Welcome to the first issue of volume ten of Swish, a periodical with recaps and photos of Santa Monica YMCA youth basketball games, and other pertinent info such as announcements and updates from the program.
This Winter season, the Santa Monica YMCA has 5 divisions of youth basketball, with the Copper, Silver, and Gold divisions having 4 teamseach, and the Bronze and Platinum with 6 teams each.
We are a coed league with players that are ages 5 to 14. Our emphasis is that we are a developmental league, and we want the kids to not only enjoy playing youth sports, but to benefit from the three principles of the YMCA:
Youth Development, Social Responsibility, and Healthy Living.
We are partnered with the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation which provides jerseys, grants, and clinics to help develop our youth. We are ever grateful for their support of our program. Many thanks to the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation: Kiesha Nix, Kiley Sensi, Richard Harris, and Jeanie Buss for helping us become the premier youth basketball program on the Westside.
The theme of the season is past and current women’s professional basketball teams. Our youth basketball program is coed, and the girls have shown that not only can they compete with the boys, they can teach the boys a thing or two, especially with skills and teamwork. We are very proud of all the girls in our program because they do their best and always listen to their coaches.
SCRIMMAGE WEEKEND
Copper
Justice vs Wings
Coach Ben Ketai will be coaching the Justice this season, as his son Jonas returns to play in the program. The Wings will have a duo coaching tandem of Alemayehu “Alex” Tilahun and AJ Kothari with their sons Matthew and Bodhi respectively.
Shock vs Aces
The Shock will be led by Nicholas Walker who returns to coaching in the Copper division. The Aces will have the return of Noah Verleun to coach his son Soren, and newcomer Deonte Henderson to help out.
Bronze
Fever vs Fillies
The Fever see a return to coaching from Jeff Epstein to help his daughter Katarina, and new coach George Edelman with his son Theodore on the team. The Fillies are coached by longtime coach to our program, Doug Trussler with his son Howie on the team.
Starzz vs Storm
The Starzz have new coach Darko Dogic who has brought excitement and energy to the league as he coaches his son Lucas, and will be assisted by his nephew Danilo Samardzija. The Storm have Daniel Schneider coming back for his second season of coaching, moving up from Copper to help guide his son Aidan and his friends.
Sol vs Diamonds
The Sol features the dynamic duo of previous championship coaches Karim Mikhail and Armando Gonzalez as they coach their sons Gabriel and Pablo and all their buddies. The Diamonds have longtime coach Craig Pariser as he helps his daughter Mai Ly and her friends develop into better players and enjoy the game of basketball.
Silver
Sting vs Blaze
Darko Dogic does double duty as he will coach his second team in the league, as his son Lucas will play in two divisions and Danilo Samardzija will continue to assist in the coaching duties. The Blaze sees the return of legendary coach Brent Stoll and his son Brayden who is a player alum of our program, but is now coaching with his dad.
Liberty vs Metros
Fresh off a Silver division championship last season, Pete Harris returns with his son Oliver on the team, to lead the Liberty. The Metros also feature a championship coach from last season, Jeff Boesiger who won the Bronze division, and has now moved up with his MVP son James. Jeff will be assisted by newcomer Matt Covington who has brought his talented son Henry to the league.
Gold
Hustle vs Power
Hustle coaches Karim Mikhail and Armando Gonzalez do double duty by now coaching together a second team with their sons Michael and Diego. Coach Kevin Pollard is back for a second season to bring his brand of enthusiasm and energy to the league, as he coaches the Power.
Mystics vs Pride
Dan Miller returns to the program to help his son Ellis and other boys and girls to succeed on the Mystics. The Pride features my ever faithful assistant Nicholas Walker as he coaches his second team in the league. Nicholas Walker has a podcast “Dribblin with Nick” that you can find all five episodes on YouTube. Please check it out, it is fun for the whole family to watch and learn how to improve your basketball game and get a little history of great players of the past.
Platinum
Blizzard vs Majesty
Tima Bell now has the pleasure of coaching both his boys Theo and Jack on the Blizzard. Coach of the Year, Brian Phelan will be coaching his son Jack, and being assisted by young energetic Lowell Deanas the guide the Majesty.
Wranglers vs Legacy
The tandem of Josh Wakefield and Craig Pariser will coach the Wranglers as they lasso their sons Jarvis and Cam. Meanwhile, the Legacy brings back coach Sean Broihier after a three year absence to help his son Landon and all his friends. Sean will also be assisted by Tony McLaurin whose son Noah is one of our all time favorite players in the history of our league.
Rockers vs Comets
Coach Bill Kravitz will be rocking, as the Rockers will feature some veterans and newcomers to the league, and of course his son Dylan who can explode for three point barrages at any time. The Comets have David Cappiccille coaching fresh after winning a Platinum division championship last season with his MVP son Parker.
SAT 1/21/23
Bronze
Starzz vs Storm
First regular season game of the season was a great one as both teams stayed close throughout the match. The first half was a defensive struggle as many new players needed to figure out how an actual game works. The Starzz took a one point lead at halftime with a basket each by Lucas Dogic and Niam Pahwa. Ray Song had a bucket and Alex Blondheim made a free throw to keep the Storm within a point at halftime. In the second half, the scoring picked up, as Lucas Alemayehu scored all of the points for the Storm as he had 9, and Rome Ricks and Tyler Enayati grabbed multiple rebounds. Jack Haot helped the Storm stay close, as he made a couple of steals and blocks. But the Starzz got enough points from Nanda Aysola, Nora Neff, and Player of the Game, Lucas Dogic, to hold on to victory. Krishna Aysola and Tomas Leblond were solid on defense for the Starzz to help prevent a late comeback by the Storm.
Fever vs Sol
A defensive struggle in the first half with only a basket by Beau Ellis-Farr and a free throw by Pablo Gonzalez to give the Sol enough light to take a narrow halftime lead. In the second half, the more experienced players on the Sol took advantage by getting three more baskets by Player of the Game, Beau Ellis-Farr, and a basket each by Charlie Kalmbach, Gabriel Mikhail, and Buck Jacobs to have a big lead. The Fever started their scoring in the second half as Alice Roberts had three points, and Alden Wong had a bucket. The Fever had strong performances by Baran Dahukey, Theodore Wdelman, and Katarina Epstein, as they grabbed rebounds to help keep their team in it.
Diamonds vs Fillies
The Diamonds had balanced scoring from 5 players which included Player of the Game Zacharia Negusse, Decker Amos, Liana Enayati, and Levi Lapierre to help their team build a big lead through the first 3 quarters. The Fillies were able to shut out the Diamonds in the 4th quarter and had baskets from James Canniffe and Howie Trussler.
Gold
Pride vs Hustle
This match was close in the first half, as the Pride were led in scoring with AJ Evans having 10 points, Jason Haynes with 3, Kayhler Tomlinson with a free throw, and Ming Zhu with a deuce. But Louis Meehan-Smith started the game off hot, as he hit three baskets in a row, and Michael Mikhail had 12 first half points. In the second half, the Pride pressed hard, but the Hustle were able to hustle around the press, and got huge critical bucket by Player of the Game, Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos who had all 8 of his points in the final minutes, and teammates Jared Garibay, Kendrick Chavez, and Diego Gonzalez each had a basket to give the Hustle the victory. Strong performances were had by Pride players Ming Zhu who added two more buckets in the second half, Isaac Lynn with a bucket, and Yisaac Tariku with 4 points. Mia Kondvatyeva had a nice first game debut performance to help her team, the Pride.
SCRIMMAGE WEEKEND
Copper
Justice vs Wings
Coach Ben Ketai will be coaching the Justice this season, as his son Jonas returns to play in the program. The Wings will have a duo coaching tandem of Alemayehu “Alex” Tilahun and AJ Kothari with their sons Matthew and Bodhi respectively.
Shock vs Aces
The Shock will be led by Nicholas Walker who returns to coaching in the Copper division. The Aces will have the return of Noah Verleun to coach his son Soren, and newcomer Deonte Henderson to help out.
Bronze
Fever vs Fillies
The Fever see a return to coaching from Jeff Epstein to help his daughter Katarina, and new coach George Edelman with his son Theodore on the team. The Fillies are coached by longtime coach to our program, Doug Trussler with his son Howie on the team.
Starzz vs Storm
The Starzz have new coach Darko Dogic who has brought excitement and energy to the league as he coaches his son Lucas, and will be assisted by his nephew Danilo Samardzija. The Storm have Daniel Schneider coming back for his second season of coaching, moving up from Copper to help guide his son Aidan and his friends.
Sol vs Diamonds
The Sol features the dynamic duo of previous championship coaches Karim Mikhail and Armando Gonzalez as they coach their sons Gabriel and Pablo and all their buddies. The Diamonds have longtime coach Craig Pariser as he helps his daughter Mai Ly and her friends develop into better players and enjoy the game of basketball.
Silver
Sting vs Blaze
Darko Dogic does double duty as he will coach his second team in the league, as his son Lucas will play in two divisions and Danilo Samardzija will continue to assist in the coaching duties. The Blaze sees the return of legendary coach Brent Stoll and his son Brayden who is a player alum of our program, but is now coaching with his dad.
Liberty vs Metros
Fresh off a Silver division championship last season, Pete Harris returns with his son Oliver on the team, to lead the Liberty. The Metros also feature a championship coach from last season, Jeff Boesiger who won the Bronze division, and has now moved up with his MVP son James. Jeff will be assisted by newcomer Matt Covington who has brought his talented son Henry to the league.
Gold
Hustle vs Power
Hustle coaches Karim Mikhail and Armando Gonzalez do double duty by now coaching together a second team with their sons Michael and Diego. Coach Kevin Pollard is back for a second season to bring his brand of enthusiasm and energy to the league, as he coaches the Power.
Mystics vs Pride
Dan Miller returns to the program to help his son Ellis and other boys and girls to succeed on the Mystics. The Pride features my ever faithful assistant Nicholas Walker as he coaches his second team in the league. Nicholas Walker has a podcast “Dribblin with Nick” that you can find all five episodes on YouTube. Please check it out, it is fun for the whole family to watch and learn how to improve your basketball game and get a little history of great players of the past.
Platinum
Blizzard vs Majesty
Tima Bell now has the pleasure of coaching both his boys Theo and Jack on the Blizzard. Coach of the Year, Brian Phelan will be coaching his son Jack, and being assisted by young energetic Lowell Deanas the guide the Majesty.
Wranglers vs Legacy
The tandem of Josh Wakefield and Craig Pariser will coach the Wranglers as they lasso their sons Jarvis and Cam. Meanwhile, the Legacy brings back coach Sean Broihier after a three year absence to help his son Landon and all his friends. Sean will also be assisted by Tony McLaurin whose son Noah is one of our all time favorite players in the history of our league.
Rockers vs Comets
Coach Bill Kravitz will be rocking, as the Rockers will feature some veterans and newcomers to the league, and of course his son Dylan who can explode for three point barrages at any time. The Comets have David Cappiccille coaching fresh after winning a Platinum division championship last season with his MVP son Parker.
SAT 1/21/23
Bronze
Starzz vs Storm
First regular season game of the season was a great one as both teams stayed close throughout the match. The first half was a defensive struggle as many new players needed to figure out how an actual game works. The Starzz took a one point lead at halftime with a basket each by Lucas Dogic and Niam Pahwa. Ray Song had a bucket and Alex Blondheim made a free throw to keep the Storm within a point at halftime. In the second half, the scoring picked up, as Lucas Alemayehu scored all of the points for the Storm as he had 9, and Rome Ricks and Tyler Enayati grabbed multiple rebounds. Jack Haot helped the Storm stay close, as he made a couple of steals and blocks. But the Starzz got enough points from Nanda Aysola, Nora Neff, and Player of the Game, Lucas Dogic, to hold on to victory. Krishna Aysola and Tomas Leblond were solid on defense for the Starzz to help prevent a late comeback by the Storm.
Fever vs Sol
A defensive struggle in the first half with only a basket by Beau Ellis-Farr and a free throw by Pablo Gonzalez to give the Sol enough light to take a narrow halftime lead. In the second half, the more experienced players on the Sol took advantage by getting three more baskets by Player of the Game, Beau Ellis-Farr, and a basket each by Charlie Kalmbach, Gabriel Mikhail, and Buck Jacobs to have a big lead. The Fever started their scoring in the second half as Alice Roberts had three points, and Alden Wong had a bucket. The Fever had strong performances by Baran Dahukey, Theodore Wdelman, and Katarina Epstein, as they grabbed rebounds to help keep their team in it.
Diamonds vs Fillies
The Diamonds had balanced scoring from 5 players which included Player of the Game Zacharia Negusse, Decker Amos, Liana Enayati, and Levi Lapierre to help their team build a big lead through the first 3 quarters. The Fillies were able to shut out the Diamonds in the 4th quarter and had baskets from James Canniffe and Howie Trussler.
Gold
Pride vs Hustle
This match was close in the first half, as the Pride were led in scoring with AJ Evans having 10 points, Jason Haynes with 3, Kayhler Tomlinson with a free throw, and Ming Zhu with a deuce. But Louis Meehan-Smith started the game off hot, as he hit three baskets in a row, and Michael Mikhail had 12 first half points. In the second half, the Pride pressed hard, but the Hustle were able to hustle around the press, and got huge critical bucket by Player of the Game, Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos who had all 8 of his points in the final minutes, and teammates Jared Garibay, Kendrick Chavez, and Diego Gonzalez each had a basket to give the Hustle the victory. Strong performances were had by Pride players Ming Zhu who added two more buckets in the second half, Isaac Lynn with a bucket, and Yisaac Tariku with 4 points. Mia Kondvatyeva had a nice first game debut performance to help her team, the Pride.
Mystics vs Power
The Mystics were able to have their big man and Player of the Game, Leo Epstein, dominating the rebounds and points scored for the team, but also getting help from sharpshooters Ellis Miller and Ibrahim Ally. Kay Roberts and Dominic Drew anchored the defense for the Mystics. The Power were led in scoring by Declan Wong, and had major scoring contributions from Kenzo Lowrey and Brandon Israels, as Luca Samson helped to get steals and rebounds.
Platinum
Blizzard vs Comets
Jack Bell was the high scorer for the game, and his brother Theo added a couple baskets to keep the Blizzard close, but the Comets had all around solid play from Parker Cappiccille with his points and rebounds, and huge scoring in the second half from Hunter Esposito-Doi who also assisted teammate Max Baracy on all his points. The Blizzard had additional scoring from the crossover moves of Yafet Desta, and put backs from River Zelenovic. The Comets had additional scoring from Ben Steelman, Cassius Taylor, and Matteo Tinti.
SUN 1/22/23
Copper
Aces vs Wings
It was time for the young ones to take the court as our youngest division had their regular season debut. The Wings came out flying high as they took a big early first half lead with baskets from Player of the Game Jhanov Srinivasan and Bodhi Kothari to go up 12-0. However, the Aces would tie it around in the second half, as Soren Verleun and Oscar Vidger were making all the baskets and the Aces were tied with the Wings going into the final minute. With about 30 seconds left, the Wings Bodhi Kothari made a basket, and the Aces came down to get a shooter fouled, but the shooter was only able to convert one of the two free throws to come up a point short; however, everyone was happy for a fun exciting game!
The Wings had fine defensive performances by Beck Britto, Oliver Farrar, and Greyson Lovett. The Aces May Zachary was impressive in her debut.
Justice vs Shock
The Justice jumped to a big lead in part to scoring from Player of the Game Jonas Ketai, Manu Mota, and Knox Jeffers. Teammates Miles Bitar and Lincoln Sheng grabbed rebounds for the Justice. The Shock got all their scoring from Theo Stele who made all 6 of his points in the second half.
Silver
Liberty vs Sting
The first ten minutes of this match was dominated by the Liberty with baskets from Conrad DiMauro, Ross Nelson, Andrey Sterlyagov, and Linus Verleun.
The Sting started to claw their way back on two baskets from Liam Broihier, and then took a small lead in the second half on a basket by Nadir Nasr and Luca Tinti, and a “3” by Mika Stele. The Liberty were able to tie on a bucket by Jason Gaines, and the score remained tied at the end. Strong performances were displayed by Liberty Tucker Gissendanner and Sting Kaya Dahukey
Blaze vs Metros
This game was a one man show, featuring the debut of Henry Covington, who scored all 32 points for the Metros!! However, it helped that teammate Betanya Desta grabbed multiple rebounds to get the ball to Henry. The Blaze leading scorer was Xavier Allen, and they got a basket each from John Von Oeyen and Sean Dobbs to the delight of the crowd.
Platinum
Wranglers vs Majesty
This match featured the debut of Keen Nikkel who was the leading scorer for the Wranglers, and had two big “3”s in the second half to lead his team to victory, but he had help from teammates Cam Pariser and James Petrovich who aided in the scoring column. The Majesty had standout games from Isley Williams, Ethan Schwartz, Kaleab Seyum, Jack Phalen, and Rowan Booher that all provided points and rebounds to keep the game close, but in the end, strong defensive performances by the Wranglers Amir Enayati, Caden Feradouni, Dakota Hoefner, and Jarvis Wakefield to help keep the Majesty from coming back.
Legacy vs Rockers
The Legacy had an early lead thanks to baskets by Dagmawi Ayele, Landon Broihier, Noah Michael, and Kai Halpert; but, the Rockers got rolling with baskets by Nahum Negusse, Sam McGowan, Sasha Peterson, and three “3” pointers in a span of two minutes by Dylan Kravitz to give the Rockers a commanding halftime lead. In the second half, the Legacy started mounting a comeback as Kai Halpert had three quick put back buckets, and Ryan Chambers nailed a couple of three-pointers. But the Rockers were getting key rebounds from Gabriel Chibane who found Player of the Game Azariah Gebeyehu open for crucial baskets including two three pointers in the final minutes to ensure the victory for the Rockers.
SAT 1/28/23
Copper
Justice vs Aces
It looked as if the Justice would prevail, as they took a halftime lead on 5 points from Player of the Game, Knox Jeffers, and a basket from Jonas Ketai. the Aces had 3 first half points from Soren Verleun. In the second half, the Aces mounted a comeback with 5 more points from Soren Verleun, 2 points from William Holt, and 4 points from Oscar Vidger, along with strong defense from Emma Holt to get their team closer, but the Justice did eventually prevail, as Jonas Ketai had 6 key points in the fourth quarter, and Nina Ketkar, Beckett Mauck, Manu Mota, and Lincoln Sheng all played strong defense to hold off the Aces.
Shock vs Wings
The Wings were flying in the first half on baskets from Player of the Game Oscar Ferrar, Bodhi Kothari, and Jhanov Srinivasan. The Shock started to pick it up in the second half, as Theo Stele scored all 10 of their points as teammates Jaxton Stengel, Owen Mitchell, and Killian Georgaris provided rebounds to aid their team. The Wings were able to hold on to victory with steals from Greyson Lovett and Lachlan Canniffe.
Silver
Sting vs Metros
The Sting took a halftime lead on the strength of strong defense by Liam Broihier and Lucas Dogic, and 3 baskets by Kaya Dahukey and Nadir Nasr, and a perfect 2 for 2 from the free throw line by Jeffrey Records. In the second half, the Metros came out strong with two baskets in the third quarter by Player of the Game Betanya Desta and a basket for teammate Henry Fyda. In the final minutes of the game, the lead went back and forth as baskets were being exchanged between Mika Stele of the Sting, and Henry Covington of the Metros as the lead went back and forth. The Sting Luca Tinti went 2 for 2 from the charity stripe to give his team a narrow lead. With 30 seconds left, Henry Covington drove to the basket and got an “And 1”(made basket with a foul), and made the free throw. The Sting attempted a last second shot that fell just short, but can hold their heads high having played a great game. The Metros James Boesiger played excellent defense, as well as Oliver Lynn of the Sting.
Gold
Pride vs Power
The Pride Isaac Lynn had a first half for the ages, as he scored in double digits to give his team a commanding halftime lead, with help from teammates Yisaac Tariku and AJ Evans. The first half scoring for the Power came from Noah Hagooli Bolaños and Radin Taherian. In the second half, the Pride toughened up their defense with Kayhler Tomlinson, Mia Konratyeva, and Ethan Konratyev tying up the ball and grabbing rebounds. The Power got more scoring from Noah Hagooli Bolaños, Kenzo Lowrey, and Radin Taherian, along with steals from Luca Hayutin, Spencer Nelson, and Luca Samson to bring the Power closer. However, the Pride got key baskets from Jason Haynes, Ming Zhu, and Player of the Game Isaac Lynn to hold onto victory.
Platinum
Rockers vs Comets
By far, the best game of the weekend, as two undefeated teams met each other. The Comets had a solid game from Parker Cappiccille and Hunter Esposito-Doi who led their team in scoring, and were aided by points from Cassius Taylor and Matthew Scholze, along with rebounds from Max Baracy. The Rockers had four “3” pointers from Azariah Gebeyehu in the first half, but no “”3” was more important than the one hit at the halftime buzzer by Player of the Game, Danilo Samardzija who nailed it from way downtown. In the second half, the Rockers had scoring from Gabriel Chibane, Dylan Kravitz, Nahum Negusse, and Sasha Peterson, as the game went back and forth. In the end the Rockers prevailed by a mere 3 points, to which can be credited to the amazing halftime buzzer beater by Danilo.
Majesty vs Blizzard
The Majesty had balanced scoring with three players in double digit scoring: Razz Lee, Jack Phalen, and Player of the Game Isley Williams. The Majesty had Rowan Booher, Kaleab Seyum, Christian Ferew, and TJ Turner in the scoring column, as Asher Zaczepinski and Adonyinas Yonas tightened up the defense. The Blizzard featured the talented dribbling skills of the youngest player in the Platinum division, Theo Bell, who swerved in and out of defenders with crossovers and spin moves on the dribble. Jack Bell led the Blizzard in scoring, and London Coleman and Yafet Desta had a couple buckets each, and Silas Hansson scored his first ever YMCA basket. The Blizzard got a basket each from Toby Nasimov and River Zelenovic.
SUN 1/29/23
Bronze
Fillies vs Fever
The Fever started hot with scoring from Baran Dahukey, Declan Wong, and Alice Roberts to shut out the Fillies in the first quarter. However, the Fillies were able to get it going in the second quarter, thanks in part to the sharp shooting of Dylan Hancock, who scored all the Fillies points in the second quarter, and had the most points for the game, and was able to help his team come from behind and pull ahead in the second half for good. The Fever had quality games from Julia Browning and Theodore Edelman and the Fillies with only six players played a well rounded game with Logan Barnett adding a basket, and Asher Harris, Odin Giantz, Luca Sidenstein, and Howie Trussler holding down the fort to ensure the victory.
Storm vs Diamonds
The Storm came storming out of the gate as player of the game Jaxon Silverstein scored multiple baskets, aided by teammates Lucas Alemayehu, and Ray Song. The Diamonds did mount a second half comeback as Liana Enayati had a couple baskets and Elliot Sheng added three points. Also for the Diamonds, Levi Lapierre had a basket and James Hosdale made a free throw.
Sol vs Starzz
It looked in the first half, the Starzz might be able to win this game on the strength of points from Lucas Dogic and a basket by Krishna Aysola and his brother Nanda added a free throw, but the Sol began to make a comeback in the second half, as they got a basket from Charlie Kalmbach, Gabriel Mikhail, and Beau Ellis Farr. Then towards the end, two key baskets were made by Player of the Game Buck Jacobs to give the Sol a one point victory. Julian Horne, and Teo Escalante were able to hold off the Starzz from making a comeback. The Starzz had excellent play on defense from Tomas Leblond.
Silver
Liberty vs Blaze
The Liberty got out to an early lead and never looked back with baskets by Conrad DiMauro, Linus Verleun, and Oliver Harris. But the star for the Liberty was Player of the Game Jason Gaines as he had a game high 16 points. The Blaze had double digit scoring from Xavier Allen, and 2 baskets from Mariella Belew. The Blaze got additional scoring from Sean Dobbs, Finn Purdy, and John Von Oeyen. The Liberty had Ross Nelson and Andrey Sterlyagov get into the scoring column.
Gold
Hustle vs Mystics
Louis Meehan Smith and Player of the Game Michael Mikhail helped the Hustle build a big first half lead with multiple baskets. The Hustle got good performances by Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos and Aidan Hill to toughen up the defense. The Mystics were led in scoring by Ellis Miller who had four three-pointers, and baskets by Kay Roberts, Taha Tourah, and Ibrahim Ally to bring the game closer; however, the Hustle got key baskets from Austin Bernier and Harlan Mansfield to ensure the victory.Platinum
Legacy vs Wranglers
The Legacy were in search of their first victory of the season, and things were looking good as Dagmawi Ayele and Player of the Game Ryan Chambers used their inside and outside game to score layups and hit “3”s. The Legacy was further helped by the strong play of Liam Broihier and Noah Michael scoring multiple points. The Wranglers played stronger in the second half with Keen Nikkel driving to the basket and blocking shots, James Petrovich with three “3-pointers”, Cam Pariser with a couple of swish shot floaters, and Jarvis Wakefield scoring 4 field goals. However, the Legacy tandem of James Cook and Kai Halpert played strong in the second half with points, assists, and rebounds to maintain their team’s lead as they were victorious.
Other players to make the scoring column were the Legacy Felix Allen and Josh Weil, and the Wranglers Amir Enayati, Dakota Hoefner, and Ilan Larsen.
SAT 2/4/23
Bronze
Storm vs Sol
This was a battle of two of the top teams in the Bronze division. The scorer was tied after the first quarter on a basket from Alex Blondheim of the Storm, and a basket from Gabriel Mikhail of the Sol. In the second quarter, the Sol Gabriel Mikhail kept his hot shooting going with two more baskets, and his teammate got down and dirty to pick up a rebound to put it in the hoop; but, the Storm came storming back with 3 quick baskets by Lucas Alemayehu to tie the game at halftime. By the end of the third quarter, Player of the Game Alex Blondheim helped the Storm obtain a narrow lead with another basket and grabbing multiple rebounds. The Storm had a scoring explosion from Jason Silverstein who scored 8 second half points, and his teammate Rome Ricks added a basket in the fourth quarter to help the Storm to victory. The Sol got a basket from Julian Horne, and strong play from Stella Jura, Pablo Gonzalez, and Teo Escalante. The Storm had strong defensive rebounding from Jack Haot and Ray Song.
Starzz vs Fillies
Strong team play by the Starzz was on display as multiple players had points in the first half that included Krishna Aysola, Lucas Dogic, Niam Pahwa, Jake Cahoon, and Player of the Game Nora Neff who also led the game in assists. The Fillies had strong defensive performances by Dylan Hancock, Asher Harris, Rohan Jailty-Pratyoosh, Bodie Miller, and Howie Trussler. The Fillies were able to get on the board in the second half as Logan Barnett made a bucket. The Starzz got additional scoring from Nanda Aysola and Jake Cahoon in the fourth quarter, and teammates Barrett “Baer” Loubek and Frida Garcia had strong defense to help the Starzz go on to victory.
Fever vs Diamonds
The Diamonds were rough on the Fever in the first thru third quarter, as Diamonds Player of the Game Decker Amos scored multiple baskets, and teammates Liana Enayati, Levi Lapierre, Mai Ly Pariser, Elliot Sheng, and Keanu Lowrey all had baskets. But the Fever got hotter in the fourth quarter and got buckets from Theodore Edelman, Katarina Epstein, and Stanislau Shizhenka. The Diamonds Qiao Ren and the Fever Alice Roberts each led their team in rebounds.
Silver
Metros vs Liberty
The first half was slow getting going with only 3 points scored by the Metros with James Boesiger and Henry Covington doing the scoring, but James Boesiger added a couple of buckets in the second half. The Liberty had greater success with scoring throughout the game as Player of the Game Jason Gaines scored in double digits, and the Liberty got baskets from Arya Nawathe, Ross Nelson, Peter Rodrick, Andrey Sterlyagov, and Ryan Yousefi. The Metros got strong defensive play from Redeat Gebeyehu and Betanya Desta, and the Liberty had steals from Linus Verleun.
Gold
Hustle vs Power
This game stayed relatively close through the first half as the Hustle had balanced scoring from 5 of their players: Michael Mikhail, Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos, Diego Gonzalez, Harlan Mansfield, and Player of the Game Louis Meehan Smith. The Power had first half scoring from Rayan Chibane, Brandon Israels, and Alden Wong who continued to lead all scorers as he scored more points in the second half to lead all scorers in the game. The Hustle hung on to victory with the help of two baskets by Kendrick Chavez and a perfect 2 for 2 from the charity stripe by Diego Gonzalez. The Power had additional scoring from Luca Hayutin and Kenzo Lowrey who also led the game in rebounds.
Platinum
Rockers vs Wranglers
Two teams that scrimmage each other during the week, met for when it matters more. The Rockers got rolling early with a big first half lead, on points from Gabriel Chibane, Nahum Negusse, Sasha Peterson, Sam McGowan, Dylan Kravitz, Danilo Samardzija, and Sasha Peterson. The Rockers looked as if they were going to trounce the Wranglers, but then, the Wranglers made their comeback. Basketball is a game of momentum changes and runs, and no run became more pronounced then the Wranglers going on a huge run toward the end of the first half. Even though the Wranglers were short handed, they decided to full court press the Rockers, and this rocked the boat, causing the Rockers to commit multiple turnovers, leading to easy buckets by Caden Feradouni, Cam Pariser, Joseph Zak, Jarvis Wakefield, Amir Enayati, and Player of the Game Justin Tun. By the time the second half was halfway through, the Wranglers had flipped the script, and turned a huge deficit into an insurmountable lead and never looked back. The Rockers did get a bucket and strong defensive play in the second half from Raif-Henok Kendrick.
Photo by Darko Dogic
SUN 2/5/23
Copper
Justice vs Wings
Two undefeated teams faced off in the morning opener on this Sunday. The Wings could get flying in the first half thanks to the tough defense of the Justice with Brooks Carey, Nina Ketkar, Safi Pages and Lincoln Sheng holding the Wings at bay. The second half saw the Wings tie the game in the third quarter on 3 quick buckets by Jhanov Srinivasan. The Wings also got scoring from Bodhi Kothari and strong defense from the Farrar brothers, Oscar and Oliver. The Wings Greyson Lovett led the Wings in steals. But, the Justice got a hug fourth quarter scoring surge from Jonas Ketai, and a crucial bucket in the final minute by Player of the Game Miles Kitar to help their team prevail.
Aces vs Shock
Both teams were looking for their first victory. This was a defensive struggle in the first half, as deuces were wild and we had a 2-2 tie at the half with a basket from Shock Theo Stele and Aces William Holt. The second half saw more scoring from the Aces with Soren Verleun and Oscar Vigder, and a scoring explosion from Player of the Game William Holt who was stealing the ball and dribbling down the court while giggling with glee and never losing his smile as he drove it to rim and led all scorers with his driving layups. The Shock had an impressive game from Jordan Martin who made his YMCA debut grabbing the most rebounds.
Silver
Blaze vs Sting
The Blaze had all their scoring from Xavier Allen, but did have strong performances by Mariella Belew and Jon Von Oeyen, but the Sting were stronger with multiple baskets by Nadir Nasr, a deep “3” from Player of the Game Mika Stele, and basket each from Lucas Dogic and Liam Broihier, along with tough defense by Luca Tinti and Oliver Lynn.
Gold
Mystics vs Pride
The Pride jumped out to a big lead thanks in part to Player of the Game AJ Evans scoring 15 of his game high 25 points in the first half, as teammate Jason Haynes sank a couple of “treys”. The Mystics had Leo Epstein leading the game in rebounds, three baskets from Taha Tourah, a basket each from MIa Petrigliano and Azumi Nomoto, and a free throw made by Dominic Drew. The Pride had a basket each from Iwa Hashim and Mia Kondratyeva, and great defense from Kayhler Tomlinson.
Platinum
Blizzard vs Legacy
With coach Tima Bell unable to attend the game, and his son Theo out due to a hand injury. The Blizzard were coached by the young Theo Bell with Nicholas Walker assisting. The Blizzard fell down early, but kept clawing back on the strength of Jack Bell being the leading scorer and rebounder for the game with a 20-20 performance, in other words, 20 points and 20 rebounds. The Blizzard had additional baskets from London Coleman and Toby Nasimov. The Legacy had 8 of their 10 players score points, most notably a “3” from Felix Allen, 2 baskets from Josh Weil, and 2 second half buckets from Landon Broihier. As the second half tightened up on two beautiful swish three-pointers by the Blizzard River Zelenovic, the guard play of the Legacy James Cook and Player of the Game Noah McLaurin helped to right the ship on course for victory for the Legacy.
Comets vs Majesty
This game had a first half that points were hard to come by, as both teams combined for 1 for 15 from the free throw line in the first half, with crazy eights for the score at the end of the first half, 8 to 8. The Majesty Razz Lee was the high scorer for the game. The Comets were able to break through in the second half with steals and points from Matthew Scholze, points from Parker Cappiccille, and a strong performance from Player of the Game, Jake Montanez who helped the Comets to victory.
SAT 2/11/23
Copper
Wings vs Aces
The first half was low scoring as many players may have not awakened yet from such an early game, as the only points came from the Wings Jhanov Srinivasan and the Aces Oscar Vidger and Soren Verleun.
The second half saw more scoring as the Aces got more points including a crucial basket by William Homt in the fourth quarter. The Wings had a free throw made by Oscar Farrar and solid defense from Bodhi Kothari. But the Aces were too strong as Player of the Game Oscar Vidger added several baskets, and May Zachary and Emma Haot played outstanding defense to lead their team to victory.
Shock vs Justice
This game was close through the first quarter but eventually the Justice prevailed; however, several Shock players got their first baskets this season, which included Jaxton Stengel, Ashton Dhaka, and Noah Kim who also had an “And 1”. The Shock also were led in rebounds by Killian Georgaris, and Theo Stele had a nice bucket. The Justice had strong defensive performances from Miles Bitar, Nina Ketkar, Manu Mota, Lincoln Sheng, and Player of the Game Beckett Mauck, while Jonas Ketai and Knox Jeffers each had double digit scoring.
Silver
Sting vs Liberty
This was a match that yours truly had to referee, it was a defensive struggle throughout, but the Liberty got scoring from Oliver Harris, Arya Nawathe, and Andrey Sterlyagov. The Sting had scoring from Nadim Nasr, Itamar Yurman, Luca Tintie, and Player of the Game Mika Stele. The Liberty held the Sting to only 9 total points on good defense from Conrad DiMauro, Ross Nelson, and Linus Verleun. However, the Sting held the Liberty to 7 points on great defense from Nadir Nasr with help from Oliver Lynn to escape with a narrow victory.
Metros vs Blaze
An upset seemed to be brewing as the Blaze got an early lead on baskets from Xavier Allen and Mariella Belew, but the Metros were able to tie the game up at halftime with a basket by Dylan Jackson and scoring from He Ty Covington. The second half was all Metros as Player of the Game Henry Fyda made crucial steals and a basket late to give the Metros the victory. The Metros Henry Kendall also scored a crucial basket late to help his team to victory. Betanya Desta led the Metros in rebounds, and her teammate James Boesiger led the Meteos in steals. The Blaze rebound leader was Sean Dobbs who continues to be the most improved player in the silver division.
Gold
Hustle vs Pride
Both teams were down players, but this game was close from start to finish. The first half was a struggle to get points, because strong defense was being played by both sides. The second half saw more points being scored, and as the game wound down the action went back-and-forth between who would get the last shot, and which team would prevail. AJ Evans scored all the points for the Pride, and Kayhler Tomlinson and Ming Zhu led the Pride in steals, as the twins MIa and Ethan Kondvatyev led the game in rebounds, and Kudus Dagnew played tough to keep the Pride close. The Hustle were led in scoring by Louis Meehan Smith, but late baskets from Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos and Player of the Game Austin Bernier helped the Hustle eek out a close win. Strong play from Harlan Mansfield, Jarec Garibay, and Aiden Hill also helped the Hustle obtain the victory.
Power vs Mystics
Last game of the day was the best game of the day, as the Mystics took an eleven point lead at halftime on the strength of 8 points by Ellis Miller, and 6 points each from Leo Epstein and Kay Roberts. But the Power didn’t give up, as they made a comeback in the second half with Noah Hagooli scoring 8 points in the second half, Alden Wong reaching double digits in scoring along with his teammate and Player of the Game Kenzo Lowrey. The Mystics kept pace with buckets from Ibrahim Ally and Abdullah Jooma, as teammate Mia Petrigliano grabbed rebounds. But the Power would not be denied, and strong defense with steals from Rayan Chibane, a bucket each from Luca Samson and Brandon Israels late in the game, gave their team the narrow victory.
SUN 2/12/23
Bronze
Diamonds vs Starzz
Photo by Valerie Rokhlin
Super Bowl Sunday kicked off with a good competitive game that saw the Diamonds take an early lead on baskets by Decker Amos and Elliot Sheng, but the Starzz came back to take a lead at halftime on field goals by Lucas Dogic, Nanda Aysola, and Player of the Game Jake Cahoon. In the second half, the Diamonds got additional buckets from Secker Amos and James Hosdale, as teammates Mai Ly Pariser, Qiao Ren, and Levi Lapierre grabbed rebounds, but the Starzz held on with steals from Nora Neff and tough defense from Frida Garcia.
Fillies vs Sol
The Sol was burning with points from Beau Ellis Farr, Buck Jacobs, and Player of the Game Teo Escalante. The Fillies got scoring from Logan Barnett, and good defense from Bodie Miller and Asher Harris, but the Sol was hot as Charlie Kalmbach, Marcel Jimenez, and Gabriel Mikhail helped stabilize the Fillies.
Fever vs Storm
The Fever was hot with shooting as they got an early lead with baskets by Theodore Edelman, Alice Roberts, Declan Wong, and Stanislau Zhizhanka; however, the Storm came back as Lucas Alemayehu, Jaxon Silverstein, and co-players of the game, Ray Song and Alex Blondheim had multiple baskets and rebounds. The Storm solidified their defense with Rome Ricks and Jack Haot being rebound leaders for the game. The Fever had a nice performance from Julia Browning as she led her team in rebounds.
MON 2/13/23
Platinum
Blizzard vs Wranglers
The first half was back and forth with many lead changes. Keen Nikkel and Justin Tun led the way for the Wranglers. The Bell brothers, Jack and Theo, led the way for the Blizzard. Jack had 8 points and Theo hit a big “3”. In the second half, the Wranglers Keen Nikkel and Justin Tun were just too much for the Blizzard to handle, as they combined for 25 points. The Blizzard Yafet Desta came to life with 8 points, and London Coleman and Mesalay Benyam scored 2 points each to keep the score relatively close. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Legacy vs Comets
The first half was very competitive. The Legacy got points from four different players: Dagmawi Ayeles scored 6, Ryan Chambers had 5, and Felix Allen and Landon Broihier had 2 each. The Comets were led by Matthew Scholze with 9 first half points, Parker Cappiccille had 5, and Ben Steelman had 4. In the second half, the Comets got points from 6 different players, led by Parker Cappiccille with 8, and Hunter Esposito, Matthew Scholze, and Matteo Tinti had 4 points each, as teammates Max Baracy and Jake Montanez had 2 points each. For the Legacy, five players contributed to the scoring: Noah Michael had 8, Ryan Chambers had 7, Noah McLaurin had 3, and Landon Broihier added a 3-pointer, with Dagmawi Ayele rounding out the scoring with 2 points, keeping the Legacy close. However, the Comets pulled the game out late. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Majesty vs Rockers
In a post Super Bowl matchup for a Monday night game, the Rockers took on the Majesty. The Majesty took a commanding halftime lead with Isely Williams leading the way with 9 points, Adonyinas Yonas hit a “3”, and Rowan Booher, Christian Ferew, Jack Phalen, and Ethan Schwartz with 2 points each. For the Rockers, Sam McGowan had 6 points, and Danilo Samardzija added 3 points. In the second half, the Rockers came roaring back, as Danilo Samardzija scored a huge 10 points, and Dylan Kravitz and Sasha Peterson hit big 3-pointers, while Sam McGowan and Gabriel Chibane had a basket each. The Majesty was able to hold off the surge, as Isley Williams scored 6 more points, and Christian Ferew, Jack Phelan, and Ethan Schwartz each scored 2 points. The Majesty was able to clinch the game on a 3-pointer from Kaleab Seyum. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Copper
Wings vs Shock
The Shock are searching for their first victory, but unfortunately it would not come today, but the Shock had strong debut performances by the sister and brother tandem of Ghalia and Muhammed Ferchichi, and a basket by Jaxton Stengel, along with strong defense from Owen Mitchell. The Wings got all their scoring from Player of the Game Bodhi Kothari, and strong defensive performances from Beck Britto, Oliver Farrar, Greyson Lovett, and Luke Sarley to lead their team to victory.
Bronze
Storm vs Starzz
It was a battle of first place teams, with defensive struggle throughout the first half as the score remained tied at halftime at 2 points for each team. Scoring picked up in the second half, especially for the Starzz, as Jake Cahoon, Lucas Dogic, and Player of the Game Tomas Leblond scored in the half. The Storm had baskets from Rex Bullette and Ray Song. The Starzz held onto the victory thanks to strong defense by Nora Neff, Niam Pahwa. Barret “Baer” Loubek, and Ruth Tariku.
Fever vs Fillies
The Fever were in search of their first victory of the season, and it was looking good when the Fever took a narrow halftime lead on baskets by Theodore Edelman and Declan Wong. The Fillies had a first half basket from Bodie Miller. The Fever began to pull away in the second half as Player of the Game Declan Wong scored 6 points on three consecutive shots, and Stanslau Zhizhenka had a crucial fourth quarter bucket to give the Fever a good lead in the final minutes of the game. The Fillies go another bucket from Logan Barret, and solid defense from James Canniffe and Fletcher Lurie. But, the Fever countered with Alice Roberts, Grayson Mitchell, and Shanta Vora making key steals to ensure the first victory for the Fever.
Silver
Metros vs Sting
The Metros hosted the Sting in what turned out to be a fantastic Silver division game. The first half started out with low scoring, as James Boesiger had 5 points and Liam Desante scored 2 points for the Metros total first half scoring. For the Sting, Lucas Dogic had 4 points and Oliver Lynn had 2 points. In the second half, things definitely heated up. The Metros James Boesiger scored 11 points, and teammates Betanya Desta scored 5 points, and Redeat Gebeyehu added a bucket. For the Sting, Lucas Dogic had 10 points, and teammate Jake Cahoon scored 2 points. The Sting had a small lead in the final minute, but the game was tied when James Boesiger was fouled making the basket, and converted the “And 1” free throw. Final result was a 24-24 tie. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Blaze vs Liberty
Mariella Belew was the leading scorer for the Blaze with 7 points, and teammate Finn Purdy had a basket, along with strong defense by Mac McKillop. The Liberty were led in Scoring by Jason Gaines with 14 points, 6 points from Arya Nawathe, and 4 each from Oliver Harris and Peter Rodrick, and a basket each from Andrey Sterlyagov and Linus Verleun. The Liberty rebound leader was Ross Nelson.
Gold
Power vs Pride
The Power seem to have a habit of late game comebacks, and this is becoming a hard habit to break for the other teams in the Gold division. The Pride built a halftime lead on scoring from AJ Evans, Iwa Hashim, Isaac Lynn, and Ming Zhu. But the second half was “Comeback time” for the Power as Alden Wong led all game scorers with 12 points, and Brandon Israels had 4 points, and Noah Hagooli Bolanos had 3 points, but it was key rebounds, steals, and baskets by Player of the Game Luca Samson that gave the comeback victory again for the second week in a row. The Pride rebound leader was Mia Kondvatgev. The Power had a strong defensive performance from Spencer Nelson who prevented the Pride from penetrating the lane, denying any opportunities to score points.
SUN 2/19/23
Copper
Aces vs Justice
The undefeated Justice were looking to stay unbeaten, and took an early lead on baskets by Jonas Ketai who did all the scoring for his team. The Aces were able to tie it up at halftime on baskets by Oscar Vigder and Player of the Game Soren Verleun. In the second half, the Justice got steals from Miles Bitar, and strong defense from Manu Mota and Lincoln Sheng. The Aces were able to pull away thanks to a strong third quarter by William Holt who had all 8 of his points in the quarter, and additional baskets in the fourth quarter by Oscar Vigder and Soren Verleun to win the game.
Bronze
Sol vs Diamonds
A tight contest from start to finish, the first half was tough defense for the Sol by Teo Escalante, Julian Horne, Aiden Yousefi and Charlie Kalmbach. The Diamonds took a narrow halftime lead on a bucket from Levi Lapierre, and good defense by Elliot Sheng and Mai Ly Pariser. The second half was a back and forth affair, as the Diamonds Liana Enayati, Decker Amos, and Keanu Lowrey each had a basket. But the Sol pulled out the narrow victory with points from Beau Ellis-Farr and two critical buckets by Player of the Game, Pablo Gonzalez. The Sol had an outstanding defensive performance by Gabriel Mikhail as he led his team in rebounds.
Gold
Mystics vs Hustle
The Mystics were missing key players and made the best of it, Ellis Miller led the scoring for the Mystics, Abdullah Jooma had a bucket, and Dominic Drew led the game in assists. The Hustle had balanced scoring from multiple players with Diego Gonzalez, Austin Bernier, Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos, Rohham Taherian, and Jarec Garibay making the scoring column. The Mystics had strong defensive performances from Mia Petrifliano who led the game in rebounds, and Ibrahim Ally and Azumi Nomoto provided tough defense. The Hustle had standout defense from Aidan Hill, Harlan Mansfield, and Kendrick Chavez
Platinum
Wranglers vs Comets
The Wranglers jumped out to a big first half lead, as Justin Tun scored 10 points, Keen Nikkel scored 8, and Amir Enayati and Cam Pariser scored 2 points each. The Comets had Max Baracy, Parker Cappiccille, Jake Montanex, Matthew Scholze, Ben Steelman, and Cassius Taylor score 2 points each. In the second half, The Wranglers Keen Nikkel added 6 points, Player of the Game Cam Pariser scored 5 key points to go along with his amazing playmaking ability, and Caden Feradouni also scored a bucket to hold off the Comets comeback which was led by Parker Cappiccille with 10 points, Matthew Scholze with 6, Rayan Etemadnia with 5, and Jake Montanez and Cassius Taylor with 2 each. However, it was not quite enough to overcome the Wranglers early big lead. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Rockers vs Blizzard
The Blizzard were in search of their first victory of the season, could it happen today? It was looking good when the Blizzard got a big early lead on baskets by Yafet Desta and River Zelenovic. But the Rockers came rolling back as Sam McGowan, Nahum Negusse, and Raif-Henok Kendrick made buckets and free throws to start catching up. As the first half continued, the Rockers got a “3” from Azariah Gebeyehu and basket by Gabriel Chibane to get even closer, but the Blizzard countered with Jack Bell heating up with multiple baskets, and two field goals by London Coleman to keep a narrow halftime lead.
As the second half started, the Rockers took the lead on two quick swish three-pointers by Dylan Kravitz, and Danilo Samardzija started getting into the scoring column, and Gabriel Chibane and Azariah Gebeyehu each nailed a “trey”. But the Blizzard wouldn’t be denied as Toby Nasimov started the scoring for the Blizzard in the second half, and teammate London Coleman made free throws, tough defense from Silas Hansson and Mesalay Benyam, and finally Player of the Game, River Zelenovic, had his best game of his YMCA career by making 5 three-pointers in the game, four of them in the final minutes of the game to lead all scorers with 19 points, and give the Blizzard their first victory of the season.
Majesty vs Legacy
The Majesty took on the Legacy in a classic Platinum division battle. The Majesty jumped out to a first half lead, with Rowan Booher and Razz Lee scoring 6 points each, and Jack Pahlen and Isley Williams scoring 4 points each. For the Legacy, Ryan Chambers hit two 3-pointers, Dagmawi Ayele hit a 3-pointer, Josh Weil had 4 points, and Noah Michael had a bucket. In the second half, the Legacy had the momentum on their side thanks to Ryan Chambers, who hit two more “3”s, and two regular baskets to tally 10 second half points, as Legacy teammates Felix Allen, Kai Halpert, and Noah Michael scored 2 points each to take the lead. Just at if looked hopeless for the Majesty, Razz Lee scored 5 points in the final minutes, and TJ Turner drove the lane to put in a backboard shot with the buzzer sounding, to tie the game. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
This Issue’s Profile
Each issue, Swish has a profile of a coach, player, or someone in the program who inspires all of us involved in Santa Monica YMCA youth basketball.
This issue’s profile is of longtime player to our program, Danilo Samardzija. Danilo is currently a player in the Platinum division, junior referee for the Copper division, and an assistant coach for teams in the Bronze and Silver divisions.
Danilo started his playing career years ago, and made an immediate impact by being on a championship team in his first season, and moved up to the top division in just a few seasons. Danilo has been an All First team player in the Platinum division since we restarted the youth basketball program in the Spring of last year.
Danilo is well liked by all his teammates because he gives encouragement and advice to other players to help give them more confidence and improve their skills. Danilo is currently assisting his uncle Darko with coaching teams in the Bronze and Silver divisions which both feature his cousin Lucas.
Danilo always gives back to the YMCA with his time and dedication, but also, he is motivated to improve his skills and knowledge of the game. Not a day goes by when I’m in my office and I can look out and see him practicing by himself, playing pickup with other members, or helping out younger players in the gymnasium.
I asked Danilo a few questions for the Swish:
DocDrew: What is your favorite thing about youth basketball at the Santa Monica YMCA?
Danilo: I enjoy playing basketball with friends at practices and games. My favorite part is being able to play with friends who are at different skill sets. That’s what keeps it so interesting.
DocDrew: Who is your favorite player, and why?
Danilo: Stephen Curry. I think he has great energy on the court and I have learned a lot from watching him play in NBA games.
DocDrew: What hobbies or activities do you like to do?
Danilo: My favorite activity is playing and watching basketball. Other hobbies include going to basketball and soccer games, collecting sports cards, and building custom keyboards.
It is players such as Danilo and his family that help to keep our program strong, and we can’t thank them enough for all that they have done to promote and support our program of youth basketball at the Santa Monica Family YMCA.
Scores
SAT 1/21/23 WEEKEND #1
Bronze
Starzz 16, Storm 12
Fever 5, Sol 15
Diamonds 21, Fillies 4
Gold
Pride 30, Hustle 45
Mystics 44, Power 29
Platinum
Blizzard 31, Comets 42
SUN 1/22/23
Copper
Aces 17, Wings 18
Justice 16, Shock 6
Silver
Liberty 11, Sting 11
Blaze 10, Metros 32
Platinum
Wranglers 32, Majesty 22
Legacy 42, Rockers 55
SAT 1/28/23 WEEKEND #2
Copper
Justice 16, Aces 14
Shock 10, Wings 16
Silver
Sting 22, Metros 24
Gold
Pride 28, Power 18
Platinum
Rockers 39, Comets 36
Majesty 52, Blizzard 26
SUN 1/29/23
Bronze
Fillies 13, Fever 9
Storm 23, Diamonds 10
Sol 10, Starzz 9
Silver
Liberty 39, Blaze 20
Gold
Hustle 36, Mystics 23
Platinum
Legacy 52, Wranglers 38
SAT 2/4/23 Weekend #3
Bronze
Storm 20, Sol 14
Starzz 17, Fillies 2
Fever 10, Diamonds 26
Silver
Metros 8, Liberty 22
Gold
Hustle 31, Power 24
Platinum
Rockers 44, Wranglers 62
SUN 2/5/23
Copper
Justice 20, Wings 12
Aces 14, Shock 4
Silver
Blaze 8, Sting 17
Gold
Mystics 26, Pride 39
Platinum
Blizzard 35, Legacy 40
Comets 31, Majesty 18
SAT 2/11/23 Weekend #4
Copper
Wings 5, Aces 14
Shock 11, Justice 25
Silver
Sting 9, Liberty 7
Metros 30, Blaze 14
Gold
Hustle 14, Pride 11
Power 33, Mystics 32
SUN 2/12/23
Bronze
Diamonds 8, Starzz 12
Fillies 1, Sol 16
Fever 14, Storm 28
MON 2/13/23
Platinum
Blizzard 30, Wranglers 41
Legacy 38, Comets 42
Majesty 31, Rockers 29
SAT 2/18/23 Weekend #5
Copper
Wings 13, Shock 2
Bronze
Storm 4, Starzz 14
Fever 12, Fillies 5
Silver
Metros 24, Sting 24
Blaze 11, Liberty 32
Gold
Power 23, Pride 20
SUN 2/19/23
Copper
Aces 32, Justice 20
Bronze
Sol 9, Diamonds 8
Gold
Mystics 9, Hustle 48
Platinum
Wranglers 45, Comets 37
Rockers 46, Blizzard 49
Majesty 31, Legacy 31
Standings:
Teams are awarded 5 points for a win, 3 points for a tie, 1 point for a loss, 0 points for a forfeit. Tournament games have greater point value. Teams are listed in their place in the standings with W-L-T and team points.
Copper:
Justice 4-1-0, 21 points
Aces 3-2-0, 17 points
(1-1-0 vs Justice)
Wings 3-2-0, 17 points
(0-1-0 vs Justice)
Shock 0-5-0, 5 points
Bronze:
Sol 4-1-0, 21 points
(1-0-0 vs Starzz)
Starzz 4-1-0, 21 points
Storm 3-2-0, 17 points
Diamonds 2-3-0, 13 points
Fever 1-4-0, 9 points
Fillies 1-4-0, 9 points
Silver:
Liberty 3-1-1, 19 points
(Liberty 1-0-0 vs Metros)
Metros 3-1-1, 19 points
Sting 2-1-2, 17 points
Blaze 0-5-0, 5 points
Gold:
Hustle 5-0-0, 25 points
Power 2-3-0, 13 points
Pride 2-3-0, 13 points
Mystics 1-4-0, 9 points
Platinum:
Wranglers 4-1-0, 21 points
Comets 3-2-0, 17 points
Legacy 2-2-1, 15 points
(1-0-0 vs Wranglers)
Majesty 2-2-1, 15 points
(0-1-0 vs Wranglers)
Rockers 2-3-0, 13 points
Blizzard 1-4-0, 9 points
Nicholas Walker and Dr. Paul Drew. Photo by Darko Dogic
Thank you very much, to all the coaches, parents, players, referees, and my assistant Nicholas Walker.
Special thanks to the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation for partnering with the Santa MonIca Family YMCA youth basketball program.
Dr. Paul Drew, youth basketball coordinator at the Santa Monica Family YMCA, editor and publisher of Swish
