Welcome to the second issue of volume fifteen of Swish, a periodical with recaps and photos of Santa Monica Family YMCA youth basketball games, and other pertinent info such as announcements and updates from the program.
This Spring season, the Santa Monica Family YMCA had 5 divisions of youth basketball, with the Copper division having 4 teams, the Bronze division with 6 teams, and the Silver, Gold, and Platinum division with 5 teams each.
We are a coed league with players that are ages 5 to 15. 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 and Jeanie Buss for helping us become the premier youth basketball program on the Westside.
It was a fun and exciting season in which many kids scored their first baskets, made new friends, and enjoyed being part of a team.
For the theme of this season’s team names, we are honoring the “World’s Oldest Professional Basketball League”, the Continental Basketball Association.
SAT 6/8/24 WEEKEND #6
Copper
Wildcatters vs Patroons
The Wildcatters struck first with bank shots from Grayson Wells, Owen Wang, and Josephine Carey. Then the Pattoons got all their 10 first half points in the second quarter from Ashley Neff, to take the lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Vivienne Lapierre looped in a shot for the Patroons, and Owen Wang had a basket for the Wildcatters. In the fourth quarter, the Patroons Player of the Game-Ezra Efiom grabbed big rebounds, and Rhys Amis made a couple of steals to give to teammates to score. The Wildcatters caught up to tie the match towards the end as Isabelle Ma made a basket, and Player of the Game-Penelope Johnson scored two key hoops, to have a “Kiss your sister” to end the match.
Skyforce vs Barons
Galiel Sarfati got the scoring going for the Barons with a first quarter basket on a jumping floater; then Zayden Rashid had 13 first half points, Kosmo Kavalakis made a free throw, and Marlowe Georgaris made a basket to give the Skyforce a comfortable halftime lead. In the second half, the Barons had rebounds from Vivienne Bond and steals from Nicholas Leblond, which led to baskets by Alexander Wolf and Harper Gaines. The Skyforce had the tough defense of Sebastian Janka and Dylan Martin, David Sharafi with a basket, and Player of the Game-Marlow Georgaris continuing to make outside shots to give their team the victory.
Bronze
Zeniths vs Metros
The match stayed tied at the end of the first half, with scoring for the Metros coming from Drake Akhavi, Oliver Williams, and Sora Nomoto; the Zeniths had first half scoring from Tomas Leblond, Billy Casarella, Hugo Casarella, and a halftime buzzer beater “3” from Aiden Yousefi. In the second half, the Metros got the lead to end the third quarter, as Gianna Sabine grabbed rebounds, and Julian Garcia got on the scoreboard. But the Zeniths wouldn’t give up, and were determined to catch the Metros to ride that train, and the train kept a rollin as Beau Bigler made a basket, Aiden Yousefi drove to the the hoop for more buckets, and Player of the Game-Billy Casarella made two big baskets towards the end of the match to give the Zeniths the come from behind victory.
Thrillers vs Stampede
Photo by Carol Chan
Mostly Stampede from start to finish as they were very successful using screens to get teammates open shots which were baskets made by drives from Elliot Sheng, sharpshooting outside shots from Killian Georgaris, and crossover moves to take it to the rim by Player of the Game-William Holt. The Thrillers made a run in the second half as Rodrigo Padron and Jaxon Oxendine controlled the boards, Inez Napoli and Esme Chan stole the ball, and points were scored by Bodhi Petitti and Rayden Toteja. However, the Stampede played tough defense as Kris Peddi and Lincoln Sheng held down the fort, and the Stampede went onto the victory.
Silver
Racers vs Tornados
Photo by Carol Chan
The Racers took the early lead on baskets from Beau Ellis Farr, and free throws made by Theodore Edelman. The Tornados got going in the second quarter as Liana Enayati and Mateo Chan had a bucket each, as they were the beneficiaries of steals from Harrison Bond and Sebastian Joyce. The Tornados continued to score in the second half as Finley Provencher and Cetine Travnikoff each had a basket, as teammates Alison Lyons and Knute Haglund got rebounds. The Racers used tough defense from Charles Kalmbach, Ellington Litvin, and Qiao Ren to keep the opponent from catching up, and teammate Seher Khan made a free throw, and Player of the Game-Mariella Belew had 9 second half points to give the Racers the victory.
Piranhas vs Bandits
The Bandits controlled the first half with field goals from Henry Fyda, Ryder Range, Dylan Read, and Saum Safavi. The Piranhas kept pace with baskets from Rex Bulette and Mai Ly Pariser, and free throws made from Krishna Aysola. The Bandits continued to score in the second half with outside shots made from Oakley Entsminger, Declan Wong, and Ray Song; however the Piranhas were able to take a one point lead at the end of the third quarter as Jaxon Silverstein and Wyatt Mack got onto the scoreboard with buckets and free throws. The Bandits grabbed the lead back early in the fourth quarter with steals by Julia Enayati and Pablo Gonzalez to get the ball to teammates to score; but, after a fast and furious full court press late in the match, turnovers were created by Auggie Friedman, Naka Shriqui, and Player of the Game-Mai Ly Pariser that the Piranhas were able to get baskets by Niam Pahwa and Nanda Aysola to take the lead in the final minute to hold onto the victory.
Gold
Pride vs Renegade
The Renegade are looking for their first victory this season, would today be the day? The Pride had first half scoring from Diego Gonzalez, Tomonori Kugawa, and Shai Painter. The Renegade got the lead at halftime on points from Player of the Game-Liam Desante, Buck Jacobs, Nicholas Munoz, and Peter Rodrick. The Renegade was also winning the battle of the boards as they had rebound monsters in Kamden King and Rowan O’Neal gobbling it up. In the second half, the Pride had good defense from Matthew Klass, Ross Nelson, and Spencer Nelson as they created turnovers to try and catch the Renegade, and with just minutes left in the match, they got within a few points. The Renegade got crucial baskets in the end from Peter Rodrick to hold on to get their first victory of the season.
Legends vs Spirits
Dominic Drew, Azumi Nomoto, and Max Greenberg scored early to give the Spirits the lead; however, the Legends countered with baskets from Siddhant Khanna, Misha Lakhani, Rohand Peddi, and Dylan Zindel to take a narrow lead at halftime. In the second half, the Spirits did their best to hold down the opponent with steals from Olivia Ruiz and Archer Sampson, blocks from Finn Purdy and Will Armistead, and rebounds from Leon Muenze and Myles Shaw. The Legends spread out the scoring as Liam Adams, Oliver Lynn, and Henry Mack each had baskets, and Player of the Game-Ryan Yousefi was driving to the hoop for multiple layups to give the Legends the victory.
Platinum
Beachdogs vs Stingers
The Stingers had the early lead on points from Sam McGowan and Leonardo Garcia. The Beachdogs came back to get the halftime lead with baskets by Trajan Booker, Christian Ferew, and Justin Tun. In the second half, the Stingers got rebounds from Aiden Lin, and steals by Jaden Arellano. The Beachdogs were too strong as Mia Kondratyeva and Player of the Game-Adonyinas Yonas were controlling the boards and scoring putbacks to give their team a comfortable victory.
SUN 6/9/24
Bronze
Catbirds vs Hoops
First half saw the Catbirds get a basket each from Otis Smith and Phoenix Volken, as teammates Adeline Smith, Bennet Zibit, and Victor Lima Lopes grabbed rebounds. The Hoops had first half buckets from Teddy Millman and Soren Verleun, and a “3” from Player of the Game-Charlie Koch. In the second half, the Catbirds had good defense from Greysen Lovett, Tyler Enayati, and Hudson Hoff; the Hoops were just too strong as Corbin Strock and Nathan Stafford played tough defense down the stretch to help lead their team to the victory.
Zeniths vs Thrillers
First half scoring for the Zeniths came from George Couvreur, River Stanton, and Aiden Yousefi; while the Thrillers had first half scoring from Bodhi Petitti and Rayden Toteja. At the end of the third quarter, the match was a Chuck Berry “Sweet Sixteen” as the score was 16-16, as the Zeniths Hugo Casarella made the scoring column, and the Thrillers had baskets from Rodrigo Padron and Louis Liu. Defense prevailed in the final quarter, as the Thrillers had Sofia Pulusani, Esme Chan, and Jaxon Oxendine getting steals and rebounds; and the Zeniths had Benjamin Bloom and Beau Bigler shutting down the opponent. In the end, it was a single made outside shot by George Courvier, and the great defense of Player of the Game-Tomas Leblond that gave the Zeniths the narrow victory.
Silver
Piranhas vs Jammers
Close first half as the Piranhas had field goals from Niam Pahwa, Krsna Pathak, and Jaxon Silverstein; and, the Jammers had buckers from Oliver Farrar, Emet Ketai, and Liam Yaghoubian. In the second half, the Jammers got Oscar Farrar and Jonas Ketai on the scoreboard, and Sadie Bellavia and Ada Sarley had rebounds, while teammates Archie Lewis and Grace Scaduto made steals, and Katarina Epstein blocked shots; however, the Piranhas got hot shooting in the fourth quarter, as Nanda Aysola, Auggie Friedman, and Wyatt Mack all scored to pull away and onto the victory.
Gold
Spirits vs Volcanos
The Volcanos had first half scoring from Ocean Yaghoubzadeh, Andrey Sterlyagov, and Ibrahim Ally. The Spirits took the halftime lead on the strength of multiple points from Max Greenberg, Leon Muenze, and Dominic Drew. In the second half, the Volcanos got a “3” from Faizan Khan, and good defense from Leo Yaghoubzadeh and Felix Carpenter. The Spirits were able to spread the scoring around as Olivia Ruiz, Archer Sampson, Brendan Still and Player of the Game-Myles Shaw all had a basket each, and Will Armistead and Finn Purdy played tough defense to help their team go onto the victory.
Platinum
Cavalry vs Beachdogs
A matchup of the two top teams in the Platinum division in which the first half saw the Beachdogs get a “3” from Cassius Taylor, steals from Cam Pariser, and putbacks for points from Adonyinas Yonas. The Cavalry built a big first half lead on points from Koa Entsminger, Julian Veckerelli, Augie Tucker Maxcy, and Dylan Kravitz who would have a field day of a barrage of downtown “3”s that would carry over into the second half. The Beachdogs tried to catch up in the second half, as Mia Kondratyeva and Sampson Anderson Robinson each had a basket, and Justin Tun was a perfect 4 for 4 from the charity stripe; however, the Cavalry had Gabriel Chibane dishing out dimes, Chloe Scofield with a basket, 10 second half points from Kai Halpert, steals from Nicholas Mirich and Kay Roberts, and Player of the Game-Dylan Kravitz finishing the match with five treys to have their team take over sole possession of first place in the Platinum division.
Aztecas vs Slammers
The Aztecas jumped out early and took a big lead as Roderick Johnson, Louis Meehan Smith, Cristian Villegas, and Leo Mooney did most of their scoring in the first half. The Slammers got back on track and won the battle of the second half, as they got baskets from Amensisa Alemayehu and Yafet Desta, rebounds from Azariah Gebeyehu, “3”s from AJ Evans, Ryan Nagase, and Yisaac Tariku to narrow the gap. The Aztecas would hold onto the victory as Ethan Schwartz and Ezra Mooney scored, and Isaac Lynn played tough defense to prevent the Slammers from making a complete comeback.
SAT 6/15/24 WEEKEND #7
Copper
Patroons vs Barons
The Patroons started out with tough defense from Rhys Amis, Theo Keller, and William McAuley to hold the Barons down; however, the Barons broke through with baskets by Vivienne Bond, James Edelman, and Galiel Sarfati to take the halftime lead. The Patroons got rebounds in the second half from Olivia Courveur who gave the ball to Matthew Alemayehu who scored all 12 points for the Patroons in the match. In the end, strong rebounding by Issa Ally, two baskets by Lydia Haynes, steals by Alexander Wolf, and continued scoring by Player of the Game-James Edelman led the Barons to the victory.
Bronze
Hoops vs Stampede
Defense ruled the first quarter as the Hoops got rebounds from Corbin Strock, and the Stampede had steals from Lincoln Sheng. The second quarter saw more scoring from both sides, as the Hoops had baskets from Teddy Millman, free throws from Aiden Schneider, and a “3” from Charlie Koch; the Stampede had baskets from Elliot Sheng, Walker Rosenthal, and Killian Georgaris to have both teams tied at halftime. The two teams remained tied at the end of the third quarter which saw the Hoops get a basket from Soren Verleun. The Stampede took over in the fourth quarter as Max Degeorge converted both his free throws, Ashok Dhaka made a basket, Olivia Wang controlled the boards, and Player of the Game-Walker Rosenthal came up with big blocks to help their team remain undefeated in the Bronze division.
Zeniths vs Catbirds
The Zeniths jumped out early on baskets by Beau Bigler and George Couvreur; but, the Catbirds got on the board in the second quarter with a couple of deuces from Phoenix Volken. The second half saw more Catbirds make the scoreboard, as Rocco de Tray, Luke Sarley, and Bennett Zibit each made a free throw, Tyler Enayati had a basket, and Greysen Lovett had his outside shot going as he made two buckets. The Zeniths used strong defense from Theodore Rattner and River Stanton to prevent penetration to the basket, an assist from Billy Casarella, and a basket from Player of the Game-Hugo Casarella helped the team go onto the victory.
Silver
Bandits vs Racers
The Bandits came out running with quick buckets by Henry Fyda and Oakley Entsminger to take the early lead. Eventually the Racers would get going and take the lead at halftime as Theodore Edelman, Linus Verleun, and Ellington Litvin each had a couple of buckets; and teammate and Player of the Game-Beau Ellis Farr would have a monster second quarter with 12 points that included two treys from beyond the arc. In the second half, the Bandits got scoring from Dylan Read, and good defense from Julia Enayati and Ray Song to draw closer; but in the end, the Racers countered with their strong defense from Nicholas Jones and Seher Khan, and baskets from Charlie Kalmbach to become the #1 seed going into the in-season tournament starting next week.
Jammers vs Tornados
Photo by Carol Chan
Lucky “7”s after the first quarter with a 7-7 score on baskets from the Tornados’ Mateo Chan, Ori Ligumsky, and Rome Ricks; the Jammers had a basket each from Jonas Ketai and Archie Lewis, and a ‘3” from Player of the Game-Emet Ketai. The second quarter saw the Tornados get steals from Cetine Travnikoff, and rebounds from Knute Haglund; the Jammers had a couple of buckets from Liam Yaghoubian to take the halftime lead. In the second half, the Tornados had baskets from Harrison Bond, Finley Provencher, and Liana Enayati to get closer. The Jammers eventually pulled away as Oscar Farrar made a basket, Ada Sarley had a few steals, and Oliver Farrar and Katarina Epstein grabbed rebounds to go onto the victory.
Gold
Renegade vs Spirits
The Renegade had first quarter scoring from Buck Jacobs, Peter Rodrick, and a “3” from Jack Meyer; the Spirits scoring in the first quarter came from Max Greenberg and Olivia Ruiz. In the second quarter, the Renegade had rebounds from Nicholas Munoz; while the Spirits had a basket each from Archer Sampson and Player of the Game-Finn Purdy. In the second half, the Renegade got multiple baskets from Peter Rodrick and Rowan O’Neal, and strong defense from Finn Duggan. The Spirits continued to score in the second half as Azumi Nomoto had two baskets, Leon Muenze and Myles Shaw had rebounds, and Dominic Drew set screens for Max Greenberg to drive to the basket for scores and give their team the victory, making them #1 seed in the in-season tournament.
Legends vs Volcanos
Due to a series of tiebreaker scenarios, this game came down to the Volcanos needing to win in order to avoid playing the #4 vs #5 play-in game the next day to qualify for the in-season tournament. The Volcanos had first half scoring from Faizan Khan, Leo Yaghoubzadeh, and Ocean Yaghoubzadeh; the Legends had first half scoring from Siddhant Khanna, Oliver Lynn, Rohan Peddi, and Beau Zaczepinski to take a narrow lead at halftime. In the second half, the Volcanos got all their scoring from Ibrahim Ally, and rebounds from Felix Carpenter and Andrey Sterlyagov, while teammate Alexander Melamed made key steals to keep the game close; however in the end, the Legends pulled away with baskets from Hunter Tito and Henry Mack, steals from Dylan Zindel, and big buckets down the stretch from Player of the Game-Misha Lakhani to hang onto the victory.
Platinum
Slammers vs Stingers
Both sides a little skim on the number of players available; but just enough to play with the help of Oliver Harris and Keean Stoll switching between both sides, and Ibrahim Ally helping the Slammers, and all three players made the scoreboard with baskets. The Slammers had Austin Bernier score, and Danny Zhou was the leading scorer for his team as he had 19 points. The Stingers eventually won the match as Ryan Chambers had three “3”s, Jarec Garibay had a dozen points, and Player of the Game, Aiden Lin, made a “3” along with multiple blocks and rebounds to give his team the victory.
Aztecas vs Cavalry
Exceptionally well played game by all players on both sides. The Aztecas had guest coach, Pete Harris, along with his son Oliver to help the team; they got out to the early lead on baskets by Diego Gonzalez, Ethan Schwartz, and Isaac Lynn who nailed a shot from downtown for the trey. The Cavalry came back in the second quarter to take the halftime lead as Julian Veckerelli, Rayan Chibane, and Gabriel Chibane scored. In the second half, the Aztecas got closer with baskets from Maryck Booher and Roderick Johnson; however, the good defense of Shai Painter, baskets by Kai Halpert, and the Player of the Game-Gabriel Chibane who finished with a game high 31 points led the Cavalry to the victory, and the top seed for the in-season tournament.
SUN 6/16/24
Bronze
Catbirds vs Stampede
The Stampede took the early lead with baskets from Killian Georgaris, Max DeGeorge, Kris Peddi, Elliot Sheng, Lincoln Sheng, and Player of the Game-Ashok Dhaka. The Catbirds made the scoreboard in the first half with free throws made from Rocco de Tray. In the second half, the Stampede got Shay Gulati to score a bucket, Olivia Wong had a basket and two assists, and Walker Rosenthal added two baskets. The Catbirds showed fight as Bennett Zibit got rebounds and steals, Copper sub Owen Wang made a basket, Tyler Enayati made a free throw, and Sophie Pagonis got a bucket to make it a fun game for all.
Copper
Skyforce vs Wildcatters
Photo by Dean Georgaris
“Deuces wild” at the end of the first quarter as Kosmos Kavalakis had a basket for the Skyforce, and Owen Wang had a bucket for the Wildcatters. The second quarter belonged to the Skyforce as Zayden Rashid, Tate Avitabile, and Player of the Game-Haruka Yabi made the scoreboard. The Wildcatters shut out the Skyforce in the third quarter as Ivy Huss made several steals, and Isabelle Ma, Decker Zaczepinski, and Player of the Game-Nico Licata wouldn’t allow the opponent to score, and the Wildcatters started to comeback. In the fourth quarter, the Skyforce David Sharafi found an open Kosmos Kavalakis to give their team a 4 point lead with time winding down; however, the Wildcatters had a late basket each from Owen Wang and Grayson Wells to make it a tie, in a very exciting Father’s Day matchup.
Bronze
Metros vs Thrillers
Photo by Carol Chan
The Thrillers had first half scoring from Louis Liu, Lior Vaisburd, and Bodhi Petitti; the Metros had baskets from Dario Akhavi, Drake Akhavi, Julian Garcia, and Rahm Kapgan to take the lead at halftime. In the second half, the Thrillers got a little closer with the good defense of Inez Napoli and Jaxon Oxendine, but the Metros extended their lead with the help of Sora Nomoto and Sophia Vasquez on defense, and Oliver Williams making a basket to give their team a comfortable victory.
Silver
#4 Jammers vs #5 Tornados
Photo by Carol Chan
The first of the play-in matches to get into the in-season tournament started with the Tornados striking first with a basket by Mateo Chan, and buckets by Liana Enayati. The Jammers came roaring back as Oliver Farrar, Emet Ketai, Jonas Ketai, and Archie Lewis all scored to give their team the halftime lead. The Tornados got scoring in the second half from Harrison Bond and Sebastian Joyce, as teammates Cetine Travnikoff, Knute Haglund, and Ori Ligumsky played tough on defense. The Jammers were too strong as Oscar Farrar got on the scoreboard, and the tightening defense of Ema Borden, Ada Sarley, and Player of the Game-Katarina Epstein would not allow the opponent to catch up, and thus guaranteeing a spot in the in-season tournament next weekend.
Gold
#4 Volcanos vs #5 Renegade
The second of the play-in matches of the day started with the Renegade shutting out the Volcanos in the first quarter as Buck Jacobs scored the only points for his team. The Volcanos got second quarter points from Ibrahim Ally and Andrey Sterlyagov; The Renegade had baskets and an “And1” from Jack Meyer, and a basket from Finn Duggan to give their team a narrow halftime lead. Both teams were tied at 12 at the end of the third quarter as the Volcanos got rebounds from Felix Carpenter and Alex Melamed, and a basket from Leo Yaghoubzadeh; the Renegade were getting steals from Rowan O’Neal, and a basket from Liam Desante who made two more buckets in the fourth quarter. The final quarter saw Jack Meyer make a deuce and a trey to give the Renegade the lead. The Volcanos came back in the final minutes as timely shots were made by Ocean Yaghoubzadeh and Faizan Khan, and Player of the Game-Ibrahim Ally put a couple of rebounds back in, to give his team the one point victory, and an invitation to the in-season tournament starting next weekend.
Platinum
#4 Aztecas vs #5 Slammers
Both teams needed the help of substitutes Aayan Lakhani for the Slammers and Dalton White for the Aztecas, as each contributed with points and assists. The first half was a flip-flop with each quarter as the Aztecas did all their scoring the first quarter that included great dimes dished by Roderick Johnson and Diego Gonzalez; then the Slammers did all the scoring in the second quarter as Yisaac Tariku, Yafet Desta, and Azariah Gebeyehu made baskets, as the first half ended with a perfect surfer’s score of hang ten, 10-10. The Slammers got second half points from Lucien Fong and Amensisa Alemayehu, along with steals from Brandon Israels to pull ahead in the third quarter. The Aztecas went on a surge to pull ahead for good as Isaac Lynn scored, Louis Meehan Smith and Ethan Schwartz controlled the boards, and Player of the Game-Cristian Villegas scored multiple points to give their team an invitation to the in-season tournament starting next weekend.
SAT 6/22/24 WEEKEND #8
Bronze
Zeniths vs Hoops
As Yogi Berra said “it ain’t over til it’s over.” The Zeniths jumped out early with the lead with baskets from Beau Bigler, Billy Casarella, and River Stanton. The Hoops got closer before halftime as Teddy Millman and Soren Verleun scored baskets. The Zeniths maintained a small lead at the end of the third quarter as Hugo Casarella was making outside shots, Theodore Rattner scored, and Benjamin Bloom made steals. The Hoops stayed within striking distance as Nathan Stanford got on the scoreboard, Aiden Schneider grabbed rebounds, and Corbin Strock intercepted passes. The Zeniths held onto a narrow lead as they maintained possession for long periods of time; however with only seconds left in the match, the Hoops got a steal and gave the ball to Charlie Koch who ran down the floor and launched a shot from way downtown the went in at the buzzer to give the Hoops the incredible come from behind victory, and earned himself Player of the Game honors.
Copper
Wildcatters vs Barons
Scoreless first quarter that featured good defense from the Wildcatters Teddy Carey and Clara Cowan, and the Barons had Alexander Wolf making steals. The Barons got on the scoreboard in the second quarter as Harper Gaines made a free throw; the Wildcatters got baskets from Grayson Wells, Ivy Huss, and Josephine Carey to take the lead at halftime. In the second half, the Barons had a basket from Issa Ally as Joseph Ackermann made the assist, a basket from James Edelman, and a free throw made by Lydia Haynes. The Wildcatters eventually pulled away with baskets from Owen Wang and Nico Licata, and rebounds from Player of the Game-Isabelle Ma.
Bronze
Skyforce vs Patroons
Photo by Denise Maratos
Pretty much all Skyforce in this match as Kosmos Kavalakis was the leading scorer with 14 points, and Marlow Georgaris and Zayden Rashid each had 8 points. The Skyforce had good defense from Tate Avitabile and Dylan Martin. The Skyforce Benjamin Vaisburd was very nice in willing to play for the shorthanded Patroons, and provided them with good defense. The Patroons had Rhys Amis, Theo Keller, and William McAuley all take turns bringing the ball up the court, and Ezra Efiom scored his first basket at the YMCA.
Metros vs Catbirds
The Metros were able to build a big first half lead on the strength of baskets from Drake Akhavi and Julian Garcia; the Catbirds kept pace with free throws made by Greysen Lovett, and strong defense from Sophie Pagonis and Luke Sarley. In the second half, the Catbirds got closer with baskets from Rocco deTray and Phoenix Volken, and steals from Victor Lima Lopes and Tyler Enayati. The Metros held on to the victory with Sora Nomoto and Dario Akhavi getting rebounds, a basket from Rohan Henderson, and 10 second half points from Oliver Williams.
Silver
Piranhas vs Bandits
Photo by Brian Read
The first of the Silver division tourney semifinals featured two equally matched teams. The Piranhas had the lead at the end of the first quarter, as they got baskets from Jaxon Silverstein and Krishna Aysola. The Bandits were able to get the lead at halftime as they had baskets from Oakley Entsminger, Henry Fyda, and Ryder Range. The Bandits were able to extend the lead in the third quarter as Pablo Gonzalez and Declan Wong made steals to give the ball to the hot shooting Player of the Game-Henry Fyda as he had 8 of his game high 12 points in the quarter. The Piranhas wouldn’t quit, and made a comeback as they got baskets from Rex Bulette, Niam Pahwa, and Mai Ly Pariser to draw closer, and the defensive full court pressure with steals from Auggie Friedman, which allowed drives to the basket by Jaxon Silverstien to get within a few points; however, in the end, the tough defense of Teo Escalante and a basket from Saum Safavi gave the Bandits the narrow victory with a spot in the in-season tournament finals next weekend.
Racers vs Jammers
Photo by Rabia Khan
In the second of the Silver division semifinals, the Racers did exactly what their name implies and raced out to an early lead with baskets by Theodore Edelman, Mariella Belew, Linus Verleun, and Player of the Game-Qiao Ren. The Jammers got their scoring going in the second quarter as Liam Yaghoubzadeh made multiple baskets, and his teammate Oscar Farrar started sinking outside shots. In the second half, the Jammers had tough defense from Oliver Farrar and Ada Sarley, and Bronze division sub, Luke Sarley, made a bucket. The Racers continued to score as Charles Kalmbach and Seher Khan got on the scoreboard, and Nicholas Jones grabbed rebounds to give their team the victory.
Platinum
Beachdogs vs Stingers
Photo by Rabia Khan
First of the Platinum semifinals had the Beachdogs a little shorthanded, but were able to use Gold sub Faizan Khan who eventually scored 4 points, and Keean Stoll who graciously agreed to play against his brother Brayden who was coaching the Stingers. The match remained close through the first half as it became the “Boston Three Party”, as the Stingers had treys from Ryan Chambers, Rohham Taherian, Leonardo Garcia, and Dagmawi Ayele, and the Beachdogs had “3”s from Joshua Edwards and Trajan Booker. In the second half, the Beachdogs had baskets from Mia Kondratyeva and Keean Stoll; The Stingers eventually pulled away as Aiden Lin and Player of the Game-Jarec Garibay had key baskets down the stretch to give their team an invitation to the in-season tourney final next weekend.
Cavalry vs Aztecas
Earlier in the day, I received the message that the Aztecas were in need of another player. As I was in the gym, I saw Dalton White working on his game, and I asked if he could sub for the Aztecas, as he had done the weekend before, and he snatched up that invitation and was eager to play in the in-season tourney semifinal. The Cavalry got the early lead on baskets from Kai Halpert and Rylan Newton, and a “3” from Augie Tucker Maxcy. The Aztecas eventually took the lead by halftime as Roderick Johnson and Louis Meehan Smith scored multiple baskets. In the second half, the Cavalry tried to catch up as Nicholas Mirich and Kay Roberts each had downtown treys, and Chloe Scofield made a basket. But it really came down to Dalton White as the difference maker as he had a game high 39 points which included eight 3-pointers, and a rare 4-point play as he was fouled making a trey, and converted the “And1”, as it was the “Dalton White Show” and the price of admission was “3”.
SUN 6/23/24
Copper
Patroons vs Wildcatters
The Patroons had all their scoring from Ashely Neff as he had 8 points for the match, but had help from his teammates William McAuley, Theo Keller, and Rhys Amis as they got rebounds to give the ball to Ashley. The Wildcatters had to rely on the defense of Teddy Carey, Clara Cowan, Ivy Huss, and Isabelle Ma to get rebounds, and Ella Sands and Nico Licata to ontain steals in order to stay close. As the fourth quarter was winding down, Owen Wang and Grayson Wells each made a couple of buckets off of assists from Player of the Game-Josephine Carey to complete the come from behind victory down the stretch.
Barons vs Skyforce
Photo by Denise Maratos
The Skyforce had first half scoring from Marlowe Geogaris and Zayden Rashid, as they were able to have teammates Haruka Yagi and Benjamin Vaisburd get them the ball. The Barons got the halftime lead on multiple buckets from Joseph Ackermann and James Edelman. The Skyforce were able to use the defensive pressure of Dylan Martin to create turnovers that got Tate Avitabile and Kosmos Kavalakis to each have two baskets in what would be a back and forth of lead changes in the fourth quarter. The Barons had to rely on defense from Alexander Wolf and Harper Gaines, and a basket from Player of the Game-Joseph Ackermann, along with 6 fourth quarter points from Lydia Haynes to pull out a one point victory in a very exciting matchup.
Bronze
Hoops vs Thrillers
Hoops got the early lead on baskets from Soren Verleun and Teddy Millman. The Thrillers caught up and took the lead at halftime as baskets were made by Rodrigo Padron, Bodhi Petitti, and Lior Vaisburd. In the second half, the Hoops got closer as Charlie Koch made a couple of buckets with the help of steals and rebounds from Aiden Schneider and Nathan Stafford. The Thrillers were able to have Jaxon Oxendine and Sofia Pulusani get rebounds to push the ball up the floor to get Louis Liu, Bodhi Petitti, and Player of the Game-Rayden Toteja to score points to give their team the victory.
Stampede vs Zeniths
Photo by Dean Georgaris
Match up of Goliaths in the Bronze division, as they squared off to see who would reign supreme. The first half ended with crazy eights as the teams were tied 8-8. The Zeniths had all their first half scoring from George Couvreur, but also had good defense from brothers Billy and Hugo Casarella. First half scoring for the Stampede came from Killian Georgaris, William Holt, and Elliot Sheng. In the second half, the Zeniths got 4 points each from River Stanton and Beau Bigler. However, the Stampede went on a big third quarter run which was fueled by pressure defense from Ashok Dhaka, that led to scores by Olivia Wang and Lincoln Sheng; and as the fourth quarter progressed, the Stampede got Kris Peddi and Walker Rosenthal on the board to remain undefeated in the Bronze division.
Gold
#2 Legends vs #3 Pride
The first of the in-season tournament semifinals for the Gold division would turn out to be a terrific contest between two equally matched teams. The first quarter had the Pride get points from Shai Painter and Tomonori Kugawa; the Legends had a basket each from Liam Adams, Oliver Lynn, and Rohan Peddi to take a slim lead at the end of the quarter. The Legends increased the lead by the end of the first half when Misha Lakhani made a couple of baskets and assisted teammates in their scoring. The Pride stayed close with a “3” by Matthew Klass, and Diego Gonzalez scored several driving layups to tie up the score at the end of the third quarter. Back and forth scoring occurred in the fourth quarter as Rohan Peddi of the Legends, and Tomonori Kugawa of the Pride each had 5 points in the frame. It came down to a go ahead basket by Player of the Game-Siddhant Khanna to give the Legends the narrow victory and spot in the in-season tournament championship next weekend.
#1 Spirits vs #4 Volcanos
The Volcanos struck first with driving layups from Ocean Yaghoubzadeh, putbacks from Ibrahim Ally, and outside shots made by Faizan Khan and Alexander Melamed to take an early lead. The Spirits caught up and got the halftime lead as Max Greenberg, Dominic Drew, and Olivia Ruiz made drives to the hoop. The Volcanos Andrey Sterlyagov and Leo Yaghoubzadeh put on tough defensive traps in the second half to create turnovers to get the ball to Ocean Yaghoubzadeh who made three “3”s in the fourth quarter, and Ibrahim Ally had 12 second half points along with 12 rebounds to keep their team close. In the end, the Spirits relied on steals from Will Armistead, a basket each from Leon Muenze and Brendan Still, and multiple scores off of ankle breaker crossovers by Player of the Game-Azumi Nomoto to give their team the victory and a spot in next weekend’s in-season tournament final.
THUR 6/27/24
Bronze
Catbirds vs All-Stars
Special matchup of the Catbirds versus All-Stars from the Copper and Bronze divisions. The Catbirds were in search of their first victory of the season, and it started well as Greysen Lovett, Tyler Enayati, and Player of the Game-Victor Lima Lopes all made baskets. The All-Stars had solid rebounding from Player of the Game-Gianna Sabine, and steals from Sora Nomoto and Owen Wang. The All-Stars scored in the second half on a free throw from Lior Vaisburd, a basket by Ashley Neff, and two buckets from Player of the Game-Zayden Rashid. In the end, the Catbirds relied on good defense from Hudson Hoff and Sophie Pagonis, nice passes from Bennett Zibit, and points scored from Phoenix Volken to get their first victory of the season.
SAT 6/29/24 WEEKEND #9
Copper
#3 Barons vs #4 Patroons
Patroons were a little shorthanded, so they got the help of some subs from the Barons. The first half saw the Patroons get all their points from Baron sub Joseph Ackermann. The Barons had first half baskets from Galiel Sarfati and Alexander Wolf. In the second half, the Patroons displayed good defense from Rhys Amis grabbing rebounds, and William McAuley and Theo Keller getting steals, while subs from the Barons helped the Patroons with scoring which came with a basket from Issa Ally, and two free throws from Galiel Sarfati. The Barons eventually won with double digit scoring from James Edelman and Player of the Game-Harper Gaines.
Bronze
Catbirds vs Thrillers
Photo by Carol Chan
The Catbirds got the early lead with baskets from Greysen Lovett and Victor Lima Lopes; however, free throws made by Rodrigo Padron, Rayden Toteja, and Player of the Game-Jaxon Oxendine gave the lead back to the Thrillers by the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Catbirds had rebounds from Bennett Zibit, and steals from Sophie Pagonis; the Thrillers had a scoring surge from Bodhi Petitti as he had 9 points in the quarter including an “And1” conversion to get his team a comfortable halftime lead. In the second half, the Catbirds had free throws from Phoenix Volken, a basket each from Luke Sarley and Hudson Hoff who got his first bucket of the season. The Thrillers continued their scoring as Esme Chan and Lior Vaisburd got on the scoreboard, and Sofia Pulusani and Inez Napoli shut down the perimeter to help their team keep their lead and go onto the victory.
Metros vs Hoops
The Hoops were short handed but put up a good fight. The Metros took advantage of having one extra player on the court as Julian Garcia, Rahm Kapgan, and Oliver Williams scored in the first quarter to give their team a big lead. The Hoops drew closer at halftime as Soren Verleun, along with subs Phoenix Volken and Victor Lima Lopes got their team closer by halftime, and continued to get closer in the second half as sub Rayden Toteja had 3 baskets, and Nathan Stafford made a free throw. It came down to the Metros using tough defense by Claire Magid and Sora Nomoto, and baskets by Gianna Sabine and Player of the Game-Rohan Henderson to hang on to the narrow victory as former Santa Monica High student Terri Nunn once sang “Riding on the Metro.”
Silver
Piranhas vs Jammers
The 3rd place tourney match started with the Jammers Oliver Farrar and Archie Lewis scoring early. The Piranhas got going with baskets from Krishna Aysola and Mai Ly Pariser to get the lead at halftime. In the second half, the Jammers got rebounds from Ada Sarley and Sadie Bellavia, a basket from Liam Yaghoubian, steals from Emma Borden and Grace Scaduto; the Piranhas were too strong and had more baskets from Nanda Aysola, Krsna Pathak, and Nakai Shriqui. The most impressive performance of the match was from the Piranhas Jaxon Silverstein who had 9 assists for the match as he was dishing out dimes all over the place to lead his team to the victory.
Gold
Renegade vs All-Stars
Photo by Robert Clark
The match stayed close throughout the first half as the Renegade had baskets from Peter Rodrick, Buck Jacobs, and Rowan O’Neal; while the All-Stars had baskets from Linus Verleun, Leon Muenze, Theodore Edelman, and Jaxon Silverstein. The second half saw the Renegade take advantage of the full court press to have Finn Dugan and David Yonatan create turnovers that led to points scored by Hunter Calhoun Rocha and Kamden King. The All-Stars did get steals from Mai Ly Pariser, rebounds from Charlie Kalmbach, and two baskets from Soren Verleun to keep pace. In the end, the Renegade Player of the Game-Jack Meyer was nailing the outside shots to give his team the victory.
Platinum
Slammers vs Gold All-Stars
Photo by Robert Clark
The Slammers were in search of their first victory, and were up against a group of formidable Gold players looking to steal the victory. Max Greenberg was the leading scorer for the All-Stars with 21 points, and teammates Liam Adams, Faizan Khan, Tomonori Kugawa, and Olivia Ruiz made the scoreboard, Shai Painter and Dominic Drew had assists, and Matthew Klass grabbed rebounds. The Slammers would eventually prevail and win their first match of the season on the strength of multiple points from Amensisa Alemayehu, Azariah Gebeyehu, Lucien Fong, and Yisaac Tariku. Also the Slammers had some help from Gold division players Ibrahim Ally and Misha Lakhani making baskets, and Platinum sub Aayan Lakhani with multiple “3”s and assists.
Beachdogs vs Cavalry
Photo by Robert Clark
It was all on the line for the Cavalry, win this 3rd place in-season tournament match, and they would be the Platinum division champions. The Beachdogs scored early off of baskets from Sampson Anderson Robinson and Cam Pariser. But the Cavalry came running as Gabriel Chibane, Nicholas Mirich, and Rylan Newton got the first half scoring going to take a big halftime lead. At halftime, we honored Mia Kondratyeva as the 2023-2024 Santa Monica Family YMCA Player of the Year in an emotional celebration of her amazing accomplishment. Mia returned to playing strong again in the second half as she helped the Beachdogs cut into the lead with strong moves to the hoop, and teammates Joshua Edwards and Alex Providas applied tough defense, and Cassius Taylor made steals. The Cavalry would continue build on their lead as Auggie Tucker Maxcy and Julian Veckerelli were dishing out dimes, Kay Roberts made a “3”, and Kai Halpert had a monster game as he had a double-double in rebounds and points to give his team the victory and the division title.
2023-2024 Santa Monica Family YMCA Player of the Year, Mia Kondratyeva with her family. Photo by Robert Clark
Stingers vs Aztecas
Although neither team could win the division title, 1st place for the in-season tournament was there for the taking. The Aztecas won the battle of the first half with baskets from Roderick Johnson, and substitute brothers Rayan and Gabriel Chibane. The Stingers had first half scoring from Ryan Chambers and Leonardo Garcia to stay close. In the second half, the Aztecas had tough defense from Diego Gonzalez, and driving spin moves for deuces and downtown treys from Dalton White to have a one point edge at the end of the third frame. The Stingers employed tough defense by Aiden Lin and brothers Radin and Rohham Taherian to get the ball up the court to have Dagmawi Ayele drive to the hoop for scores, Sam McGowan to have three “3”s, and Player of the Game-Keean Stoll to score points to pull away down the stretch to get the Stingers the victory. The Stingers didn’t win the Championship, but did win the in-season tournament, and which team in the NBA does that remind you of?
SUN 6/30/24
Bronze
Stampede vs Metros
The Stampede were looking for perfection and to be the only team in the league to finish the season undefeated. The Metros were looking to spoil the party, and they started off well and had the early lead on a basket from Rohan Henderson, and free throws made from Gianna Sabine and Rahm Kapgan. Eventually the Stampede came galloping back and took a narrow lead at halftime with baskets by Max Degeorge and Killian Geogaris as they were recipients of great passes from Walker Rosenthal. The Metros played tough defense in the second half as Sophia Vasquez and Claire Magid blocked shots, and Oliver Williams and Sora Nomoto stole the ball. The Stampede would rely on Olivia Wang rebounding, Elliot Sheng scoring, and Player of the Game-Kris Peddi having a solid performance on defense to help his team complete the perfect season with the close victory.
Silver
Tornados vs All-Stars
The Tornados were in search of their first victory of the season; but they were up against a formidable opponent in a group of hungry All-Stars. The All-Stars got on the board first with a free throw from Ashok Dhaka, and multiple baskets from Elliot Sheng. The Tornados were able to get the halftime lead on baskets from Mateo Chan, Bodhi Petitti, and Barry Ligumsky. In the second half, the All-Stars got the lead at the end of the third quarter as Killian Geogaris, Julian Garcia, and Rayden Toteja all scored. The fourth quarter went back and forth as the Tornados got the lead back on a basket from Liana Enayati, then the All-Stars got the lead back on a basket from Rodrigo Padron, then with only seconds left, Player of the Game-Ori Ligumsky banked in the shot to give the Tornados their first victory of the season in an exciting match that featured great play by both sides.
Copper
#1 Skyforce vs #2 Wildcatters
It came down to this final match in the Copper division in #1 vs #2. Defensive struggle in the first half as the Skyforce had good defense from Marlowe Georgaris and Benjamin Vaisburd, and a free throw made by Tate Avitabile; the Wildcatters had Ella Sands and Clara Cowan snagging rebounds, and a basket from Grayson Wells who then had another basket in the third frame, and teammate Josephine Carey also scored in the third quarter to give their team a narrow lead. The Wildcatters increased their lead in the fourth quarter, as Owen Wang scored free throws and baskets; but, the Skyforce would come back to take a small lead with a basket from Haruka Yabi, a free throw made by Kosmos Kavalakis, and multiple baskets from Player of the Game-Zayden Rashid. With seconds left, Player of the Game-Owen Wang was able to make a free throw to tie the match for which ended in a “Kiss your Sister” with the tie giving the division title to the Skyforce based on them having the most points in the standings. Overall, both teams were winners, and all players had a good time.
Champions of the Copper division, the Skyforce. Photo by Denise Maratos
Silver
Bandits vs Racers
Photo by Brian Read
This 1st place in-season tournament match would determine the division title. The Bandits stole the first quarter as Ray Song had multiple baskets, and teammates Ryder Range, Henry Fyda, and Dylan Read each had a basket. The Racers got their scoring going in the second quarter as Theodore Edelman and Charlie Kalmbach got scores, and teammate Seher Khan made key steals to get the ball up the floor. In the second half, the Bandits would create turnovers as Diego Gonzalez stole the ball to get to Saum Safavi for scores to increase their lead; the Racers would not give up, and Qiao Ren and Amarveer Gupta dug in hard on defense, and made key stops. The Racers then made huge baskets from Linus Verleun and Player of the Game-Mariella Belew to complete the comeback and take the victory and the division title.
SAT 7/6/24 WEEKEND #10
Gold
Pride vs Volcanos
The Gold matches were postponed from the previous Sunday due to a power outage at the YMCA, but luckily we were able to reschedule for today. The 3rd place in-season tournament was a 4 vs 5 player scenario with the Volcanos having the extra player advantage with Silver division sub Saum Safavi. The Volcanos built a lead going into the halftime break with multiple points from Ocean Yaghoubzadeh and Ibrahim Ally; the Pride had first half scoring from Diego Gonzalez, Shai Painter, and Elliot Israels. The second half saw the Pride get Matthew Klass on the scoreboard with a couple of made hoops; however, the Volcanos employed strong full court press to maintain their lead as Alexander Melamed and Saum Safavi made several baskets, and Player of the Game-Leo Yaghoubzadeh was the master thief as the game leader in steals, and nailing a looping rainbow “3” to lead their team the victory.
Legends vs Spirits
Photos by Aayan Lakhani
The very last match of the Spring season would turn out to be very competitive and exciting, as the Gold division title was on the line in this 1st place in-season tournament game. The Legends grabbed the early lead on baskets from Misha Lakhani, Siddhant Khanna, and Hunter Tito. The Spirits came back to take a small lead at the end of the first quarter on field goals from Dominic Drew and Max Greenberg. The Legends would tie it up at the end of the first half with “3”s from Rohan Peddi, and outside 12 footers from Oliver Lynn. The score was a Kobe-Kobe of 24 to 24 at halftime. The Legends built a small lead at the beginning of the third quarter with driving baskets made by Liam Adams and a “3” by Ryan Yousefi. The Spirits needed to rely on pressure defense from Archer Sampson and Leon Muenze getting steals, Myles Shaw and Brendan Still grabbing rebounds, and Logan Christenson with key blocks to get the ball up the court to Azumi Nomoto and Olivia Ruiz to make driving scores to get the lead back. In the final minutes of the match, Player of the Game-Max Greenberg took over as he made key free throws on his way to a 30 point performance to give the Spirits the victory and the Gold division title. And with that, it was the end to a fun and exciting season of youth basketball at the Santa Monica Family YMCA.
I want to acknowledge that at halftime of this match, we honored Nicholas Walker who was in his last season as an assistant to this program, and the last two years would not have been successful without his help. Please look on YouTube for his video series “Dribblin with Nick”. It is an excellent series for learning about basketball skills and drills, and a little history of the game. Thank you, Nicholas!
Photos by Robert Clark
Make it Official referee, Robert Clark, took some photos of the players in our program, here are some of his amazing pictures:
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 features coach Jennifer Lynn and her son Oliver. Jennifer coached her son Oliver on the Gold division Legends this past season, and was well liked by all her players and their parents. She provides positive reinforcement to the kids, and gets all her players involved in team play. Her style is to help kids succeed in being a team player and enjoy playing youth basketball. Her son Oliver is an exceptional player who has drastically improved his game over the past few seasons to become a star player in the Gold division, and beloved by his teammates for his unselfish play.
I asked the Jennifer and Oliver a few questions for the Swish:
DocDrew: What is your favorite thing about youth basketball at the Santa Monica YMCA?
Oliver: My favorite thing is playing basketball with my friends and socializing with other players.
Jen: I love the community. YMCA brings the players in that love the sport or want to try it out for the first time. It’s a great joy to see these youth play competitive basketball so enthusiastically and they can do that in a safe and structured environment.
DocDrew: Who is your favorite player or coach, and why?
Oliver: My favorite NBA player is Devin Booker from the Phoenix Suns because he is a great playmaker.
Jen: My favorite NBA player is Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. I learned more about him through his documentary, ‘Rise.’ I grew to love basketball from watching Oliver play over the years, but also learning about the dynamics of the sport and Giannis’ journey to being drafted into the NBA provided incredible insights and was truly inspiring.
DocDrew: What hobbies, activities, or other sports do you like to do?
Oliver: I like to play pickleball, biking, and I like to learn coding.
Jen: I enjoy biking and making new smoothies; celery and banana with a nut milk is my new favorite.
Jennifer and Oliver Lynn
Jennifer and Oliver have become the dynamic duo that is most requested by other parents for their kids to have as a coach and a teammate, because they work together as a team, and this teamwork is infectious with all around them. The Santa Monica Family YMCA is truly thankful to have such an excellent coach and player to set the example for good sportsmanship and dedication to our program. We couldn’t succeed without their help and support.
Scores
SAT 6/8/24 WEEKEND #6
Copper
Wildcatters 14, Patroons 14
Skyforce 26, Barons 10
Bronze
Zeniths 24, Metros 20
Thrillers 6, Stampede 16
Silver
Racers 26, Tornados 13
Piranhas 24, Bandits 22
Gold
Pride 34, Renegade 40
Legends 29, Spirits 21
Platinum
Beachdogs 50, Stingers 27
SUN 6/9/24
Bronze
Catbirds 6, Hoops 18
Zeniths 18, Thrillers 16
Silver
Piranhas 35, Jammers 23
Gold
Spirits 42, Volcanos 20
Platinum
Cavalry 49, Beachdogs 32
Aztecas 41, Slammers 23
SAT 6/15/24 WEEKEND #7
Copper
Patroons 12, Barons 21
Bronze
Hoops 15, Stampede 19
Zeniths 31, Catbirds 13
Silver
Bandits 23, Racers 36
Jammers 34, Tornados 21
Gold
Renegade 29, Spirits 39
Legends 23, Volcanos 19
Platinum
Slammers 31, Stingers 54
Aztecas 30, Cavalry 48
SUN 6/16/24
Copper
Skyforce 11, Wildcatters 11
Bronze
Catbirds 12, Stampede 32
Metros 32, Thrillers 17
Silver
#4 Jammers 28, #5 Tornados 16
Gold
#4 Volcanos 24, #5 Renegade 23
Platinum
#4 Aztecas 36, #5 Slammers 28
SAT 6/22/24 WEEKEND #8
Copper
Wildcatters 14, Barons 6
Skyforce 30, Patroons 2
Bronze
Zeniths 23, Hoops 25
Metros 26, Catbirds 8
Silver
#2 Piranhas 25, #3 Bandits 27
(Tourney semi-final)
#1 Racers 35, #4 Jammers 18
(Tourney semi-final)
Platinum
#2 Beachdogs 35, #3 Stingers 46
(Tourney semi-final)
#1 Cavalry 47, #4 Aztecas 63
(Tourney semi-final)
SUN 6/23/24
Copper
Patroons 8, Wildcatters 13
Barons 23, Skyforce 22
Bronze
Hoops 11, Thrillers 23
Stampede 24, Zeniths 16
Gold
#2 Legends 29, #3 Pride 27
(Tourney semi-final)
#1 Spirits 57, #4 Volcanos 41
(Tourney semi-final)
THUR 6/27/24
Bronze
Catbirds 17, All-Stars 7
SAT 6/29/24 WEEKEND #9
Copper
#3 Barons 30, #4 Patroons 11
(6-4-2 for W-T-L)
Bronze
Catbirds 12, Thrillers 31
Metros 16, Hoops 14
Silver
Piranhas 41, Jammers 11
(6-4-2 for W-T-L)
3rd place tourney
Gold
Renegade 36, All-Stars 16
Platinum
Slammers 45, Gold All-Stars 30
Beachdogs 20, Cavalry 49
(6-4-2 for W-T-L)
3rd place tourney
Stingers 50, Aztecas 36
(7-5-3 for W-T-L)
1st place tourney
SUN 6/30/24
Bronze
Stampede 12, Metros 5
Silver
Tornados 17, All-Stars 16
Copper
#1 Skyforce 14, #2 Wildcatters 14
(7-5-3 for W-T-L)
Silver
Bandits 30, Racers 34
(7-5-3 for W-T-L)
1st place tourney
SAT 6/29/24 WEEKEND #10
Gold
Pride 34, Volcanos 46
(6-4-2 for W-T-L)
3rd place tourney game
Legends 37, Spirits 41
(7-5-3 for W-T-L)
1st place tourney game
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:
Skyforce 6-2-2, 40 points
*Champions*
Wildcatters 5-2-3, 38 points
Barons 5-5-0, 31 points
Patroons 1-8-1, 17 points
Bronze:
Stampede 10-0-0, 50 points *Champions*
Zeniths 7-3-0, 38 points
Hoops 5-5-0, 30 points
Thrillers 4-6-0, 26 points
Metros 4-6-0, 26 points
(Thrillers and Metros 1-1-0 vs each other, same records vs other teams)
Catbirds 1-10-0, 15 points
Silver:
Racers 8-2-0, 44 points
*Champions*
Bandits 6-4-0, 36 points
Piranhas 6-4-0, 35 points
Jammers 4-6-0, 27 points
Tornados 1-9-0, 14 points
Gold:
Spirits 8-2-0, 44 points
*Champions*
Legends 6-3-1, 38 points
Volcanos 4-5-1, 29 points
Pride 4-6-0, 27 points
Renegade 2-8-0, 18 points
Platinum:
Cavalry 8-2-0, 43 points
*Champions*
Stingers 7-3-0, 40 points
Beachdogs 5-5-0, 31 points
Aztecas 4-6-0, 28 points
Slammers 1-9-0, 14 points
Spring Season Awards
Copper
Most Valuable Player
Zayden Rashid-Skyforce
Most Outstanding Player
Ashley Neff-Patroons
Most Improved
James Edelman-Barons
Hustle award
Harper Gaines-Barons
Top Passer
Owen Wang-Wildcatters
All First Team
Zayden Rashid-Skyforce
Ashley Neff-Patroons
James Edelman-Barons
Harper Gaines-Barons
Owen Wang-Wildcatters
Joseph Ackermann-Barons
Lydia Haynes-Barons
Tate Avitabile-Skyforce
Marlowe Geogaris-Skyforce
Kosmos Kavalakis-Skyforce
Ashley Neff-Patroons
Josephine Carey-Wildcatters
Ivy Huss-Wildcatters
Grayson Wells-Wildcatters
All Second Team
Isabelle Ma-Wildcatters
Issa Ally-Barons
Penelope Johnson-Wildcatters
Nico Licata-Wildcatters
Ella Sands-Wildcatters
Vivienne Bond-Barons
Nicolas Leblond-Barons
David Sharafi-Skyforce
Haruka Yabi-Skyforce
Alexander Wolf-Barons
Galiel Sarfati-Barons
Rhys Amis-Patroons
Benjamin Vaisburd-Skyforce
Ezra Efiom-Patroons
Theo Keller-Patroons
Vivienne Lapierre-Patroons
William McAuley-Patroons
Delora Soltani-Patroons
Clara Cowan-Wildcatters
All Honorable Mention
Shira Yurman-Patroons
Matthew Alemayehu-Patroons
Dylan Martin-Skyforce
Raffaele Giordana-Patroons
Hana Tagami-Skyforce
Sebastian Janka-Skyforce
Isla Katz-Barons
Decker Zaczepinski-Wildcatters
Olivia Couvreur-Patroons
Joshua Bloom-Patroons
Teddy Carey-Wildcatters
Bronze
Most Valuable Player
Elliot Sheng-Stampede
Most Outstanding Player
Soren Verleun-Hoops
Most Improved
Gianna Sabine-Metros
Hustle Award
Beau Bigler-Zeniths
Top Passer
Bodhi Petitti-Thrillers
All First Team
Killian Georgaris-Stampede
Phoenix Volken-Catbirds
Victor Lima Lopes-Catbirds
Olivia Wang-Stampede
Elliot Sheng-Stampede
Soren Verleun-Hoops
Gianna Sabine-Metros
Beau Bigler-Zeniths
Tyler Enayati-Catbirds
Bodhi Petitti-Thrillers
Rayden Toteja-Thrillers
Aiden Yousefi-Zeniths
Teddy Millman-Hoops
Oliver Williams-Metros
Drake Akhavi-Metros
Julian Garcia-Metros
Rohan Henderson-Metros
Walker Rosenthal-Stampede
Rodrigo Padron-Thrillers
Charlie Koch-Hoops
George Couvreur-Zeniths
All Second Team
Ashok Dhaka-Stampede
Max Degeorge-Stampede
Rahm Kapgan-Metros
Louis Liu-Thrillers
Inez Napoli-Thrillers
Jaxon Oxendine-Thrillers
Sofia Pulusani-Thrillers
Dario Akhavi-Metros
Bennett Zibit-Catbirds
Rocco de Tray-Catbirds
Greysen Lovett-Catbirds
Sophie Pagonis-Catbirds
Luke Sarley-Catbirds
Otis Smith-Catbirds
William Holt-Stampede
Esme Chen-Thrillers
Lior Vaisburd-Thrillers
Kris Peddi-Stampede
Lincoln Sheng-Stampede
River Stanton-Zeniths
Aidan Schneider-Hoops
Nathan Stafford-Hoops
Billy Casarella-Zeniths
Tomas Leblond-Zeniths
Hugo Casarella-Zeniths
Sora Nomoto-Metros
All Honorable Mention
Adeline Smith-Catbirds
Claire Magid-Metros
Shay Gulati-Stampede
Corbin Strock-Hoops
Ray Lyons-Hoops
Theo Manolelis-Hoops
Anand Vora-Stampede
Hudson Hoff-Catbirds
Sofia Pulusani-Thrillers
Nalina Chopra-Hoops
Bodhi Ren Chopra-Hoops
Maya Larmore-Zeniths
Kiana Soltani-Zeniths
Theo Rattner-Zeniths
Maline Anderson-Thrillers
Benjamin Bloom-Zeniths
Silver
Most Valuable Player
Linus Verleun-Racers
Most Outstanding Player
Mai Ly Pariser-Piranhas
Most Improved
Ryder Range-Bandits
Hustle Award
Mateo Chan-Tornados
Top Passer
Jonas Ketai-Jammers
All First Team
Linus Verleun-Racers
Mai Ly Pariser-Piranhas
Ryder Range-Bandits
Jaxon Silverstein-Piranhas
Mateo Chan-Tornados
Dylan Read-Bandits
Oakley Entsminger-Bandits
Henry Fyda-Bandits
Nanda Aysola-Piranhas
Krishna Aysola-Piranhas
Ray Song-Bandits
Saum Safavi-Bandits
Charlie Kalmback-Racers
Declan Wong-Bandits
Jonas Ketai-Jammers
Cetine Travnikoff-Tornados
Harrison Bond-Tornados
Beau Ellis Farr-Racers
Knute Haglund-Tornados
Liana Enayati-Tornados
Niam Pahwa-Piranhas
Theodore Edelman-Racers
Ori Ligumsky-Tornados
Oscar Farrar-Jammers
Oliver Farrar-Jammers
Emet Ketai-Jammers
All Second Team
Krsna Pathak-Piranhas
Archie Lewis-Jammers
Ada Sarley-Jammers
Liam Yashoubian-Jammers
Finley Provencher-Tornados
Sebastian Joyce-Tornados
Nakai Shriqui-Piranhas
Pablo Gonzalez-Bandits
Rome Ricks-Tornados
Sadie Bellavia-Jammers
Alison Lyons-Tornados
Itamar Yurman-Bandits
Seher Khan-Racers
Auggie Friedman-Piranhas
Wyatt Mack-Piranhas
Ellington Litvin-Racers
Rex Bulette-Piranhas
Qiao Ren-Racers
Teo Escalante-Bandits
Mariella Belew-Racers
Katarina Epstein-Jammers
All Honorable Mention
Julia Enayati-Bandits
James Boesiger-Piranhas
Nicholas Jones-Racers
Amarveer Gupta-Racers
Sean Murphy-Racers
Rocco Tomas-Racers
Marcel Jimenez-Tornados
Ema Borden-Jammers
Grace Scaduto-Jammers
Gold
Most Valuable Player
Max Greenberg-Spirits
Most Outstanding Player
Liam Adams-Legends
Most Improved
Shai Painter-Pride
Hustle Award
Leo Yaghoubzadeh-Volcanos
Top Passer
Buck Jacobs-Renegade
All First Team
Andrey Sterlyagov-Volcanos
Faizan Khan-Volcanos
Oliver Lynn-Legends
Dominic Drew-Spirits
Max Greenberg-Legends
Siddhant Khanna-Legends
Ocean Yaghoubzadeh-Volcanos
Leo Yaghoubzadeh-Volcanos
Sam Affleck-Legends
Misha Lakhani-Legends
Rohan Peddi-Legends
Henry Mack-Legends
Tomonori Kugawa-Pride
Dominic Drew-Spirits
Liam Desante-Renegade
Buck Jacobs-Renegade
Olivia Ruiz-Spirits
Ibrahim Ally-Volcanos
Diego Gonzalez-Pride
Jack Meyer-Renegade
Rowan O’Neal-Renegade
Peter Rodrick-Renegade
Azumi Nomoto-Spirits
Shai Painter-Pride
Matthew Klass-Pride
Ross Nelson-Pride
Leon Muenze-Spirits
Felix Carpenter-Volcanos
Alexander Melamed-Volcanos
All Second Team
Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos-Volcanos
Kaya Dahukey-Pride
Leon Muenze-Spirits
Conrad DiMauro-Pride
Logan Christenson-Spirits
Finn Purdy-Spirits
Will Armistead-Spirits
Archer Sampson-Spirits
Myles Shaw-Spirits
Spencer Nelson-Pride
Beau Zaczepinski-Legends
Ryan Yousefi-Legends
Finn Duggan-Renegade
Redeat Gebeyehu-Renegade
Kamden King-Renegade
Nicholas Munoz-Renegade
Dylan Zindel-Legends
Hunter Tito-Legends
Abdullah Jooma-Volcanos
Brendan Still-Spirits
Sean Dobbs-Pride
Elliot Israels-Pride
Honorable Mention
David Yonatan-Renegade
Hunter Calhoun Rocha-Renegade
Levi Cogan-Pride
Raul Palomares-Volcanos
Nico Palomares-Volcanos
Platinum
Most Valuable Player
Gabriel Chibane-Cavalry
Most Outstanding Player
Mia Kondratyeva-Beachdogs
Most Improved
Lucien Fong-Slammers
Hustle Award
Leo Garcia-Stingers
Top Passer
Diego Gonzalez-Aztecas
All First Team
Gabriel Chibane-Cavalry
Lucien Fong-Slammers
Kai Halpert-Cavalry
Roderick Johnson-Aztecas
Diego Gonzalez-Aztecas
Cristian Villegas-Aztecas
Ryan Nagase-Slammers
Mia Kondratyeva-Beachdogs
Aiden Lin-Stingers
Leonardo Garcia-Stingers
Rylan Newton-Cavalry
Chloe Scofield-Cavalry
Ryan Chambers-Stingers
Joshua Edwards-Beachdogs
Trajan Booker-Beachdogs
All Second Team
Amensisa Alemayehu-Slammers
Jarec Garibay-Stingers
Louis Meehan Smith-Aztecas
Adonyinas Yonas-Beachdogs
Justin Tun-Beachdogs
Kingston Andes-Stingers
Sampson Anderson Robinson-Beachdogs
Koa Entsminger-Cavalry
Dagmawi Ayele-Stingers
Dylan Kravitz-Cavalry
Nicholas Mirich-Cavalry
Cam Pariser-Beachdogs
Sam McGowan-Stingers
Andrew Woolfolk-Aztecas
Augie Tucker Maxcy-Cavalry
Julian Veckerelli-Cavalry
Christian Ferew-Beachdogs
Cassius Taylor-Beachdogs
Ethan Schwartz-Aztecas
Leo Mooney-Aztecas
Ezra Mooney-Aztecas
Isaac Lynn-Aztecas
Maryck Booher-Aztecas
Kay Roberts-Cavalry
Alden Wong-Stingers
Azariah Gebeyehu-Slammers
Danny Zhou-Slammers
Austin Bernier-Slammers
Radin Taherian-Stingers
Honorable Mention
Rayan Chibane-Cavalry
Brandon Israels-Slammers
Dakota Hoefner-Slammers
Yisaac Tariku-Slammers
Nahum Nagusse-Beachdogs
Alex Providas-Beachdogs
AJ Evans-Slammers
Rohham Taherian-Stingers
Jaden Arellano-Stingers
Logan Cappiccille-Slammers
Danilo Samardzija-Slammers
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.
R.I.P. to my mother, Roberta Jean, who just passed away. I will miss her, and love you mom♥
Dr. Paul Drew, youth basketball coordinator at the Santa Monica Family YMCA, editor and publisher of Swish
