provided a little "spark".
The team from Foster City was a "hard nosed" team, playing YBA tough the whole way, Joshua Ohara again lead the team with 17 points, hitting three 3-pointers, Jashon Lewis and Bryson Zorich each had six assists, and Alex Martinez put forth a great effort with five steals and eight rebounds and 12 points (5-7 shooting). Ethan Wainwright was also a key player with nine boards and seven rebounds.
Coach said "it was another gritty effort by the team, but we're capable of playing better. Our on ball defense and help side defense must've been left at home, because we were lucky to win this game!"
Game 3
YBA 71 Humbolt Bengals (Humbolt, CA) 44
With a HUGE break in between games, the players had some down time. But when it was game time, it was all business. During the break between the games, the team found their defense (much to the coach's appreciation) and YBA jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead, with a smothering, trapping defense that caused quick turnovers that led to easy baskets. The team had a balanced offensive attack, with Bryson Zorich (15 points, 6-13 shooting) and Joshua Ohara (15 points (6-9 shooting) leading the effort. Blake Pifer also had an outstanding game with 10 points (4-8 shooting), and made great "in game" decisions. Rounding out the scoring effort was Jashon Lewis with 13 (6-10 shooting) and Ethan Wainwright with 12 (two 3-pointers).
Alex Schneider got busy on the boards with six, and made many "hustle plays" that kept the possession and led to easy baskets. Bryson lead all players with six assists, and Jashon Lewis led the team with nine steals.
Coach said "I am glad we found our defense, because our offense goes as our defense goes. I hope it stays with us for a few more games. Winning our pool is HUGE, and it doesn't get easier from here. This is the first game this tournament we ALL played as ONE UNIT, our team play was outstanding, and if we can keep together and focused, good things can happen."
Game 4
YBA Hoop Dreams (Meridian, ID)
YBA 75 Hoop Dreams 45
Playing against a VERY fundamentally sound and well coached team, YBA had to have their game faces on, and bring their "A" game, as this was now bracket play, and a "Win or Go Home" situation. The 915AM start time seemed normal after the last few days. The biggest concern was going to be the "energy level".
With the opposing team being from Idaho, you can imagine they had a couple of BIG boys.
Using a little strategy, the YBA DAWGS put the pressure on the guards to make the plays, and with our defense still with us, we were able to jump on them and force them into taking quick shots.
The offense was also clicking, as the team shot a scorching 54% from the field. Leading the scoring effort was Bryson Zorich with 22 points (four 3-pointers, 8-11 shooting). Alex Schneider found his "O", and contributed 11 points on (6-7 shooting, and his first 3-pointer of the year). Blake Pifer also chipped in 11 points off the bench (5-8 shooting).
A parent from the opposing team came up to us after the game and said "we have never played a team that can shoot so well! It was a fun game, and you guys are fun to watch!" Also, one of the refs made a comment "He is nice coming off the bench!", referencing Blake Pifer's energetic play.
The boys were now one game away from their initial goal: THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Championship
YBA 56 Roadruners (Palo Alta, Ca) 46
Facing a team they had lost to a year ago (at the same tournament) by 40+ points, the YBA DAWGS were confident that their hard work, and preparation for this game would give them a good chance to win. Playing in front of a very hostile crowd, and against a very talented, and athletic team, the boys were up to the challenge.
Down by as many as six in the first half, the game was neck and neck the whole way. With a three pointer by Joshua Ohara sparking the team and inspired play by Alex Martinez, they scraped and clawed their way back to within one point at half time.
Alex Martinez came up HUGE in this game with an "all out 100%" effort on both ends of the court and diving for any ball within the Reno area. Alex finished the game with 18 points (7-12 shooting) and 14 rebounds.
Jashon Lewis was the emotional leader on the court, encouraging the team to "go as he goes". He finished with 11 points, and a number of tipped passes, changed shots, and smothering defense. Ethan Wainwright (11 points, six rebounds) and Joshua Ohara (10 points, two 3-pointers, two steals) also gave great efforts to help the team win.
Blake Pifer and Alex Schneider both provided solid minutes, and played great all around games, with hustle at every minute. Bryson Zorich finished the game with nine assists, and played a solid point guard game in directing the team to victory.
Coach said "The boys worked hard and deserved this win! They played a great team, but we were focused the whole weekend! Nicknames are earned, and the boys definitely earned theirs this weekend, so here are some fun ones from RENO:
"The Playmaker" - Bryson Zorich
"Laser Beam" (for his laser beam focus all weekend)- Jashon Lewis
"The Junkyard DAWG" (Does the dirty work) - Alex Martinez
"The Glue" (without him, the team falls apart) - Alex Schneider
"The Microwave" (Can get hot in an instant) - Blake Pifer
"The Silent Giant"(Doesn't say much, but has a big impact) - Ethan Wainwright
"FedEx" (Delivers the BIG SHOT right on time) - Joshua Ohara"
Closing thoughts: This was a great end to a great season! As a team we shot 51% (122/240)and averaged 10 steals a game. The boys all worked hard on their individual games in the past year in preparation for this tournament, and it paid off. I am proud to be a part of a team with players that not only are very skilled players, but are also good kids. I am proud of their effort this past weekend (and past year), and happy for them that they were able to set a goal, and obtain it. Hard work makes the dream work!!!
5th Grade White
This weekend the 5th grade White team had a blast in Reno. Although we only won one game, the rest of the games were all with in a few baskets if not just one. We all stayed at the Grand Sierra Resort and enjoyed the fun, frolic and food. The boys bonded as did the parents and we finished the year wanting more.
1st game we lost by 8, but it was a back in forth for most of the game and we faded in the last 3 min. With only 3 returning veterans, the team of 8 was under the awe and shock of the whole experience. All of the boys played a bit tentatively but at the end realized that it was like any other tournament but with a bit more enthusiasm. Highlights Jeremy Lillis high scorer with 12 points and 8 rebounds, followed by Everett Libolt with 11 points and 4 rebounds, and Brendyn Ikeda with 8 points.
2nd game the team came out stronger. Point leaders were Jeremy with 11, Nick with 10, and Everett with 8 the rest of the boys adding a few buckets each. Blake and Brendyn adding with 4 steals each. We lost by 2 points
3rd game point leaders were Everett Libolt with 8 points and 7 rebounds, Brendyn Ikeda with 7 points and 3 steals, Blake Stelzer with 7 points and Grant Harrison with 6 points. We lost by 5 points.
4th and final game point leaders were Brendyn Ikeda with 14 points, Blake Stelzer had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals, Nick Ohler had 7 points, Jeremy Lillis had 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals, Lance Huber had 6 points and 10 rebounds. We won by 18.
All in all we left wanting more. Brendyn said he is ready to start practicing for Reno 2011.
1st game we lost by 8, but it was a back in forth for most of the game and we faded in the last 3 min. With only 3 returning veterans, the team of 8 was under the awe and shock of the whole experience. All of the boys played a bit tentatively but at the end realized that it was like any other tournament but with a bit more enthusiasm. Highlights Jeremy Lillis high scorer with 12 points and 8 rebounds, followed by Everett Libolt with 11 points and 4 rebounds, and Brendyn Ikeda with 8 points.
2nd game the team came out stronger. Point leaders were Jeremy with 11, Nick with 10, and Everett with 8 the rest of the boys adding a few buckets each. Blake and Brendyn adding with 4 steals each. We lost by 2 points
3rd game point leaders were Everett Libolt with 8 points and 7 rebounds, Brendyn Ikeda with 7 points and 3 steals, Blake Stelzer with 7 points and Grant Harrison with 6 points. We lost by 5 points.
4th and final game point leaders were Brendyn Ikeda with 14 points, Blake Stelzer had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals, Nick Ohler had 7 points, Jeremy Lillis had 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals, Lance Huber had 6 points and 10 rebounds. We won by 18.
All in all we left wanting more. Brendyn said he is ready to start practicing for Reno 2011.
4th Grade
4th Grade Dawgs Take 3rd Place in Division 1
Game 1: Oakland Rebels (lost 43-40)
When we took the floor against the bigger and slightly faster Rebels it was clear some of our boys were overwhelmed and intimidated. But they soon realized it was the Rebels who were in trouble. Both teams came out with a full court press and it was a very fast paced up and down game. Our boys stayed composed and did a great job of breaking their press. So good that Oakland had to take it off! We had a hard time getting into a rythm early against their man defense, but none the less we were in the game. I don't keep stats but I can tell you there were several lead changes and it was a battle. Down the stretch of this game we were up by 5 with about 1 minute to go. The Rebels went back to full court press and the boys lost focus 2 or 3 times and turned the ball over. To compound our problem we let them get 3 or 4 offensive rebounds in a row on their last 2 possessions and they ended up winning by 3.
We learned a lot about intensity and focus this game. We were in the driver's seat and we lost focus at the end. Overall it was a great game and we learned a lot about playing against a very good team. Boxing out and staying focused! Our boys played very hard and played great defense. We moved and shared the ball very well, but you can't let down for one second or it slips away.
Game 2: Olympic Club (Won 56-38)
Our second game was just a few hours later on Saturday night against a very fundamental and very intense Olympic Club team. We were a little flat as we were trying to shake our prior game's loss. We realized early on that we were the better team, but we were in for a fight. They played just like us, hard nosed man-to-man defense and they were not going to lay down. The Dawgs would take the lead and start to run away with the game and they would fight back to stay in the game. The Olympic Club just wanted the game more and did everything they could to stay in the game. We had a 15 point lead with about 8 minutes left and they fought back to make it an 8 point game. Again, we are learning what it takes against top notch teams, INTENSITY. Great teams don't surrender when they are down, they fight back. So the boys got tired of listening to me talk about intensity and finally turned it up and won by 18.
Again, lesson learned was INTENSITY. We watched a team fight very hard to get back in the game against us and we had to match their effort level to put it away. Great job boys!
We learned later that we won our pool because Olympic Club beat the Oakland Rebels in a dog fight. So we earned a bye and did not play again until Monday afternoon.
Game 3: The Predators (45-42)
We needed to win this game to play for the Division 1 championship! We played this team a few weeks ago and beat them by 2, so we knew we were in for a long game. We were not very sharp in the beginning and we found ourselves in a hole. The Predators were physical and wanted this game. They pressed us and we were making mental errors. We were down by 9 or 10 midway through the first half and we had to fight to get back in it. The boys tuned it on and we made it a game down the stretch. With 1 minute left it was a tied game 39-39 and we had the momentum. On two consecutive possessions we were pressuring the inbounds pass and 2 times the ref called foul when they were clearly jump balls. The Predators made their free throws and won the game.
I gathered the boys after the game and told them despite what they may hear, the refs did not decide the outcome of this game. We don't blame refs for losses, there were things we could have done differently throughout the game. We put ourselves in a bad position and we need to accept responsibility and learn from it. The refs are outside our control, we have to play with what we were given. I was so proud of their heart and effort!
Game 4: Palo Alto Midnight 4 (won by 3)
This game was for 3 place. We had about 30 minutes between games and our boys were mentally and physically exhausted. They were disappointed and feeling sorry as any of us would to. But we had a game to play and we couldn't let down now. Palo Alto was a very good fundamental team with very good shooters and a very tall and talented big man. And they were ready for battle. It was clear from the onset we were a better team, but they came all the way from Palo Alto and they were not going to lay down. They had 4 or 5 fast break basket on us in the first 10-12 minutes of the game and that was not acceptable. The boys were gased, but we hung in there and only won by 3 points. This game should not have been this close, but we let them hang around.
Final Thoughts:
Coming into this weekend we did not know if we were a division 1 team, now we know we are. We did not know what to expect or how the boys would do, but I can tell you this is one heck of a group of boys (and parents). The boys had a great time bonding (movies, swimming, ect..) and so did the parents. This is a special group and I saw a glimpse into the future. Ryan Smith and Dawson Fugate played like the big guys they are. They are developing and getting tough, strong and skilled. Both of these guys can handle the ball and shoot. Gabe Gillespie plays the toughest position, coaches kid. He played very well and I see a kid who is a very good spot up shooter, can handle the ball and drive to the basket. Carson March and Ryan Haug ran the point and both of these guys run the offense and get us moving. Carson hits big baskets and Ryan plays lock down defense. Josh Farr and Blake Zieske are all around very good perimeter players who can handle the point, shoot and drive. Both are scrappy defenders and play the passing lanes very well. Justin Kraft is lightning in a bottle. He is the fastest kid on the team and knifes through traffic with speed, agility and power. He is our best defender and forces his opponents into several turnovers each game. Nick Periera couldn't be with us in Reno, but is also a critical piece to the team. He is an effort guy. He is one guy who is giving 100% every moment he is on the floor and a very good defender and spot up shooter.
Most of all this is a TEAM. They are unselfish and share the ball better than most teams I have seen. It is hard to guard a team like this and the chemistry is what makes it go. They trust each other and love each other like brothers. They pride them selves on their identity as a team, DEFENSE!
Go DAWGS!
Game 1: Oakland Rebels (lost 43-40)
When we took the floor against the bigger and slightly faster Rebels it was clear some of our boys were overwhelmed and intimidated. But they soon realized it was the Rebels who were in trouble. Both teams came out with a full court press and it was a very fast paced up and down game. Our boys stayed composed and did a great job of breaking their press. So good that Oakland had to take it off! We had a hard time getting into a rythm early against their man defense, but none the less we were in the game. I don't keep stats but I can tell you there were several lead changes and it was a battle. Down the stretch of this game we were up by 5 with about 1 minute to go. The Rebels went back to full court press and the boys lost focus 2 or 3 times and turned the ball over. To compound our problem we let them get 3 or 4 offensive rebounds in a row on their last 2 possessions and they ended up winning by 3.
We learned a lot about intensity and focus this game. We were in the driver's seat and we lost focus at the end. Overall it was a great game and we learned a lot about playing against a very good team. Boxing out and staying focused! Our boys played very hard and played great defense. We moved and shared the ball very well, but you can't let down for one second or it slips away.
Game 2: Olympic Club (Won 56-38)
Our second game was just a few hours later on Saturday night against a very fundamental and very intense Olympic Club team. We were a little flat as we were trying to shake our prior game's loss. We realized early on that we were the better team, but we were in for a fight. They played just like us, hard nosed man-to-man defense and they were not going to lay down. The Dawgs would take the lead and start to run away with the game and they would fight back to stay in the game. The Olympic Club just wanted the game more and did everything they could to stay in the game. We had a 15 point lead with about 8 minutes left and they fought back to make it an 8 point game. Again, we are learning what it takes against top notch teams, INTENSITY. Great teams don't surrender when they are down, they fight back. So the boys got tired of listening to me talk about intensity and finally turned it up and won by 18.
Again, lesson learned was INTENSITY. We watched a team fight very hard to get back in the game against us and we had to match their effort level to put it away. Great job boys!
We learned later that we won our pool because Olympic Club beat the Oakland Rebels in a dog fight. So we earned a bye and did not play again until Monday afternoon.
Game 3: The Predators (45-42)
We needed to win this game to play for the Division 1 championship! We played this team a few weeks ago and beat them by 2, so we knew we were in for a long game. We were not very sharp in the beginning and we found ourselves in a hole. The Predators were physical and wanted this game. They pressed us and we were making mental errors. We were down by 9 or 10 midway through the first half and we had to fight to get back in it. The boys tuned it on and we made it a game down the stretch. With 1 minute left it was a tied game 39-39 and we had the momentum. On two consecutive possessions we were pressuring the inbounds pass and 2 times the ref called foul when they were clearly jump balls. The Predators made their free throws and won the game.
I gathered the boys after the game and told them despite what they may hear, the refs did not decide the outcome of this game. We don't blame refs for losses, there were things we could have done differently throughout the game. We put ourselves in a bad position and we need to accept responsibility and learn from it. The refs are outside our control, we have to play with what we were given. I was so proud of their heart and effort!
Game 4: Palo Alto Midnight 4 (won by 3)
This game was for 3 place. We had about 30 minutes between games and our boys were mentally and physically exhausted. They were disappointed and feeling sorry as any of us would to. But we had a game to play and we couldn't let down now. Palo Alto was a very good fundamental team with very good shooters and a very tall and talented big man. And they were ready for battle. It was clear from the onset we were a better team, but they came all the way from Palo Alto and they were not going to lay down. They had 4 or 5 fast break basket on us in the first 10-12 minutes of the game and that was not acceptable. The boys were gased, but we hung in there and only won by 3 points. This game should not have been this close, but we let them hang around.
Final Thoughts:
Coming into this weekend we did not know if we were a division 1 team, now we know we are. We did not know what to expect or how the boys would do, but I can tell you this is one heck of a group of boys (and parents). The boys had a great time bonding (movies, swimming, ect..) and so did the parents. This is a special group and I saw a glimpse into the future. Ryan Smith and Dawson Fugate played like the big guys they are. They are developing and getting tough, strong and skilled. Both of these guys can handle the ball and shoot. Gabe Gillespie plays the toughest position, coaches kid. He played very well and I see a kid who is a very good spot up shooter, can handle the ball and drive to the basket. Carson March and Ryan Haug ran the point and both of these guys run the offense and get us moving. Carson hits big baskets and Ryan plays lock down defense. Josh Farr and Blake Zieske are all around very good perimeter players who can handle the point, shoot and drive. Both are scrappy defenders and play the passing lanes very well. Justin Kraft is lightning in a bottle. He is the fastest kid on the team and knifes through traffic with speed, agility and power. He is our best defender and forces his opponents into several turnovers each game. Nick Periera couldn't be with us in Reno, but is also a critical piece to the team. He is an effort guy. He is one guy who is giving 100% every moment he is on the floor and a very good defender and spot up shooter.
Most of all this is a TEAM. They are unselfish and share the ball better than most teams I have seen. It is hard to guard a team like this and the chemistry is what makes it go. They trust each other and love each other like brothers. They pride them selves on their identity as a team, DEFENSE!
Go DAWGS!
3rd Grade
If I had to provide a name for this newsletter.....I'd call it "TEN!!". Why?......because our team, on a scale from 1-10, had a "10" when it came to having fun and learning from our experiences! In Division 1, our 3rd grade Dawgs played very well and I cannot express in words well enough about how proud I am of our team. We placed third in this huge tournament and we played well enough that we could have been in a championship game. 3rd place is a huge success for our team and was a challenge to accomplish. We played in the highest division and played some very elite teams providing great competition to every team. As you can imagine, with such a young team, it was also our first out of state tournament....or, even out of Rocklin area: )
We played our first game at 8 am on Saturday. Our first game was a huge win against a well coached team from the state of Idaho, Hoop Dreams. Our Dawgs started and ended with a strong effort on both offense and defense winning the game 53-7. That is not a typo....our Dawgs were awesome!! Our full court press was intense and on fire with a great team effort from EVERY Dawg on the court. If I had to call the local fire department, they would have trouble putting out the Dawgs' intense fire. Our boys were just too fast for Hoop Dreams on the full court press. Later, we dropped back into a half court defense and, once again, our Dawgs kept intense pressure on defense, blocked out very well, and used great anticipation to get steals. Offensively, I couldn't ask for a better game from the Dawgs. Every player contributed by aggressively driving to the basket often using a head fake or jab step. It was delightful to see the boys using their skills in their first game! I was ready to melt from seeing ALL of our Dawgs running the offense well and fighting for good shots. Again, we hit the boards hard and out rebounded if we missed a shot. Our Dawgs were relentless in all areas of the game. We were off to a strong start and really looked forward to our next game later that afternoon......so much that I learned a good lesson.
Our second game was against Spirit Got Game from good ol' Sacramento. I learned a lesson, but only after we played this game against Spirit. Since we had such huge amount of time between our first game (8 am) and our second game (4:45 pm) on Saturday, some of our Dawgs went swimming.........for several hours. I will take responsibility for not realizing that we should have rested a little more instead, but our Dawgs did have fun. We were told that we were playing the "B" Spirit team. We had already successfully defeated the "A" team in a HW Palace tournament earlier in the season. Our Dawgs played well, but our fire was not intense like our previous game and eventually Spirit took advantage of that. We lost to a well coached team with very fast players that were not showing that they were tired on offense or defense. Our coaches are very confident that we should have defeated Spirit Got Game and we really do think the opportunity is coming soon. No excuses....we lost fair and square to a really good team. Our Dawgs gave it their best shot.
The 3rd game of our tournament was on Sunday. It was our only game for that day and our boys rested well this time. We played a very elite and strong team, the Yellow Jackets from Elk Grove. Going into this game, we had known that the Yellow Jackets had already blown out Spirit Got Game the previous day. We knew that we would have our hands full and we would have to take our best "A" game to them........and that's exactly what we did!!!! If I had to lose a game, I would want to lose it the way that we played this team. Our Dawgs played a great game and proved that we deserved to be placed in division 1 with the elite teams. Head Coach Tran from the Yellow Jackets had previously taken one of his 4th grade teams to win the National Championship in Florida and were ranked #1 in the country as a 4th grade team. We played his awesome 3rd grade team, however. Coach Tran mentioned great things about our team and was surprised that we had lost to Spirit Got Game. Coach Tran mentioned that we were the best team that he had played in the tournament at that point. Although we lost by 16, don't let that fool you. We almost evenly matched the Yellow Jackets with layups, outside shots, rebounds, steals, hustle, ball handling, stamina, desire, fire, and team effort.........but we lacked in our free throws in comparison to the Yellow Jackets. Our team missed 19 of the 24 free throws. Guess what?..........free throws really are important! No, we probably would not have hit 100%, but anything close to that would have allowed us to defeat an elite team. Regardless of the final outcome of this game, there is no doubt that our BIG Dawgs, coaches, and parents felt great after the game. A win would have been nice, but the experience was definitely a great one.
Our last and final game was Monday morning at the wonderful, bright and early........8 am again (arrival time at 7:30). We played a team from the bay area, the Oakland Rebels. Our Dawgs were still pumped up after their previous game. Their confidence was enormous and it showed in this game. Every Dawg gave a great effort once again keeping their fire to help gain another big "W" in this game. The Oakland Rebels were no match for our stronger and faster Dawg team. We scored, then scored, then scored, then never looked back. After our win and after the other teams in our division 1 completed their games, we were placed 3rd in the tournament......... but I really think that our BIG Little Dawgs ARE the champions of this Reno tournament!
Coach Martinez
We played our first game at 8 am on Saturday. Our first game was a huge win against a well coached team from the state of Idaho, Hoop Dreams. Our Dawgs started and ended with a strong effort on both offense and defense winning the game 53-7. That is not a typo....our Dawgs were awesome!! Our full court press was intense and on fire with a great team effort from EVERY Dawg on the court. If I had to call the local fire department, they would have trouble putting out the Dawgs' intense fire. Our boys were just too fast for Hoop Dreams on the full court press. Later, we dropped back into a half court defense and, once again, our Dawgs kept intense pressure on defense, blocked out very well, and used great anticipation to get steals. Offensively, I couldn't ask for a better game from the Dawgs. Every player contributed by aggressively driving to the basket often using a head fake or jab step. It was delightful to see the boys using their skills in their first game! I was ready to melt from seeing ALL of our Dawgs running the offense well and fighting for good shots. Again, we hit the boards hard and out rebounded if we missed a shot. Our Dawgs were relentless in all areas of the game. We were off to a strong start and really looked forward to our next game later that afternoon......so much that I learned a good lesson.
Our second game was against Spirit Got Game from good ol' Sacramento. I learned a lesson, but only after we played this game against Spirit. Since we had such huge amount of time between our first game (8 am) and our second game (4:45 pm) on Saturday, some of our Dawgs went swimming.........for several hours. I will take responsibility for not realizing that we should have rested a little more instead, but our Dawgs did have fun. We were told that we were playing the "B" Spirit team. We had already successfully defeated the "A" team in a HW Palace tournament earlier in the season. Our Dawgs played well, but our fire was not intense like our previous game and eventually Spirit took advantage of that. We lost to a well coached team with very fast players that were not showing that they were tired on offense or defense. Our coaches are very confident that we should have defeated Spirit Got Game and we really do think the opportunity is coming soon. No excuses....we lost fair and square to a really good team. Our Dawgs gave it their best shot.
The 3rd game of our tournament was on Sunday. It was our only game for that day and our boys rested well this time. We played a very elite and strong team, the Yellow Jackets from Elk Grove. Going into this game, we had known that the Yellow Jackets had already blown out Spirit Got Game the previous day. We knew that we would have our hands full and we would have to take our best "A" game to them........and that's exactly what we did!!!! If I had to lose a game, I would want to lose it the way that we played this team. Our Dawgs played a great game and proved that we deserved to be placed in division 1 with the elite teams. Head Coach Tran from the Yellow Jackets had previously taken one of his 4th grade teams to win the National Championship in Florida and were ranked #1 in the country as a 4th grade team. We played his awesome 3rd grade team, however. Coach Tran mentioned great things about our team and was surprised that we had lost to Spirit Got Game. Coach Tran mentioned that we were the best team that he had played in the tournament at that point. Although we lost by 16, don't let that fool you. We almost evenly matched the Yellow Jackets with layups, outside shots, rebounds, steals, hustle, ball handling, stamina, desire, fire, and team effort.........but we lacked in our free throws in comparison to the Yellow Jackets. Our team missed 19 of the 24 free throws. Guess what?..........free throws really are important! No, we probably would not have hit 100%, but anything close to that would have allowed us to defeat an elite team. Regardless of the final outcome of this game, there is no doubt that our BIG Dawgs, coaches, and parents felt great after the game. A win would have been nice, but the experience was definitely a great one.
Our last and final game was Monday morning at the wonderful, bright and early........8 am again (arrival time at 7:30). We played a team from the bay area, the Oakland Rebels. Our Dawgs were still pumped up after their previous game. Their confidence was enormous and it showed in this game. Every Dawg gave a great effort once again keeping their fire to help gain another big "W" in this game. The Oakland Rebels were no match for our stronger and faster Dawg team. We scored, then scored, then scored, then never looked back. After our win and after the other teams in our division 1 completed their games, we were placed 3rd in the tournament......... but I really think that our BIG Little Dawgs ARE the champions of this Reno tournament!
Coach Martinez
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
May 21, 2010 "YBA is Dawg-Gone Proud" by Kevin McCarthy
(This article is also accessible to NorCalPreps subscribers at NorCalPreps.com.)
Program Director Ken Gee’s Youth Basketball Academy (YBA) Dawgs began in 2004 when players in the Rocklin area and the surrounding territory needed a club team situation to further their basketball dreams. Has it been successful? Try 17 teams of various ages and around 160 youngsters ‘Dawg-in’ it today. For some easily-recognizable YBA-ers, try James Moore, Josh Ritchart, Brad Waldow, Derek Knutty, Jackson Cummings, Zach Nelson and others.
How did Gee get into the field? "I started coaching basketball out of high school," Gee explained. "But then I had to get a job and went to work for UPS. Once my son got old enough, I returned with YBA."
But Gee gladly shares his success. Among those he credits is the coach of his YBA Black team, Millard "Doc" Haynes, a longtime coach and trainer in the Sacramento area. A much-lauded four-year starter at Dunbar High (Fort Worth, TX) and a five-time most valuable player with the NAC Hellcats in the U.S. Navy, Haynes brings personal experience to the table. "Doc is very motivational and inspirational and I wanted him working with our kids," Gee explained’
Here’s the top YBA squad for this spring and summer, with descriptions supplied by Gee:
Program Director Ken Gee’s Youth Basketball Academy (YBA) Dawgs began in 2004 when players in the Rocklin area and the surrounding territory needed a club team situation to further their basketball dreams. Has it been successful? Try 17 teams of various ages and around 160 youngsters ‘Dawg-in’ it today. For some easily-recognizable YBA-ers, try James Moore, Josh Ritchart, Brad Waldow, Derek Knutty, Jackson Cummings, Zach Nelson and others.
Jamal Ford, Sacred Heart Cathedral
But Gee gladly shares his success. Among those he credits is the coach of his YBA Black team, Millard "Doc" Haynes, a longtime coach and trainer in the Sacramento area. A much-lauded four-year starter at Dunbar High (Fort Worth, TX) and a five-time most valuable player with the NAC Hellcats in the U.S. Navy, Haynes brings personal experience to the table. "Doc is very motivational and inspirational and I wanted him working with our kids," Gee explained’
Here’s the top YBA squad for this spring and summer, with descriptions supplied by Gee:
■Remi Barry, 6-foot-7, Del Oro High, 2010 -- He is being recruited by DI schools, is exceptionally athletic and very good at attacking the basket plus has a great outside shot.
■Aaron Hendricks, 6-foot-1, Del Oro High, 2011 -- Aaron is athletically gifted and an excellent shooter.
■Spencer Butterfield, 6-foot-3, Del Oro High, 2010 -- he is currently sidelined with a concussion but he provides great leadership and attacks the basket well.
■Colin Lee, 6-foot-4, Nevada Union High, 2011 -- Colin is a good up-and-comer with a solid all around game.
■Jamal Ford, 6-foot-3, Sacred Heart, 2010 -- Jamal is a versatile and athletic player.
■Jose Rodriguez, 6-foot-2, Pleasant Grove High, 2011 -- He is a hard-nosed athletic player.
■Eric Gee, 6-foot-1, Whitney High 2010 -- Is smart and possesses a great feel for the game.
■Cody Borst, 6-foot-2, Whitney High, 2010 -- Cody is a good finisher around the basket.
■Jonathan Davis, 6-foot-4, Granite Bay, 2011-- Jonathan displays outstanding fundamentals and plays bigger than he is.
■Marc Burns, 6-foot, Cordova High, 2011-- Marc is a solid point guard.
■Marcus Hendricks, 6-foot-4, Folsom High, 2011-- An aggressive banger who is very coachable
Go to http://www.ybadawgs.com/ for more information on the YBA Dawgs.
Monday, May 24, 2010
1st Annual YBA Coaches Game Blue Team May 23, 2010
The first quarter saw the blue team take a 13 point lead. Nate Stevens was raining three's like Nate Archibald and John Ward was doing his best John Stockton impression with his mid range jumper The blue team's legs were feeling good and their lungs were still at full capacity.
In the second quarter someone from the white team bench yelled "Encina" and woke up the sleeping giant. When coach Doc heard that he ducked his head and yelled "Oh no here it comes!" Coach Shaw was bumping the cutter and Coach Lance was all over the court playing intense defense, but the blue team saw their lead evaporate to a tie at half time.
During halftime Coach Doc called to see why Coach Remi was not at the game yet.
The third quarter brought on some very tight hamstrings which slowed down the blue teams offensive push. The blue team went into the 2/3 zone defense lead by coach Driggs, Dubose, Shively, and Williams which stifled the white teams offense. Either that or their legs were as tired as ours. The 3rd quarter ended in a tie.
The fourth quarter was a battle of wills as the coach's went "old school" and turned up the intensity to go for the win. The game went back and forth during the 4th quarter but the blue team did not have enough gas left in the tank to finish the game. The white team walked away with the much coveted YBA Coach's Trophy.
Blue Team Roster:
Coach Doc
Randy Gregg
Nate Stevens
John Ward
Lance Ohara
Mike Shaw
Dustin Driggs
Anthony Dubose
Deloe Shively
Geoff Williams
1st Annual YBA Coaches Game-White Team May 23, 2010
1st half we started slow and got down 13 early...Dave Garcia and Pat Boyle put the white team on the back to go on a 21-6 run to close out the half up 3 with a buzzer beater 3 point shot by Dave Garcia.
The second half seemed to be a defensive battle with some clamp down defense and a late steal by David Garcia sealed the victory. Dave Garcia walked away with the MVP and continues to haunt coach Doc as he put up 47 on coach Doc when he coached at Encina High School about 7 years ago.
White team roster:
Coach Kevin Parker
Ken Gee
Keith Moss
Dave Garcia
Adam Almujdidi
Robert Martenez
Tom Tran
Kevin Collins
Pat Boyle
Clay Evans
Winner and Answers for Questionnaire #4
Congratulations to last week's winner, Sandy Bell representing the JV Black Team! See Ken for your $20 Starbucks card...
1) Name the 3 teams that the 4th grade team played.
EDH, Spirit Got Game, Predators
2) Name the leading scorer in the game against the Phenoms from Garcia's 9th grade team.
Taylor Cherry
3) Who did the JV Blue team play in their 1st game and who was named MVP in that game?
Tracy Hurricanes. MVP-James
4) Name the players who the 5th grade blue coach named, "Mr. Intangible", "Mr. Clutch", and "Mr. Hustle".
Mr. Intangible: Alex Schneider
Mr. Clutch: Joshua Ohara
Mr. Hustle: Jashon Lewis
5) Name the player who was the "top scorer" in the 3rd grade division
Dante Pericin
1) Name the 3 teams that the 4th grade team played.
EDH, Spirit Got Game, Predators
2) Name the leading scorer in the game against the Phenoms from Garcia's 9th grade team.
Taylor Cherry
3) Who did the JV Blue team play in their 1st game and who was named MVP in that game?
Tracy Hurricanes. MVP-James
4) Name the players who the 5th grade blue coach named, "Mr. Intangible", "Mr. Clutch", and "Mr. Hustle".
Mr. Intangible: Alex Schneider
Mr. Clutch: Joshua Ohara
Mr. Hustle: Jashon Lewis
5) Name the player who was the "top scorer" in the 3rd grade division
Dante Pericin
Varsity White-May 22-23
The YBA varsity white team was in a tournament this past weekend at hardwood and took third. In their one and only game Saturday, the team coasted to victory in a 69-15 win over the SVBA Knights. Everyone shared the ball extremely well and they all had solid games both on offense and defense. On Sunday they played Team sage and in an intense overtime situation, they came up short 66-60. There was tremendous effort by all the players. Quincy Shelby had a great game making the game continue to overtime. Bryson Bryant hit shots that were needed while Colton nelson and Derek Ainsworth had good defense. For their final game, they beat the South Sac Raiderz 47-42 to take third. With only 6 players for this game, everyone stepped it up tremendously. Jordan Broyles hand a great game on both ends of the court. Austin Hightower was solid in the post while Derek Ainsworth, Colton Nelson, and Quincy Shelby controlled the tempo of the game after a rough start at the beginning of the game. All in all this was good weekend and everyone played outstanding.
JV Blue
This weekend we played in Rocklin in the Hardwood palace tournament in the 16U A division. It was a hard fought weekend for us that saw us lose one and win two to bring our record for the year to 22-3. We played hard throughout and earned both wins. We struggled with turnovers throughout the weekend and it was our inability to keep the ball that cost us the game we lost. However that was our first game Saturday at 9 AM and we have struggled in the past with 9 AM games, having earned both of our losses in 9 AM games coming in.
DEFENSIVE MVP: Darrell
YBA 55 RED RAIDERS 63
SUMMARY: In a rematch of a 2point buzzer beating thriller we came out strong with a 24-15 lead that was paced by a Reggie Miller like 6 points in the last 6 seconds of the quarter on a 3pt fg by Ceron (welcome back!) and a steal and another 3 @ the buzzer by David. Unfortunately, it seemed like we decided we had it won after that and never put forth the intensity to actually win. They bounced back strong in the second quarter outscoring us 17-4 in the quarter to take a 32-28 lead into the half. After halftime we played better but never regained the momentum we had. We struggled with silly turnovers and unfinished fast breaks and also struggled shooting. We played a strong team game with everyone except one player scoring and James and David both had 4 steals, while Darrell again paced us in assists with 5, with James and Nolan each having 3 assists. It was a lesson learned.
YBA 56 E-TIME 50
SUMMARY: In a much better effort we led with defense and won a game that we felt we had to win. After a sluggish 9-1 start that looked like the end of the first game the bench came in and provided a spark led by David & Ceron whose intensity and effort on the defensive end payed off as we battled back to trail 13-12 after one quarter. After that we settled into our game and executed well enough to control throughout. The main reason it was as close as the final score is a rash of missed free throws at the end of the game. It was another complete team effort as all players contributed with at least 1 point. We were led in scoring by James who had 14, David had 7 rebounds to go with his 8 points. Darrell had a strong game with 8 points, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Kyle hit 2 3ptrs, while Luis & Evan had a 3ptr each. Again we struggled with turnovers commiting 18 for the game.
Defensive MVP: Ceron for playing 100% effort defense every second he played
Mr. All-Around: James 14 pts, 3 rebs, 2 assts, 2 steals.
YBA 43 BELIEVERS 36
SUMMARY: In a well played strong Defensive game we hung in and finished against a Believers squad that was well coached and fought for every point with only 5 players all game. With an intelligent slow the pace gameplan we were forced to play halfcourt Defense against a motion offense for up to 30 seconds a possesion before they got a shot attempt they liked. We played aggressively throughout and still forced them to make mistakes despite the fact that we played in their comfort zone (halfcourt offense) most of the game. We won with timely rebounds and by only turning over the ball 12 times. Compared to an average of 18.5 turnovers the first two games. David finished with 10 points to lead a balanced attack (DP3 4 pts, Ceron 6, James 8, Nolan 8, Evan 5, Luis 5). However it was the rebounding that showed the tight Defense as we had 5 players with at least 3 rebounds. Leading the way was Evan who had a season high 9 boards. David chipped in with 8 boards. Darrell (DP3) had 5 more assists to lower his season average but stay well above the level that is the average for 16s.
Defensive MVP: Evan for his strong rebounding and help Defense & David for shutting down their big man.
MVP: Entire team for coming together during adversity and finishing
Coaches Finshing Thoughts
We suffered a let down for a 3 1/2 quarter stretch but perservered and won our last two games and that shows strength of character, which is invaluable in life... We should know that we are talented but we absolutely MUST put forth twice the effort to be the team we aspire to be... With the big Reno tournament this weekend you should be expecting to put in 4 hours of HARD WORK because without the work we are only an average team... When we play 9 strong and all play with team spirit and no ego we are a force to be reckoned with... Arrive at practice with an enthusiasim unknown to man and push yourselves through the wall... then do it again this weekend, if we do these things we will have had a successful season no matter what our record is...
DEFENSIVE MVP: Darrell
YBA 55 RED RAIDERS 63
SUMMARY: In a rematch of a 2point buzzer beating thriller we came out strong with a 24-15 lead that was paced by a Reggie Miller like 6 points in the last 6 seconds of the quarter on a 3pt fg by Ceron (welcome back!) and a steal and another 3 @ the buzzer by David. Unfortunately, it seemed like we decided we had it won after that and never put forth the intensity to actually win. They bounced back strong in the second quarter outscoring us 17-4 in the quarter to take a 32-28 lead into the half. After halftime we played better but never regained the momentum we had. We struggled with silly turnovers and unfinished fast breaks and also struggled shooting. We played a strong team game with everyone except one player scoring and James and David both had 4 steals, while Darrell again paced us in assists with 5, with James and Nolan each having 3 assists. It was a lesson learned.
YBA 56 E-TIME 50
SUMMARY: In a much better effort we led with defense and won a game that we felt we had to win. After a sluggish 9-1 start that looked like the end of the first game the bench came in and provided a spark led by David & Ceron whose intensity and effort on the defensive end payed off as we battled back to trail 13-12 after one quarter. After that we settled into our game and executed well enough to control throughout. The main reason it was as close as the final score is a rash of missed free throws at the end of the game. It was another complete team effort as all players contributed with at least 1 point. We were led in scoring by James who had 14, David had 7 rebounds to go with his 8 points. Darrell had a strong game with 8 points, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Kyle hit 2 3ptrs, while Luis & Evan had a 3ptr each. Again we struggled with turnovers commiting 18 for the game.
Defensive MVP: Ceron for playing 100% effort defense every second he played
Mr. All-Around: James 14 pts, 3 rebs, 2 assts, 2 steals.
YBA 43 BELIEVERS 36
SUMMARY: In a well played strong Defensive game we hung in and finished against a Believers squad that was well coached and fought for every point with only 5 players all game. With an intelligent slow the pace gameplan we were forced to play halfcourt Defense against a motion offense for up to 30 seconds a possesion before they got a shot attempt they liked. We played aggressively throughout and still forced them to make mistakes despite the fact that we played in their comfort zone (halfcourt offense) most of the game. We won with timely rebounds and by only turning over the ball 12 times. Compared to an average of 18.5 turnovers the first two games. David finished with 10 points to lead a balanced attack (DP3 4 pts, Ceron 6, James 8, Nolan 8, Evan 5, Luis 5). However it was the rebounding that showed the tight Defense as we had 5 players with at least 3 rebounds. Leading the way was Evan who had a season high 9 boards. David chipped in with 8 boards. Darrell (DP3) had 5 more assists to lower his season average but stay well above the level that is the average for 16s.
Defensive MVP: Evan for his strong rebounding and help Defense & David for shutting down their big man.
MVP: Entire team for coming together during adversity and finishing
Coaches Finshing Thoughts
We suffered a let down for a 3 1/2 quarter stretch but perservered and won our last two games and that shows strength of character, which is invaluable in life... We should know that we are talented but we absolutely MUST put forth twice the effort to be the team we aspire to be... With the big Reno tournament this weekend you should be expecting to put in 4 hours of HARD WORK because without the work we are only an average team... When we play 9 strong and all play with team spirit and no ego we are a force to be reckoned with... Arrive at practice with an enthusiasim unknown to man and push yourselves through the wall... then do it again this weekend, if we do these things we will have had a successful season no matter what our record is...
8th Grade White
In the final tourney before Reno, the YBA 8th White squad won one and lost two games. They started the weekend against the Union City Raptors. The Dawgs fell behind 12-5 in the first quarter and worked hard through the game to slowly pull to even late in the game. However, the Raptors managed a wild basket as time ran out to win 41-39. Justin Holmes had 8 points and 9 rebounds and Shayne Baynes had 9 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals to lead the team.
The Dawgs ran into a solid CRR Black team in their next game. The Dawgs turned the ball over too much and lost 53-28. Scoring was balanced with Luke Jordan leading the team with 6 points on two 3 pointers. Grant McElvaine and Joe Henry each grabbed 6 rebounds for Dawgs.
The weekend ended on a positive note as the Dawgs brushed off a slow start to easily beat the EDH Blue team 43-33. The Dawgs scored just 2 points in the first quarter, but turned up the pace to score 10, 14, and 17 over the remaining quarters. Joe Henry had a strong game, scoring 12 points and gathering 6 rebounds. Luke Jordan had 8 points and Austin Marcus contributed 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
"The team played some great competition this weekend" said Coach Ken Gee. “The team continues to build chemistry and gain valuable experience.”
Mark Greenwood
The Dawgs ran into a solid CRR Black team in their next game. The Dawgs turned the ball over too much and lost 53-28. Scoring was balanced with Luke Jordan leading the team with 6 points on two 3 pointers. Grant McElvaine and Joe Henry each grabbed 6 rebounds for Dawgs.
The weekend ended on a positive note as the Dawgs brushed off a slow start to easily beat the EDH Blue team 43-33. The Dawgs scored just 2 points in the first quarter, but turned up the pace to score 10, 14, and 17 over the remaining quarters. Joe Henry had a strong game, scoring 12 points and gathering 6 rebounds. Luke Jordan had 8 points and Austin Marcus contributed 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
"The team played some great competition this weekend" said Coach Ken Gee. “The team continues to build chemistry and gain valuable experience.”
Mark Greenwood
7th Grade Blue
The 7th grade white team took a well-deserved break, while the blue team competed in the 7th grade D1 bracket at SAS. Blue took 1st place with a 3-0 record.
YBA 48, Hurricanes 32
The Dawgs couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in this one, shooting a season-low 30% from the field. They worked hard on the defensive end, generally limiting the Hurricanes to one contested shot per possession while blocking 5 shots. Garrett Kauppila played with his usual high energy level. The team also took good care of the ball with only 8 turnovers against 11 steals. Gavin Smith led the way with 11 points with Nicholas Clough and Jackson Sterling not far behind with 9 and 7, respectively. Mitchell Holt had a solid game down low with 5 points, 8 boards, and 3 blocks.
YBA 62, ABC Warriors 49
The team was pushed harder in the second game by the Warriors and their cat-quick point guard. After falling behind early, YBA fought back to trail by only 1 at the break despite another frigid shooting performance. The boys finally started to hit some shots in the 3rd quarter and took control of the game. They also did a better job containing penetration and forcing their opponents into difficult shots and passes, totaling 12 blocks for the game! Scott Zabrowski and Colin McHale did a good job running the team against an aggressive defense. Michael Beachley got hot to the tune of 22 points and swatted 7 shots for good measure. Nick contributed 12 points and 7 rebounds.
YBA 55, Blue Collar Preps 23
YBA took it to a skilled but overmatched Blue Collar Preps 6th grade team. The team shared the ball, with no player taking more than 6 shots. Grady Collins led the balanced attack with 10 points, followed by Mitch with 9 and Jared Flowers rebounding from a tough start to record 8. Scott & Jackson had 4 steals each out of the team's total of 17.
Coach Shaw said, "We're getting better". He told the boys they need to increase their effort in Reno, though!
Player of the Tourney: Mitchell Holt (18 points, 23 boards, 7 blocks, 3 steals)
YBA 48, Hurricanes 32
The Dawgs couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in this one, shooting a season-low 30% from the field. They worked hard on the defensive end, generally limiting the Hurricanes to one contested shot per possession while blocking 5 shots. Garrett Kauppila played with his usual high energy level. The team also took good care of the ball with only 8 turnovers against 11 steals. Gavin Smith led the way with 11 points with Nicholas Clough and Jackson Sterling not far behind with 9 and 7, respectively. Mitchell Holt had a solid game down low with 5 points, 8 boards, and 3 blocks.
YBA 62, ABC Warriors 49
The team was pushed harder in the second game by the Warriors and their cat-quick point guard. After falling behind early, YBA fought back to trail by only 1 at the break despite another frigid shooting performance. The boys finally started to hit some shots in the 3rd quarter and took control of the game. They also did a better job containing penetration and forcing their opponents into difficult shots and passes, totaling 12 blocks for the game! Scott Zabrowski and Colin McHale did a good job running the team against an aggressive defense. Michael Beachley got hot to the tune of 22 points and swatted 7 shots for good measure. Nick contributed 12 points and 7 rebounds.
YBA 55, Blue Collar Preps 23
YBA took it to a skilled but overmatched Blue Collar Preps 6th grade team. The team shared the ball, with no player taking more than 6 shots. Grady Collins led the balanced attack with 10 points, followed by Mitch with 9 and Jared Flowers rebounding from a tough start to record 8. Scott & Jackson had 4 steals each out of the team's total of 17.
Coach Shaw said, "We're getting better". He told the boys they need to increase their effort in Reno, though!
Player of the Tourney: Mitchell Holt (18 points, 23 boards, 7 blocks, 3 steals)
6th Grade Blue
6th grade blue had a break in basketball this weekend to rest up for Reno! We did manage to get in our year end team party. SPECIAL THANK YOU to RIAR FARM for hosting a wonderful event. Thank you to our wonderful coaches, players, families and friends that have supported us this year! We will see you in RENO!
5th Grade Blue
Playing in our last tournament before Reno, the team wanted to come out strong.
First game: YBA 45 - Chico 23
The team came out flat this game, though managed to win the game. A strong effort on defense was the key. The team racked up 24 steals (5 by Alex Martinez, 4 a piece by Jashon Lewis and Bryson Zorich) and shut down the opposing team to come away with the win. Alex Martinez cleard the glass with 14 rebounds. Scoring was very balanced with Blake Pifer leading the way with 10 points (with 3 3pointers).
Second game: YBA 54 EDH 28
The team got to play at their "home court" (Hardwood) for the first time in a couple of weeks, and took full advantage of the place they call "home". With all around team play, the DAWGS were led by Joshua Ohara's hot shooting hand (17 points, 6-10 shooting, 3 3pointers), and Bryson Zorich's 8 assists. The "Thief of the Game" was Alex Martinez, who came up huge with 9 steals.
Championship Game: YBA 63 NorCal Thunder 47
Playing for the first time on the "Big Stage" (Court 1), the team played slightly timid in the first half. Turning up the defense in the second half, the DAWGS pulled away to take home the hardwood going into the Reno tournament. Jashon Lewis played a balanced game with 17 points, 7 assists and 7 steals. Ethan Wainwright played outstanding with 8 points, pulling down some key rebounds (7 boards), and Joshua Ohara led all scorers with 19 points on 7-11 shooting, with 3 3pointers. Dishing out the assists was Bryson Zorich with 7, with Alex Schneider and Blake Pifer also contributing big time to the win.
The "sharp shooter" award goes to Joshua Ohara who shot 50% for the tournament, hitting a total of 6 three pointers. The "Game Changer" award goes to Jashon Lewis who always comes up big for our team. And the "Most Outstanding" award goes to the entire team, as they demonstrated great teamwork and hustled the whole tournament.
Next up...Reno!
5th Grade White
The Team had a good weekend. We went 2 and 1 with us losing the Championship game by 2.
Coach Glen
Coach Glen
3rd Grade
Sunday, our boys played strong in our second game against a very tall, aggressive, and fast 4th grade Red Raider team. Even though our Dawgs were outrebounded in this game, our team held strong for the first three periods. Although we had defeated the Red Raiders once before 50-33, our boys fell just a few points short in this game in a small court 8. During the fourth period, our team gave it their best shot, but were outscored by the Red Raider's in the last period. I could see it in our Dawgs' faces that our Dawgs were moving fast, working hard, and giving their best shot to try to defeat the 4th grade Red Raiders again....but to no avail this time. Our team and coaches have no regrets.
Our second game on Sunday, we played the 4th grade EDH team. I watched EDH play the Red Raiders on the same day and knew that we would have our hands full when the EDH lost to Red Raiders in the last few seconds of that game. Once again, our Dawgs played three strong periods, but fell just a little short again in the last period due to just one too many turnovers to a fast and hard pressing EDH team on the small court 8. Our 3rd grade Dawgs had already defeated the 4th grade EDH once before so our coaches know that our Dawgs are very strong competitors.
Although our record was 1-2 this weekend, we are still very proud of our BIG little Dawgs. If you have not seen our 3rd grade Dawgs play before, you would be surprised how hard they work for such a young team and how well they all play. I would encourage you to take the time to watch them. I'm impressed by their perseverance over the weekend against all three teams. We had some periods where our Dawgs struggled in some areas, but the challenge was worth the time to help our Dawgs improve.
Coach Martinez
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
YBA Dawgs 1st Annual Coach's Game
Dawgs, have you ever wondered "coach sure seems to know a lot I wondered if he could play?" or " coach is always on me to use my left hand does he use his left hand when he plays?". Well it is time to find out.
Come out to Hardwood Palace on Sunday May 23rd at 7:00 pm to see how the games was played. Players this will also give you a chance to remind the coaches to hustle back on defense, block out their man, and to bump the cutter.
Announcing the YBA Dawgs First Annual Coach's Game.
Come out to Hardwood Palace on Sunday May 23rd at 7:00 pm to see how the games was played. Players this will also give you a chance to remind the coaches to hustle back on defense, block out their man, and to bump the cutter.
Coaches have promised not to wear their old school shorts!!!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Dawgs Weekly Trivia Questionnaire #4
Answer the following random questions, then email your answers to ybadawgpound@yahoo.com by Friday at 8pm each week. Please include your first and last name and the team you represent. The contestants who get all the answers correctly will be entered in a drawing to receive a $20 Starbucks giftcard! There will be one winner per week. Winners will be announced the following week. Have fun and good luck!
1) Name the 3 teams that the 4th grade team played.
2) Name the leading scorer in the game against the Phenoms from Garcia's 9th grade team.
3) Who did the JV Blue team play in their 1st game and who was named MVP in that game?
4) Name the players who the 5th grade blue coach named, "Mr. Intangible", "Mr. Clutch", and "Mr. Hustle".
5) Name the player who was the "top scorer" in the 3rd grade division
1) Name the 3 teams that the 4th grade team played.
2) Name the leading scorer in the game against the Phenoms from Garcia's 9th grade team.
3) Who did the JV Blue team play in their 1st game and who was named MVP in that game?
4) Name the players who the 5th grade blue coach named, "Mr. Intangible", "Mr. Clutch", and "Mr. Hustle".
5) Name the player who was the "top scorer" in the 3rd grade division
Winner and Answers from Week #3
Congratulations to last week's winner, Tye Lewis representing the 5th Grade Blue Team! See Ken for your $20 Starbucks card...
Here are the answers:
1) What was the average points scored in the 3 games that the YBA Blue 5th grade team this past Saturday?
73 points
2) Name the teams who took 1st place this past weekend.
Varsity Blue, 8th Blue, 7th Blue, 7th white, 5th Blue
3) Who did YBA 9th-Red play in their 2nd game and what was the final score?
Comets. YBA-53, Comets-36
4) How many players fouled out in the 7th grade White team's championship game?
2 players
5) Who was the "key scorer" in the 3rd grade YBA division?
Bennet
Here are the answers:
1) What was the average points scored in the 3 games that the YBA Blue 5th grade team this past Saturday?
73 points
2) Name the teams who took 1st place this past weekend.
Varsity Blue, 8th Blue, 7th Blue, 7th white, 5th Blue
3) Who did YBA 9th-Red play in their 2nd game and what was the final score?
Comets. YBA-53, Comets-36
4) How many players fouled out in the 7th grade White team's championship game?
2 players
5) Who was the "key scorer" in the 3rd grade YBA division?
Bennet
Varsity Black May 15-16
Playing only one game on Saturday, the varsity black team beat the Irish 60-49. Marcus Hendrick had a solid all around game grabbing every lose ball he could get. Colin Lee and Mark Burns also had good games with tremendous defensive effort to get the win. On Sunday, they played E-Time Hoops but unfortunately lost 38-54. Without Remi Barry or Aaron Hendricks, Cody Borst and John Davis stepped up huge kept YBA close in the first half. In their last game, they beat High Intensity 57-34. Aaron started off the game with a couple of three pointers which sparked Eric Gee to hit a few himself. Jose Rodriguez had a good game both offensively and defensively, getting steals and looking for the open man up the floor.
Varsity White
With one game on Saturday for the varsity white team, they beat Jackson All Stars 53-28. During this game, everyone played extremely well looking for the open man, not being selfish, and working together on defense to create more offensive looks. Jordan Broyles was a huge factor in setting the tempo of the game and helping in every way that he could. Austin Hightower helped out a ton in the post both on offense and defense. Starting off at nine on Sunday, they fell to the All Star Predators 27-48. Even though they had some trouble on the offensive end, they worked hard on defense with the help from Garrett Rodriguez and Derek Ainsworth hustling as much as they could. Tony Costa helped put points on the board and gets the open man a good look at the basket. In their next game, they lost to EDH Trojans 51-58. They put up a good fight with a ton of effort and played very well. Quincy Shelby and Colton Nelson controlled the tempo of the game and got good drives and looks at the basket. Bryson Bryant helped tremendous in the post grabbing the rebounds and getting the put backs.
JV Black
Record 21-2
The 16U Black put their undefeated record on the line this weekend when they stepped up a level and entered the Sacramento Area National Qualifier 17U tournament.
The team made it to Sunday’s finals and a match up with PHPS. The Black team came out strong taking an early lead. They ended the 1st quarter trailing 14-12. The 2nd quarter saw the Dawgs fall behind by 12 points before cutting the halftime lead to 8.
The 3rd period was more of the same as PHPS stretched their lead to 12. The young Dawgs stayed focused and made a nice run in the 4th period cutting the lead to 3 points before running out of gas. PHPS made their free throws down the stretch and held on for a double digit victory.
Playing in the 17U national qualifier was a great opportunity for the Dawgs. They showed great pride and character throughout the weekend and saw all 10 players contribute throughout the tournament.
The Dawgs have a week off before they enter another big challenge when they play in the 17U Rumble in the Bay.
The experience from this weekend should prove vital for the team’s success in the Rumble in the Bay.
The 16U Black put their undefeated record on the line this weekend when they stepped up a level and entered the Sacramento Area National Qualifier 17U tournament.
The team made it to Sunday’s finals and a match up with PHPS. The Black team came out strong taking an early lead. They ended the 1st quarter trailing 14-12. The 2nd quarter saw the Dawgs fall behind by 12 points before cutting the halftime lead to 8.
The 3rd period was more of the same as PHPS stretched their lead to 12. The young Dawgs stayed focused and made a nice run in the 4th period cutting the lead to 3 points before running out of gas. PHPS made their free throws down the stretch and held on for a double digit victory.
Playing in the 17U national qualifier was a great opportunity for the Dawgs. They showed great pride and character throughout the weekend and saw all 10 players contribute throughout the tournament.
The Dawgs have a week off before they enter another big challenge when they play in the 17U Rumble in the Bay.
The experience from this weekend should prove vital for the team’s success in the Rumble in the Bay.
JV Blue
The 16u Blue put their undefeated record on the line this weekend when they stepped up a level and entered the Sacramento Area National Qualifier 17U tournament.
The team made it to Sundays finals and a match up with PHPS. The Blue team came out strong taking an early lead. They ended the 1st quarter trailing 14-12. The 2nd quarter saw the Dawgs fall behind by 12
points before cutting the halftime lead to 8.
The 3 rd period was more of the same as PHPS stretched their lead to 12. The young dawgs stayed focused and made a nice run in the 4th period cutting the lead to 3 points before running out of gas. PHPS made their freethrows down the stretch and held on for a double digit victory.
Playing in the 17u national qualifier was a great opportunity for the Dawgs. They showed great pride and character throughout the weekend and saw all 10 players contribute throughout the tournament.
The Dawgs have a week off before they enter another big challenge when they play in the 17u Rumble in the Bay.
The experience from this weekend should prove vital for the teams success in the Rumble in the Bay.
The team made it to Sundays finals and a match up with PHPS. The Blue team came out strong taking an early lead. They ended the 1st quarter trailing 14-12. The 2nd quarter saw the Dawgs fall behind by 12
points before cutting the halftime lead to 8.
The 3 rd period was more of the same as PHPS stretched their lead to 12. The young dawgs stayed focused and made a nice run in the 4th period cutting the lead to 3 points before running out of gas. PHPS made their freethrows down the stretch and held on for a double digit victory.
Playing in the 17u national qualifier was a great opportunity for the Dawgs. They showed great pride and character throughout the weekend and saw all 10 players contribute throughout the tournament.
The Dawgs have a week off before they enter another big challenge when they play in the 17u Rumble in the Bay.
The experience from this weekend should prove vital for the teams success in the Rumble in the Bay.
JV Adam
This week we improved to 20-2 for the season with another tournament victory, this time in the Livermore Invitational in the bay area. We won all our games as a team by playing fast, aggressive, & unselfish. We were led in scoring by James, Kyle, David, & Luis. Our rebounding leaders were Andre & David. Leading the way in assists were Darrell, Nolan & Luis. Evan had a huge impact on the last 3 games including a step-back, dagger 3 pointer late in the 2nd game to squash a mini run late. Our press looked very good and we were clearly the highest tempo team there, despite the fact that we were not the most athletic team in our division. The average score this weekend was 65-47 including a 30 point Championship game win.
Game 1
YBA 73 Hurricanes 61
Summary: The toughest game of the weekend for us came early, as in our opening game on Saturday. We played a fast, athletic, veteran Tracy Hurricanes squad that did not want to lose. However despite their best efforts, we simply play at a faster speed than they are capable of playing with consistency. Our Defense was led by James with 7 steals and at least 15 deflections, overall the Defense was outstanding as 61 was the lowest point total of the weekend for them. James also led the way with 24 points, many on assists by Darrell who finished with 11. Kyle had a strong game with 17 including 3-5 behind the arc.
Defensive MVP: The whole team for committing to going 100% in our press
MVP: Big Game James
Game 2
YBA 64 Manteca 57
Summary: An absolute showcase of the momentum of the game of basketball. We started the game on a 10-0 run, led 19-4 and then endured a 19-5 run on us that brought it to 25-23 with 5 minutes left in the half. However a quick 6-0 run ended that stretch and put us in control and gave us momentum going into the half. Amazingly that is the closest we came to trailing all weekend! The game was a complete team effort as all 8 players contributed throughout the game, although none was bigger than Evan setting the pace within that 10- 0 start with 3 rebounds and 5 points.
Defensive MVP: Andre for his 13 rebounds
Team spirit: Luis
Game 3
YBA 48 Tracy 26
Summary: In a 9 AM yawner we came out flat and had to be woken up to get it going w/ a 12-4 run to give us the energy we needed. It was a game that was never in question as the other team was all freshmen. We played to prepare for the championship game which I think we did. Nolan, Luis, Kyle and David all had good games.
Defensive MVP: the 5 players on floor during the 25 second 10-0 run when they never got out of their back-court
Championship Game:
YBA 76 Hurricanes 44
Summary: Our best team game to date, everyone contributed and we rolled in a game that was over in the 1st 5 minutes. I couldn't have been more impressed with our effort and intensity level. Our intensity was fueled by Andre's grown man play down low and his 5(!) Steals (not bad for a 6'4 230 lb young man). He fired us up with his aggression and he yelled "Let's Go" and flexed coming to the sideline for a time out and scared at least ten people out of the gym! David was big with 15 points and aggressive full court Defense. Nolan had his best game of the season with great decision making, 2 big early 3s and a quality commitment to playing Defense. Luis had another big game playing well in all facets of the game. Kyle was lights out and was always in front of his man. Evan was in foul trouble but was by far the best half-court team defender when we was on the floor as he communicated excellently and battled two solid bigs to a stand still as they were non factors throughout, he also had the most box-outs (a stat that should be kept). Darrel was big as he almost had a double double with 9 points and 8 assists and his usual stat sheet stuffing. James was in his man's hip pocket all game and took command when we needed a bucket. I couldn't of been more pleased and gave my team their 1st day off all year, which is the 3rd day off I've given in 11 years of coaching. So they obviously earned it.
Defensive MVP: Evan
Tournament MVP: Andre, Darrell, David, Evan, James, Kyle, Luis, Nolan
Coach's Final Thoughts...
A weekend to remember as I got pistol whipped by Nolan during Lazer Tag, learned who snores, almost crashed twice in all YBA pile ups during Go Karts that left Evan backwards, and Darrell sideways before him (pretty interesting/scary since they both have licenses), and learned that we are a force to be reckoned with when we put the team ahead of our egos... I see progress every game and with all players. We are finally figuring out what I keep yelling about, that when we are 9 strong committed to winning and selfless we are unstoppable...
"Competitive Greatness: Being at your best when your best is required" whose quote is this? If my team knew who it was they would understand my madness I mean methods... Again 1st 3 players that answer will be glad. Till next week
Coach Adam
9th Grade Shaw/Driggs
Game 1 YBA 47 Central Coast 25
The team played well both on offense and defense. Matt Gruber led the way with 14 pts. The defense was led by Caspian Hamrick. Anthony Pederson also contributed on the offensive side.
Game 2 Predators 65 YBA 43
This was the best team we faced all season. Very quick and physical. Offensively the Dawgs were led by Caspian Hamrick and Dom Driggs.
Game 3 YBA 48 E-Time 46
This was the best game of the tournament. Our play was intense and aggressive. Matt Gruber had a double double with 17 pts. and 11 rebounds. Caspian contributed with 13 pts. This game would not have been won without great offensive and defensive contributions from the entire team.
Outstanding tournament for Matt and Caspian.
Byron Kaim
The team played well both on offense and defense. Matt Gruber led the way with 14 pts. The defense was led by Caspian Hamrick. Anthony Pederson also contributed on the offensive side.
Game 2 Predators 65 YBA 43
This was the best team we faced all season. Very quick and physical. Offensively the Dawgs were led by Caspian Hamrick and Dom Driggs.
Game 3 YBA 48 E-Time 46
This was the best game of the tournament. Our play was intense and aggressive. Matt Gruber had a double double with 17 pts. and 11 rebounds. Caspian contributed with 13 pts. This game would not have been won without great offensive and defensive contributions from the entire team.
Outstanding tournament for Matt and Caspian.
Byron Kaim
9th Grade Garcia
Game #1 Phenoms 33 YBA Garcia 24
Our first game Saturday morning was against the Phenoms. It was a low scoring game. We got off to a slow start and were down 10-3 at the end of the first quarter. The boys played hard, but could not close the gap in the score and we lost 33-24. Taylor Cherry was the scoring leader with 15 points and Jay Bennett and Spencer Gregg each had 5 rebounds.
Game #2 Sutter Dawgs 31 YBA Garcia 41
We played the Sutter Dawgs in our second game Saturday. We had a rough first quarter and were down 13-7. Our defense intensity picked up in the second quarter and our shots started to fall. The Sutter Dawgs scored 0 points in the second quarter. We were ahead 13-21 at the half. Our team had a strong second half and we won 31-41. Taylor Cherry led our scoring attack with 15 and Jeffrey Day (JR) had 8 rebounds.
Game #3 EDH Trojans 27 YBA Garcia 26
Our last game was against the EDH Trojans. This was a defensive battle and a low scoring game. We struggled at the free throw line hitting only 8 of 21. The entire game was back and forth, but we lost by 1 point. Cody Moffitt led us in scoring with 8 points and added 7 rebounds and Jeffrey Day (JR) also had 7 rebounds.
Our first game Saturday morning was against the Phenoms. It was a low scoring game. We got off to a slow start and were down 10-3 at the end of the first quarter. The boys played hard, but could not close the gap in the score and we lost 33-24. Taylor Cherry was the scoring leader with 15 points and Jay Bennett and Spencer Gregg each had 5 rebounds.
Game #2 Sutter Dawgs 31 YBA Garcia 41
We played the Sutter Dawgs in our second game Saturday. We had a rough first quarter and were down 13-7. Our defense intensity picked up in the second quarter and our shots started to fall. The Sutter Dawgs scored 0 points in the second quarter. We were ahead 13-21 at the half. Our team had a strong second half and we won 31-41. Taylor Cherry led our scoring attack with 15 and Jeffrey Day (JR) had 8 rebounds.
Game #3 EDH Trojans 27 YBA Garcia 26
Our last game was against the EDH Trojans. This was a defensive battle and a low scoring game. We struggled at the free throw line hitting only 8 of 21. The entire game was back and forth, but we lost by 1 point. Cody Moffitt led us in scoring with 8 points and added 7 rebounds and Jeffrey Day (JR) also had 7 rebounds.
8th Grade Blue
After "sleep walking" through our 9am game on Saturday and losing a game we should have won, the 8th grade Blue team recovered nicely with 2 strong wins. After beating the big and athletic Manteca Wildcats on Saturday afternoon, the guys rolled out of bed early Sunday morning for an 8am showdown with rival Del Oro. An exceptional full team effort on defense led to a great 5 point win to finish the weekend 2-1. Blake Abercrombie and Nick Howe did a great job defending former Dawg, Danny Becker, to key the victory on Sunday.
Kennan Bridge
Kennan Bridge
8th Grade White
The Dawgs faced the Davis Wildcats in their second game of the weekend. Once again, the Dawgs started quickly, jumping out to an 18-8 first quarter lead. They pushed it out to 40-15 at half with Will Greenwood hitting a 25 footer at the buzzer. They continued the pace in the third quarter, expanding their lead to 32 with Shayne Baynes hitting another basket as time expired for the quarter. Davis got hot in the fourth quarter but the Dawgs won comfortably 62-39. Top scorers were Shayne and Will with 12 each and Austin Marcus with 11 points. Justin Holmes and Grant McElvain ruled the glass with 7 and 6 rebounds respectively.
The final game of the weekend saw the Dawgs matched up with Team Sage “Foster.” A loud, boisterous crowd for both teams saw the Dawgs take a 9 point halftime lead. Sage gave the Dawgs a good test as the Dawg lead was 10 at the end of the third. The Dawgs put it away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Sage 16-8 to win by a final score of 55-37. Justin Holmes had a MONSTROUS game, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Joe Henry had an excellent game as well, scoring 8 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, getting 3 steals and one block. For the 3 games, “Big Joe” totaled 6 blocked shots. Luke Jordan added 11 points while Grant McElvain had four blocked shots against Sage.
Justin Kinney had an outstanding weekend as the team’s point guard, racking up assist after assist and getting the Dawgs into their offense. He also totaled 6 steals over the weekend. Joe Clark showed himself well in adapting to play the wing since the added height of the Dawg roster allows him to play a smaller position on the floor. Coach Ken Gee said after the weekend sweep, “The team gets better and better every week! Chemistry and teamwork is at an all time high!”
Mark Greenwood
7th Grade Blue
Both 7th grade teams played a higher level of competition this week, with the blue team entering 8th grade D2/D3 and the white team playing 7th grade D1. Each team went 2-1. White took 2nd place, and blue earned 3rd place.
The blue team lost a nail-biter in their first game, falling 47-46 against Del Oro Jr. Eagles Gold. It was a close, hard-fought battle throughout with neither team able to seize the advantage. Gavin Smith hit two clutch free throws late in the game to give YBA a one-point lead, but Del Oro went inside to their big man who came through with the game-winning basket with 5 seconds to play. Mike Beachley led the way with 15 points. Connor Milnes and Jackson Sterling chipped in with 6 points each, while Max O’Rourke added 5 including a key shot late that kept the Dawgs close. Nicholas Clough frequently penetrated the Eagle defense for 5 assists.
The second game was all YBA in a 56-27 victory over Davis Wildcats White. Our ball pressure ruled the day, with Nick once again harassing the opposing point guards into many mistakes and picking them clean for 6 steals. Garrett Kauppila also applied a lot of pressure on the point. A hot-shooting Grady Collins keyed the offensive outburst with 17 points, aided by Gavin with 11 and Mike and Nick with 9 apiece. Mitchell Holt gathered 9 rebounds and altered several shots.
YBA kept up the defense in the 3rd place game, beating Xtreme Hoops 54-19. Xtreme’s guards were subjected to the feared 1-3-1 Bull defense driven once again by Nick and Jackson, who combined for 7 steals and forced many errant passes. The whole team is really coming together in this area by playing with a lot of intensity and aggression and helping each other better. Jackson dominated the boards with 11 caroms. Grady stayed hot with 15 points, while Nick went for 13 points and 9 assists and Gavin added 10 points.
The team continues to move the ball very well in the open court and does a great job of finding the open man. If not for a lot of missed short shots in the first game, we would have played for the championship. Coach Shaw told the team it was a good weekend!
Defensive MVP: The entire team
Offensive co-MVPs: Grady (35 points), Mike (29 points), and Nick (26 points, 18 assists)
The blue team lost a nail-biter in their first game, falling 47-46 against Del Oro Jr. Eagles Gold. It was a close, hard-fought battle throughout with neither team able to seize the advantage. Gavin Smith hit two clutch free throws late in the game to give YBA a one-point lead, but Del Oro went inside to their big man who came through with the game-winning basket with 5 seconds to play. Mike Beachley led the way with 15 points. Connor Milnes and Jackson Sterling chipped in with 6 points each, while Max O’Rourke added 5 including a key shot late that kept the Dawgs close. Nicholas Clough frequently penetrated the Eagle defense for 5 assists.
The second game was all YBA in a 56-27 victory over Davis Wildcats White. Our ball pressure ruled the day, with Nick once again harassing the opposing point guards into many mistakes and picking them clean for 6 steals. Garrett Kauppila also applied a lot of pressure on the point. A hot-shooting Grady Collins keyed the offensive outburst with 17 points, aided by Gavin with 11 and Mike and Nick with 9 apiece. Mitchell Holt gathered 9 rebounds and altered several shots.
YBA kept up the defense in the 3rd place game, beating Xtreme Hoops 54-19. Xtreme’s guards were subjected to the feared 1-3-1 Bull defense driven once again by Nick and Jackson, who combined for 7 steals and forced many errant passes. The whole team is really coming together in this area by playing with a lot of intensity and aggression and helping each other better. Jackson dominated the boards with 11 caroms. Grady stayed hot with 15 points, while Nick went for 13 points and 9 assists and Gavin added 10 points.
The team continues to move the ball very well in the open court and does a great job of finding the open man. If not for a lot of missed short shots in the first game, we would have played for the championship. Coach Shaw told the team it was a good weekend!
Defensive MVP: The entire team
Offensive co-MVPs: Grady (35 points), Mike (29 points), and Nick (26 points, 18 assists)
7th Grade White
It was a birds and the bees weekend as the Dawgs took on the Redbirds, Eagles, and Yellow Jackets in the Tahoe Qualifier.
In the first game against the Redbirds, the Dawgs started off slow and found themselves looking up at the Redbirds flying high on the scoreboard. The human microwave Jared Flowers came in and heated up the scoreboard to get the Dawgs back into the game. Some strong defense and rebounding by Connor Milnes and key baskets by Colin McHale helped preserve the lead for a 43-40 win.
In the second game of the day, the Dawgs targeted the Eagles from the opening tip. Jaeden Calton, Max O'Rourke and Zac Chodes all hit the bulls eye as the Dawgs plucked the Eagles 53-29.
After learning about the birds it was time to see if we could swat the bees in the championship game. The Dawgs battled the Yellow Jackets in a very physical, fast-paced game. Colin Hawkins led the team in scoring, and Vance Gregg played some scrappy defense to bring the Dawgs within striking distance at the end of the game. Time ran out as the Yellow Jackets were able to fly off with a 31-28 win.
Overall the kids played great, and we are looking forward to taking this momentum to Reno in two weeks.
In the first game against the Redbirds, the Dawgs started off slow and found themselves looking up at the Redbirds flying high on the scoreboard. The human microwave Jared Flowers came in and heated up the scoreboard to get the Dawgs back into the game. Some strong defense and rebounding by Connor Milnes and key baskets by Colin McHale helped preserve the lead for a 43-40 win.
In the second game of the day, the Dawgs targeted the Eagles from the opening tip. Jaeden Calton, Max O'Rourke and Zac Chodes all hit the bulls eye as the Dawgs plucked the Eagles 53-29.
After learning about the birds it was time to see if we could swat the bees in the championship game. The Dawgs battled the Yellow Jackets in a very physical, fast-paced game. Colin Hawkins led the team in scoring, and Vance Gregg played some scrappy defense to bring the Dawgs within striking distance at the end of the game. Time ran out as the Yellow Jackets were able to fly off with a 31-28 win.
Overall the kids played great, and we are looking forward to taking this momentum to Reno in two weeks.
6th Grade Blue
Playing in our last tournament before heading to Reno we went two and one in a tough seventh grade division for a third place finish. The team has really come together and Reno should be very exciting. Darren brought his " A" game against the Yellow Jackets. Charlie, Kyle G and Sean played well all day. Sunday was a late game for only having one but the boys came together and got the job done. On Sunday Darren hit his first career THREE POINTER . Teamwork by JR, Kyle T, Wes, Marcus helped with the earned victory. Thanks to Noah for adding depth to the bench and contributing. See you Reno.
6th Grade White
The 6th Grade White team provided lots of excitement this weekend as they played the Manteca Wildcats, the All Star Predators Black team and the Xtreme Hoops team. The team played at Hardwood Palace on Saturday and easily won their first game 46 to 26 against the Wildcats. Elijah Winters was the top scorer with 8 points, with plenty of scoring by the whole team. Dom Pericin, Jack Kearns and Logan Echeveria also contributing with 7 points each. On Sunday the team played at Center High School and first faced a very tough All Star Predators Black team. A slow start and turn overs hurt the team as the Predators took advantage of the miscues and ultimately beat the team 52-34. Don't let the final score fool you into thinking it wasn't competitive as the team stayed within a few baskets until the very end of the game. Ask any parent who was there- there were a lot of hoarse voices. Great defense turned things around for the final game as the team beat the Xtreme Hoops team, 44-37. Logan Echeveria had a spectacular game with non stop contributions on both offense and defense. Jack took an amazing charge, rousing the crowd into a wild uproar. There is never a shortage of fan support for this team!
That's the main character of this team, they have heart. They never give up and they always have fun. All of these players have two things in common. They all love playing YBA basketball and they all enjoy the team camaraderie. This weekends tournament prepared the team well for the Reno Tournament by allowing the coaches and players to play the full spectrum of competitive levels. The bad news is the seasons is almost over, but the good news is this team has started to peak and the Reno Tournament is just two weeks away. Go 6th Grade White!!!!!!!
That's the main character of this team, they have heart. They never give up and they always have fun. All of these players have two things in common. They all love playing YBA basketball and they all enjoy the team camaraderie. This weekends tournament prepared the team well for the Reno Tournament by allowing the coaches and players to play the full spectrum of competitive levels. The bad news is the seasons is almost over, but the good news is this team has started to peak and the Reno Tournament is just two weeks away. Go 6th Grade White!!!!!!!
5th Blue
First Game vs. Rocktown Ballers(Blue Team)
Score: YBA 50 Rocktown 25
Facing a "cross town nemisis", the boys were ready to play. Ahead from the opening tip off, the boys played hard, tough defense and were able to put the Ballers away. With great games from Jashon Lewis (12 points, 6-8 shooting) and Alex Martinez (9 points, 10 rebounds) the team never took their foot off the gas. Alex Schneider shot 50% from the field and had 8 points,and the team had great help from both Jake Hernandez and Ethan Wainwright.
Second game vs. East Bay Legacy
Score: YBA 59 East Bay 52
This game was against a new team from the Bay Area (Oakland area), and were a mixture of 4th & 5th graders. Strong guard play, and early foul trouble by the DAWGS (both 4th graders) put the Legacy up 14-4 after the first quarter. The DAWGS were slow to get started and quickly found themselves in a hole. Down by as many as 12 in the first half, the DAWGS dug deep for some momentum. They found it in the second quarter by playing tough defense and rebounded the ball very well. Joshua Ohara hit a key three pointer with under a minute left in the half, and brought the DAWGS within six points. After some full court pressure, and a tipped pass by Blake Pifer, Joshua found himself with a steal. Dribbling to the same spot he just hit a three from, Joshua stepped up and hit another three with four seconds left, and put the DAWGS within three. After that momentum shift, the DAWGS played hard and hit key free throws in the closing seconds to clinch the game. Player of the game was Jashon Lewis (11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals), who played his heart out and led by example. Once the team "followed", they never looked back. "Mr. Clutch" of the game was Joshua Ohara (17 points, 3-3pointers), hitting the two three pointers at the end of the first half, and hitting free throws in the closing seconds to put the game on ice. "The Thief" title goes to Alex Martinez with eight steals, and the "Mr. Intangible" goes to Alex Schneider for doing the things that don't show up on a stat sheet. Bryson Zorich also had a solid game running the point and keeping the team composed. The team earned every bit of this win, over a very good, gritty East Bay team.
Championship Game vs. Spirt Got Game
Score: YBA 45 Spirit Got Game 49
The DAWGS played their hearts out in this game. Leading the entire way (by as much as 14 points), against a very skilled and quick SGG team, the DAWGS showed they can play with the best of them. The team had great ball movement, blocked out well, and hustled on every play. In the end, unfortuantely, it wasn't enough. The coach said "The boys have nothing to hang their heads for, we fought the whole game, and that's all I can ask for". Alex Martinez was the stat leader with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Bryson Zorich controlled the tempo and the team like a true leader, and Joshua Ohara showed his sharpshooting skills with 4 three pointers. The Mr. Hustle award goes to Jashon Lewis, who was all over the floor and did everything that didn't show up on the stat sheet.
Score: YBA 50 Rocktown 25
Facing a "cross town nemisis", the boys were ready to play. Ahead from the opening tip off, the boys played hard, tough defense and were able to put the Ballers away. With great games from Jashon Lewis (12 points, 6-8 shooting) and Alex Martinez (9 points, 10 rebounds) the team never took their foot off the gas. Alex Schneider shot 50% from the field and had 8 points,and the team had great help from both Jake Hernandez and Ethan Wainwright.
Second game vs. East Bay Legacy
Score: YBA 59 East Bay 52
This game was against a new team from the Bay Area (Oakland area), and were a mixture of 4th & 5th graders. Strong guard play, and early foul trouble by the DAWGS (both 4th graders) put the Legacy up 14-4 after the first quarter. The DAWGS were slow to get started and quickly found themselves in a hole. Down by as many as 12 in the first half, the DAWGS dug deep for some momentum. They found it in the second quarter by playing tough defense and rebounded the ball very well. Joshua Ohara hit a key three pointer with under a minute left in the half, and brought the DAWGS within six points. After some full court pressure, and a tipped pass by Blake Pifer, Joshua found himself with a steal. Dribbling to the same spot he just hit a three from, Joshua stepped up and hit another three with four seconds left, and put the DAWGS within three. After that momentum shift, the DAWGS played hard and hit key free throws in the closing seconds to clinch the game. Player of the game was Jashon Lewis (11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals), who played his heart out and led by example. Once the team "followed", they never looked back. "Mr. Clutch" of the game was Joshua Ohara (17 points, 3-3pointers), hitting the two three pointers at the end of the first half, and hitting free throws in the closing seconds to put the game on ice. "The Thief" title goes to Alex Martinez with eight steals, and the "Mr. Intangible" goes to Alex Schneider for doing the things that don't show up on a stat sheet. Bryson Zorich also had a solid game running the point and keeping the team composed. The team earned every bit of this win, over a very good, gritty East Bay team.
Championship Game vs. Spirt Got Game
Score: YBA 45 Spirit Got Game 49
The DAWGS played their hearts out in this game. Leading the entire way (by as much as 14 points), against a very skilled and quick SGG team, the DAWGS showed they can play with the best of them. The team had great ball movement, blocked out well, and hustled on every play. In the end, unfortuantely, it wasn't enough. The coach said "The boys have nothing to hang their heads for, we fought the whole game, and that's all I can ask for". Alex Martinez was the stat leader with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Bryson Zorich controlled the tempo and the team like a true leader, and Joshua Ohara showed his sharpshooting skills with 4 three pointers. The Mr. Hustle award goes to Jashon Lewis, who was all over the floor and did everything that didn't show up on the stat sheet.
5th White
This weekend the YBA White team went 0-3 but that was not indicative of the effort the boys gave. Being down with injuries we battled most of the games with 5 original players and one new player.
The first game was against Cal Reign and we got off to a very slow start, and never really got going till the last 4 minutes of the game. We lost by a few. The second game the boys played against a very aggressive Spirit Got Game. We led by a few in the first quarter and then lost our steam by the third quarter and lost by a few. All the six players played as hard as I have ever seem them play. I was proud on how the six of them took on a squad of 12.
The last game was the best of the three. We played our home town rivals Rocktown to lose by a few. The stand out player of the game was Blake Stelzer with lots of points and assists. Top rebounder of the first game was our new player Kazik Lewandowski. We were helped by Nick Ohler’s 3’s and Everett Libolt's defense and offense. Jeremy Lillis had his share of low post put ins and many shot blocks. Brendyn Ikeda added 10 points in the second game. Grant Harrison played bravely with two stitches and a splint on his left hand in the first game. Every one of the boys gave effort.
The first game was against Cal Reign and we got off to a very slow start, and never really got going till the last 4 minutes of the game. We lost by a few. The second game the boys played against a very aggressive Spirit Got Game. We led by a few in the first quarter and then lost our steam by the third quarter and lost by a few. All the six players played as hard as I have ever seem them play. I was proud on how the six of them took on a squad of 12.
The last game was the best of the three. We played our home town rivals Rocktown to lose by a few. The stand out player of the game was Blake Stelzer with lots of points and assists. Top rebounder of the first game was our new player Kazik Lewandowski. We were helped by Nick Ohler’s 3’s and Everett Libolt's defense and offense. Jeremy Lillis had his share of low post put ins and many shot blocks. Brendyn Ikeda added 10 points in the second game. Grant Harrison played bravely with two stitches and a splint on his left hand in the first game. Every one of the boys gave effort.
4th Grade
The YBA 4th grade team had an interesting weekend resulting in a 3-0 record and walking off the floor Sunday as Champions of their tournament. It started Saturday by playing Eldorado Hills in a very uneventful game. We have played them before and knew we were a much better team, but we don't ever take a team for granted. Our boys didn't and we won 49-8. It was a very balanced attack as all boys were equal contributors and everyone scored between 4 to 10 points. The emphasis was I don't care if we are down by 20 or up by 20, we play defense the same. We pulled back the offense and did not allow any fast breaks, but I was proud of the intensity and effort put forth.
Game 2 was against Spirit Got Game and we were really looking forward to this one. I have only seen their 5th grade and older teams play, but know they are a very good program and our boys were fired up to play them. We were disappointed to find the team they put on the floor was mostly 2nd and 3rd graders. Much like the first game we won 52-12 and our boys played outstanding defense and again all boys scored between 4 to 10 points apiece. Quite honestly we would rather had 2 tough games and maybe lost than to win games by 40 points. We wanted the challenge, but had not found it...yet...
Sunday afternoon the games were running behind and our boys were restless to play. We faced the Predators for the championship and saw that they beat Xtreme Hoops by 39 on Saturday. It can be difficult to win two games by 40, then play a really solid, intense and aggressive team the next day. We have never faced or seen this Predator team before and they were exactly what we thought they would be. It was intense from the tip-off and we were down 8-4 after the 1st quarter. Some of the boys were getting down, but we stayed focused and worked hard matching their intensity. At half the game was 10-9 them. This was a defensive battle, but it really was not sloppy, it was just two very good defensive teams going hard at each other. We were not as aggressive on the offensive side and some of the guys were not shooting when they had good looks, but we learned a lot about ourselves in this game. At the end of the 3rd quarter it was tied 17-17 and it was clear this was going to come down to the wire. The 4th quarter was again back and forth until we took a 5 point lead down the stretch. Carson March was clutch down the stretch as he ended up making 3 free throws in the 4th and made 6 of 8 for the day. The Predators would not go down easily as they pulled within 2 by making a 3 pointer in the last 30 seconds. We had a few fouls to give and mad it difficult for them to get any rhythm for a last shot. With 4 seconds left they inbounded the ball and launched a running 3 pointed that clanked off the back iron at the buzzer and we won 28-26!
This was a great win for our boys before Reno. Our 2 big men, Dawson Fugate and Ryan Smith played really big for us denying the high post feed and shutting down the inside with great defense and rebounding when we needed it. Carson led all scorers with 13 points, but the anchor of our team is defense and Ryan Haug and Justin Kraft led our team with outstanding man-to-man help and recover defense. Every one of our boys played their hearts out and were a big part of this victory.
Game 2 was against Spirit Got Game and we were really looking forward to this one. I have only seen their 5th grade and older teams play, but know they are a very good program and our boys were fired up to play them. We were disappointed to find the team they put on the floor was mostly 2nd and 3rd graders. Much like the first game we won 52-12 and our boys played outstanding defense and again all boys scored between 4 to 10 points apiece. Quite honestly we would rather had 2 tough games and maybe lost than to win games by 40 points. We wanted the challenge, but had not found it...yet...
Sunday afternoon the games were running behind and our boys were restless to play. We faced the Predators for the championship and saw that they beat Xtreme Hoops by 39 on Saturday. It can be difficult to win two games by 40, then play a really solid, intense and aggressive team the next day. We have never faced or seen this Predator team before and they were exactly what we thought they would be. It was intense from the tip-off and we were down 8-4 after the 1st quarter. Some of the boys were getting down, but we stayed focused and worked hard matching their intensity. At half the game was 10-9 them. This was a defensive battle, but it really was not sloppy, it was just two very good defensive teams going hard at each other. We were not as aggressive on the offensive side and some of the guys were not shooting when they had good looks, but we learned a lot about ourselves in this game. At the end of the 3rd quarter it was tied 17-17 and it was clear this was going to come down to the wire. The 4th quarter was again back and forth until we took a 5 point lead down the stretch. Carson March was clutch down the stretch as he ended up making 3 free throws in the 4th and made 6 of 8 for the day. The Predators would not go down easily as they pulled within 2 by making a 3 pointer in the last 30 seconds. We had a few fouls to give and mad it difficult for them to get any rhythm for a last shot. With 4 seconds left they inbounded the ball and launched a running 3 pointed that clanked off the back iron at the buzzer and we won 28-26!
This was a great win for our boys before Reno. Our 2 big men, Dawson Fugate and Ryan Smith played really big for us denying the high post feed and shutting down the inside with great defense and rebounding when we needed it. Carson led all scorers with 13 points, but the anchor of our team is defense and Ryan Haug and Justin Kraft led our team with outstanding man-to-man help and recover defense. Every one of our boys played their hearts out and were a big part of this victory.
3rd Grade
Our 3rd grade Dawgs had a successful weekend with a 2-1 record. Our defensive performance this weekend for our team was one of our best so far this season.
In our first game against the Predators, our boys played well and the game was actually closer than what the score reflects. Our Dawgs were pressured half court and fought hard against a strong defensive team to score. Our Dawgs also provided a strong full court press that was very difficult to break. The game was a low scoring game for both teams due to both teams giving 110% . Although we did not win, our Dawgs used the opportunity to learn from their mistakes........
Our second game, we defeated the Rocktown Ballers because our Dawgs remembered their previous game. What more can you ask from a nearly all 8 year old team to bounce back from a loss AND remember to correct their mistakes from the previous game. I am extremely impressed! This is another game in which the score does not really reflect how our boys played. We won by only one point, but our boys proved that our 3rd grade Dawgs were a much stronger team.
Our third game, our Dawgs defeated Spirit Got Game using a huge defensive attack from all sides. Our boys used their basketball experiences to run our offense much better also. In this game, we had some exceptional defensive play by Johnny Guzman, one of our newest players. Johnny was one of our top defenders moving his feet fast to steal pass after pass on the full court press. Josh Mack was on fire with his shooting. Josh was able to hit a three and other outside shots early in the game to help us take a big lead. Josh's "fire" was roaring, even when he was on the bench....I love it!
Overall, our team did very well. Our top scorer was Dante Pericin. Dante consistently does not let up on attacking offensively and is a great leader on the court also. Our top defender was Johnny Guzman using his speed and great hand eye coordination to get the steals. Without a doubt, all of our 3rd grade Dawgs provided a great team effort this weekend and had lots of fun....Then we ate cookies: )
In our first game against the Predators, our boys played well and the game was actually closer than what the score reflects. Our Dawgs were pressured half court and fought hard against a strong defensive team to score. Our Dawgs also provided a strong full court press that was very difficult to break. The game was a low scoring game for both teams due to both teams giving 110% . Although we did not win, our Dawgs used the opportunity to learn from their mistakes........
Our second game, we defeated the Rocktown Ballers because our Dawgs remembered their previous game. What more can you ask from a nearly all 8 year old team to bounce back from a loss AND remember to correct their mistakes from the previous game. I am extremely impressed! This is another game in which the score does not really reflect how our boys played. We won by only one point, but our boys proved that our 3rd grade Dawgs were a much stronger team.
Our third game, our Dawgs defeated Spirit Got Game using a huge defensive attack from all sides. Our boys used their basketball experiences to run our offense much better also. In this game, we had some exceptional defensive play by Johnny Guzman, one of our newest players. Johnny was one of our top defenders moving his feet fast to steal pass after pass on the full court press. Josh Mack was on fire with his shooting. Josh was able to hit a three and other outside shots early in the game to help us take a big lead. Josh's "fire" was roaring, even when he was on the bench....I love it!
Overall, our team did very well. Our top scorer was Dante Pericin. Dante consistently does not let up on attacking offensively and is a great leader on the court also. Our top defender was Johnny Guzman using his speed and great hand eye coordination to get the steals. Without a doubt, all of our 3rd grade Dawgs provided a great team effort this weekend and had lots of fun....Then we ate cookies: )
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