Doc Drew’s The Swish: Volume 19

Welcome to the first and only issue of volume nineteen 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.

Last season was the most challenging season with all of us having to come together and support each other after the horrific fires that all of LA county experienced, but we made it through and continue to thrive as we had another successful season of youth basketball at the Santa Monica Family YMCA.

This Spring season, the Santa Monica Family YMCA had 5 divisions of youth basketball, with the Copper, Bronze, and Gold divisions having 6 teams each, and the Silver division with 8 teams, and the Platinum division with 4 teams.

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, Richard Harris, and Jeanie Buss for helping us become the premier youth basketball program on the Westside.  Many thanks to UCLA Health for sponsoring the Junior Lakers jerseys.

For the theme of this season’s team names, I have gone to the birds as all the teams are named after state or territory birds of the United States.

You can see a list of state or territory birds here.

If you wish to register your child for the Summer 2025 season of youth basketball, then goto the following link to sign your child online:

First practices start on July 22nd, season ends September 28th.

Scrimmage Day 5/3/25

Copper 

Three scrimmages of six teams playing another team, in order to get more familiar with game play.

Wrens

The cactus wren is a species of wren that is endemic to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. It is the state bird of Arizona, and the largest wren in the United States.

Rav Karwal and Johnny Hong have returned to the Copper division with their daughters Soraya and Sonia respectively, to continue to help kids enjoy the sport of basketball 

Chickadees

The chickadees are a group of North American birds in the family Paridae included in the genus Poecile.  Their name reputedly comes from the fact that their calls make a distinctive “chick-a-dee-dee-dee”,^[3] though their normal call is “fee-bee”, and the “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” call is an alarm call. The number of “dees” depends on the predator.  The chickadee is also the state bird of Maine.

Tom Skapars has returned with his daughter Etty and some of her friends to try and repeat their Winter season championship.

Bluebirds

The mountain bluebird is a migratory small thrush that is found in mountainous districts of western North America.  Their call is a thin ‘few’ while their song is a warbled high ‘chur chur’. The mountain bluebird is the state bird of Idaho and Nevada. This bird is an omnivore and it can live 6 to 10 years in the wild. It eats spiders, grasshoppers, flies and other insects, and small fruits.

Newcomer Scott Roberts is coaching in the division, with his son Bryce returning as a player for his second season in the league.

Robins

The American robin is a migratory bird of the true thrush genus and Turdidae, the wider thrush family.  the American robin is the most abundant landbird in North America.  It is the state bird of Michigan and Wisconsin.

Andrew Robinson makes his debut as a coach at the YMCA, as his son Lawson plays on the team.

Purple Finches

The purple finch is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae. It breeds in the northern United States, southern Canada, and the west coast of North America. The purple finch was designated the state bird of New Hampshire in 1957.

Hodge Patterson returns with his son Hodge Jr., and has brought new coach, Casey Novell, as she also has her daughter Jane on the team.

Thrashers

The brown thrasher, sometimes erroneously called the brown thrush or fox-coloured thrush, is a bird in the family Mimidae, which also includes the New World catbirds and mockingbirds. The brown thrasher is abundant throughout the eastern and central United States and southern and central Canada, and it is the only thrasher to live primarily east of the Rockies and central Texas. It is the state bird of Georgia.

Coaches Ivan Gallegos with his son Aiden, and Joe Abrahams with his son Caleb have returned to conquer the Copper division.

Bronze

6 teams squared off in three scrimmages to get familiar with league play.

Mockingbirds

The northern mockingbird is a mockingbird commonly found in North America, of the family Mimidae. The species is also found in some parts of the Caribbean, as well as on the Hawaiian Islands. It is typically a permanent resident across much of its range, but northern mockingbirds may move farther south during inclement weather or prior to the onset of winter.  It is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and Tennessee.

David Sharafi with his son David are back again to shine in the Bronze division.

Rails

The Guam rail, known locally and in Chamorro as ko’ko’, is a small, terrestrial bird endemic to Guam in the Rallidae family.^] They are one of the island’s few remaining endemic bird species. The species became extinct in the wild in the early 1980s when biologists captured the remaining wild population to establish a breeding program.  Adult male and female plumage is primarily brown with barred black-and-white plumage on their underside. Their heads are brown with a grey stripe running above the eye and a medium-length grey bill. They have strong legs with long toes that help them walk over marshy groundTheir most common vocalizations are short “kip” notes, but also screeches during the breeding season.

Brayden Stoll is moving up a division to coach, along with assistants Alex Radosevic and Joscelyn Wippern who has brought her son Jacob to play on the team.

Doves

The Mariana fruit dove, totot in the Northern Marianas Islands or Paluman totut on Guam, also known as mwee’mwe in the Carolinian language, is a small, up to 24 cm (9.4 in) long, green fruit dove native and endemic to the Northern Marianas Islands in the Pacific and Guam. It has a red forehead; greyish head, back and breast; and yellow belly patch and undertail coverts. Sightings of the Mariana Fruit Dove on Guam are rare with up to two sightings per year.

Longtime coaches to the program, Alex Wang and Bing Sheng, are looking to repeat their bronze division championship.  Alex will have his son Owen and Bing will have his son Lincoln.

Grouse

The ruffed grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is non-migratory. The ruffed grouse is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a “partridge“, an unrelated phasianid, and occasionally confused with the grey partridge, a bird of open areas rather than woodlands.The ruffed grouse is the state game bird of Pennsylvania.

The dynamic duo of coaches, Ben Hsiang and Art Lyons, have returned to the Bronze division.  Ben will have his son Max, and Art will have his son Ray.

Larks

The lark bunting is a medium-sized American sparrow native to central and western North America. It was designated the state bird of Colorado in 1931. Lark buntings are small songbirds, with a short, thick, bluish bill. There is a large patch of white on the wings and they have a relatively short tail with white tips at the end of the feathers. The birds typically nest in dispersed colonies. Males fly up over their territory and sing while descending to declare ownership of a nesting territory. The song consists of a mix of whistles and trills. The call is a soft hoo.

Chris Lapierre has moved up to being head coach this season, an has his daughter Vivienne on the team.

Willows

The willow ptarmigan or willow grouse is a bird in the grouse subfamily Tetraoninae of the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is also known colloquially as awebo bird.The willow ptarmigan breeds in birch and other forests and moorlands in northern Europe, the tundra of Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska and Canada, in particular in the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec. It is the state bird of Alaska.

Priya Mevasse and Olivia Duarte have returned to coach after finishing a successful season of varsity high school basketball at Santa Monica High School, as they look to enrich their players with their knowledge and experience.

Silver

Four scrimmages featured the eight teams in the division.

Osprey

The osprey, historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60 cm (24 in) in length and 180 cm (71 in) across the wings. It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts.  It is the state raptor of Oregon.

Ben Ketai has returned to coach again in the Silver division, and has brought his talented son Jonas to help guide his team.

Quail

The California quail (Callipepla californica), also known as the California valley quail or Valley quail, is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. These birds have a curving crest, plume or topknot made of six feathers, that droops forward: black in males and brown in females; the flanks are brown with white streaks.  The California quail is a highly sociable bird that often gathers in small flocks known as “coveys”. One of their daily communal activities is a dust bath. A group of quail will select an area where the ground has been newly turned or is soft, and using their underbellies, will burrow downward into the soil some one to two inches. They then wriggle about in the indentations they have created, flapping their wings and ruffling their feathers, causing dust to rise in the air. They seem to prefer sunny places in which to create these dust baths.  The California quail is the state bird of California. It was established as the state bird in 1931.

Coach Kelly Roberts with his daughter Alice, and Coach Eugene Travnikoff with his daughter Cetine, have returned to coach again in the Silver division.

Hermits

The hermit thrush is a medium-sized North American thrush.  Hermit thrushes breed in coniferous or mixed woods across Canada, southern Alaska, and the northeastern and western United States. While most hermit thrushes migrate to wintering grounds in the southern United States and south to Central America, some remain in northern coastal US states and southern Ontario. Identification of spotted thrushes is simplified by the fact that hermit thrush is the only spotted thrush normally found in North America during winter. The hermit thrush’s song has been described as “the finest sound in nature” and is ethereal and flute-like, consisting of a beginning note, then several descending musical phrases in a minor key, repeated at different pitches.  It is the state bird of Vermont.

Alex Tilahun has returned to the Silver division, and he and his son Lucas look to lead their team to the top.

Cardinals

The northern cardinal, also commonly known as the common cardinal, red cardinal, or simply cardinal, is a bird in the genus Cardinalis. It can be found in southeastern Canada, through the eastern United States from Maine to Minnesota to Texas, New Mexico, southern Arizona, southern California and south through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. It is also an introduced species in a few locations such as Bermuda and all major islands of Hawaii since its introduction in 1929. Its habitat includes woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and wetlands. It is the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.  The northern cardinal is a mid-sized perching songbird with a body length of 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) and a crest on the top of its head.

Newcomers to the league, Phillip Cardona and Idan Geva have brought their sons Brooks and Sahar respectively to fly high in the Silver division.

Loons

The common loon or great northern diver is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. Breeding adults have a plumage that includes a broad black head and neck with a greenish, purplish, or bluish sheen, blackish or blackish-grey upperparts, and pure white underparts except some black on the undertail coverts and vent. Non-breeding adults are brownish with a dark neck and head marked with dark grey-brown. The common loon is the provincial bird of Ontario, and it appears on Canadian currency, including the one-dollar “loonie” coin and a previous series of $20 bills. In 1961, it was designated the state bird of Minnesota, and appears on the Minnesota State Quarter

Coaches Bing Sheng and Alex Wang have decided to do double duty, as they take on the Silver division by coaching their second team in the league.  Bing has his son Elliot, and Alex has his daughter Olivia.

Pheasants

The common pheasant, ring-necked pheasant, or blue-headed pheasant, is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). The genus name comes from Latin phasianus ‘pheasant’.  It is a well-known gamebird, among those of more than regional importance perhaps the most widespread and ancient one in the whole world. The common pheasant is one of the world’s most hunted birds; it has been introduced for that purpose to many regions, and is also common on game farms where it is commercially bred. The ring-necked subspecies group in particular are commonly bred and were introduced to many parts of the world; the game farm stock, though no distinct breeds have been developed yet, can be considered semi-domesticated. The ring-necked pheasant is the state bird of South Dakota, one of only two US state birds that is not a species native to the United States.

Coach Phil Volken has returned to the Silver division with his son Phoenix and his daughter Audri.  He has enlisted the help of Steven Chernovsky who has brought his daughter Leah to the team.

Gulls

The California gull is a medium-sized gull, smaller on average than the herring gull, but larger on average than the ring-billed gull (though it may overlap in size with both). Although named after California, it can be found annually across most of western North America, from the Canadian prairie provinces in the northeast and south through western Mexico.  The California gull is the state bird of Utah,remembered for assisting Mormon settlers in dealing with a plague of Mormon crickets.A monument in Salt Lake City commemorates this event, known as the “Miracle of the Gulls“.

Coaches Tom Casarella and Danny Bitar are back; Tom with sons Billy and Hugo, Danny with his son William.  They look to spread their wings and catch their opponents on the run.

Nene

The Nene, also known as the nēnē or the Hawaiian goose, is a species of bird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The Nene is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai, and Hawaiʻi. In 1957, it was designated as the official state bird of the state of Hawaiʻi.The Hawaiian name nēnē comes from its soft call. The specific name sandvicensis refers to the Sandwich Islands, a former name for the Hawaiian Islands.The nene is a large-sized goose at 41 cm (16 in) tall. Although they spend most of their time on the ground, they are capable of flight, with some individuals flying daily between nesting and feeding areas.

Coach Noah Verleun with his son Soren, are back again to continue to help the players enjoy the league and improve their skills.

Gold 

6 teams had a scrimmage against one of their division rivals.

Orioles

The Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) is a small icterid blackbird common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird. It received its name from the resemblance of the male’s colors to those on the coat-of-arms of 17th-century Lord Baltimore. Observations of interbreeding between the Baltimore oriole and the western Bullock’s oriole Icterus bullockii, led to both being classified as a single species, called the northern oriole, from 1973 to 1995.  The Baltimore oriole is the state bird of Maryland, and the namesake and mascot for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.

Johnny Hong with his son Judah, and veteran coach Eugene Travnikoff with his son Auden are doing double duty with coaching a second team in the Gold division.

Bananaquits

The bananaquit (Coereba flaveola) is a species of passerine bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. Before the development of molecular genetics in the 21st century, its relationship to other species was uncertain and it was either placed with the buntings and New World sparrows in the family Emberizidae, with New World warblers in the family Parulidae or its own monotypic family Coerebidae. This small, active nectarivore is found in warmer parts of the Americas and is generally common. Its name is derived from its yellow color and the English word quit, which refers to small passerines of tropical America; cf. grassquit, orangequit.  It is the official bird of the Virgin Islands.

Coach Jennifer Lynn has returned to the Gold division with her son Oliver, as they look to take off and fly high.

Yellowhammers

The northern flicker or common flicker (Colaptes auratus) is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. Over 100 common names for the northern flicker are known, including yellowhammer, clape, gaffer woodpecker, harry-wicket, heigh-ho, wake-up, walk-up, wick-up, yarrup, and gawker bird. Many of these names derive from attempts to imitate some of its calls. It is the state bird of Alabama (known by its colloquial name “yellowhammer”).

Jason Silverstein has returned with his son Jaxon, to ascend to the top of the division. 

Meadowlarks

The western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is a medium-sized icterid bird, about 8.5 in (22 cm) in length. It is found across western and central North America and is a full migrant, breeding in Canada and the United States with resident populations also found in Mexico.The western meadowlark nests on the ground in open grasslands and shrublands. It feeds on bugs and seeds.The western meadowlark has distinctive calls described as watery or flute-like, which distinguish it from the closely related eastern meadowlark.The western meadowlark is the state bird of six states: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming.

Coaches DJ Jacobs and Keith Muenze have returned with their sons Buck and Leon respectively, as they look to fly to the top of the division.

Spindalis

The Puerto Rican spindalis is a bird endemic to the island of Puerto Rico, where it is commonly known as reina mora or cigua puertorriqueña. The species is widely distributed throughout the island and is an important part of the Puerto Rican ecosystem because of its help in seed dispersal and plant reproduction. The Puerto Rican spindalis is currently found more commonly in plantations than in their natural habitat, the forests of Maricao and the El Yunque National Forest.It may also be found in gardens, scavenging for flower nectar, and other areas where fruits are grown. It can be attracted by a sugar solution. It is distributed throughout the entire main island of Puerto Rico and is rarely found above 1000 meters in elevation.

Coach Noah Verleun will be coaching his second team in the league, this team will have his son Linus.  

Goldfinches

The American goldfinch is a small North American bird in the finch family. It is migratory, ranging from mid-Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and from just south of the Canada–United States border to Mexico during the winter. The American goldfinch flies in a distinctive undulating pattern, creating a wave-shaped path. This normally consists of a series of wing beats to lift the bird, then folding in the wings and gliding in an arc before repeating the pattern. Birds often vocalize during the flapping phase of the pattern and then go silent during the coasting phase. The call made during flight is “per-twee-twee-twee”, or “ti-di-di-di”, punctuated by the silent periods.They communicate with several distinct vocalizations, including one that sounds like “po-ta-to-chip” to the listener.The American goldfinch is the state bird of Iowa and New Jersey, where it is called the eastern goldfinch, and Washington, where it is called the willow goldfinch.

Coach Arash Yaghoubzadeh has returned to coaching in the Gold division, and has brought his two sons, Leo and Ocean.

Platinum

4 teams each played a scrimmage against another team.

Blue Hens

The Delaware Blue Hen or Blue Hen of Delaware is a blue strain of American gamecock. Under the name Blue Hen Chicken it is the official bird of the State of Delaware. It is the emblem or mascot of several institutions in the state, among them the sports teams of the University of Delaware. The birds kept by the University of Delaware have been cross-bred with birds of the Blue Andalusian breed from Spain, and have acquired many of its characteristics.They are Mediterranean in appearance, and no longer resemble the original fighting birds.The body is different in both shape and size, there is less gold coloration on the neck hackles, and the earlobes are white rather than the original red.

Coach Armando Gonzalez with his son Diego are back again in the Platinum division after winning the title last season.  An early delay in Armando starting saw Nicholas Walker graciously fill in until his return.

Roadrunners

The greater roadrunner is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, from the Aridoamerica region in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. The scientific name means “Californian earth-cuckoo”. Along with the lesser roadrunner, it is one of two species in the genus Geococcyx. This roadrunner is also known as the chaparral cock, ground cuckoo, and snake killer. Although capable of limited flight, it spends most of its time on the ground, and can run at speeds up to 20 mph.  The greater roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico and, as such, appeared in a 1982 sheet of 20-cent United States stamps showing 50 state birds and flowers.  

Returning and veteran coach Bill Kravitz with his son Dylan will look to land on top in the Platinum division.

Peregrines

The peregrine falcon, also known simply as the peregrine,is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. The peregrine is renowned for its speed. Some sources state that it can reach over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive),which would make it the fastest animal on the planet, but, according to a National Geographic TV program, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph). In many parts of the world peregrine falcons have adapted to urban habitats, nesting on cathedrals, skyscraper window ledges, tower blocks,and the towers of suspension bridges. The peregrine falcon is the state raptor of Idaho.

Our most talented young coach, Brayden Stoll, will be leading these young players to attain new heights in their game.  He will be assisted by longtime coach and his father, Brent Stoll.

Reds

The Rhode Island Red is an American breed of domestic chicken. It is the state bird of Rhode Island.It was developed there and in Massachusetts in the late nineteenth century, by cross-breeding birds of Oriental origin such as the Malay with brown Leghorn birds from Italy.  The color of the plumage of the traditional Rhode Island red ranges from a lustrous deep red to almost black; the tail is mostly black.The comb may be either single or rose-comb; it is vivid red, as are the earlobes and wattles.The beak is a reddish horn color, the eyes are reddish bay, and the feet and legs are yellow, often with some red on the toes and sides of the shanks.The traditional dual-purpose “old-type” Rhode Island Red lays 200–300 brown eggs per year, and yields rich-flavored meat. 

One of our all-time most popular coaches, Joe Tilley, is back in the Platinum division to help guide the players on and off the court.

SAT 5/10/25  WEEKEND #1

Wrens vs Robins

The opening match of the regular season started off with the Robins taking the first half lead with a couple of baskets from Joshua B and Cal H.  The Wrens would get most of their scoring going in the second half as Raffaele G was able to make all of the Wrens points with help from Dylan M and Holden C grabbing rebounds.  The Robins were able to pull away further in the second half as Teddy C got on the scoreboard along with teammate Daniel W.  Cal H contributed a couple more baskets, earning him Player of the Game, as the Robins got the first victory of the season.

Thrashers vs Chickadees

The Chickadees had several players that were on last season’s copper championship team, which had Huntley T score a couple of baskets for them in this match, and newcomers William G and Saydee M got rebounds, and Ronan S assisted on a basket.  However, the Thrashers were very consistent throughout the match as they had rebounds from Miles P, a basket from Oliver W and eight points from Ellis L as he earned Player of the Game honors to give the Thrashers the victory.

Larks vs Mockingbirds

The Larks started the scoring with a basket from Hank C, but then the Mockingbirds would get a basket each from Jake J and David S along with some very good defense from Mavis G and Owen G.  The Larks would pull away in the second half as Jordan C and Jones U each had a basket with assists from Sophie O, but the real star of the game was Louis L, as he had a double-double with 11 points and had 14 rebounds, as he was the obvious Player of the Game, and helped the Larks go onto victory.

Willows vs Grouse

The Willows struck first with a basket from George B and a free throw made from Zachary C.  The Grouse would get a basket each from Max H and Ray L to take a small halftime lead. In the second half, the Willows were able to get buckets each from Zachary C and Henry C; however, the Grouse would get strong performances with rebounds from Adam F, a basket from Quentin D, and multiple shots made with nothing but net from Zayden R as he not only earned Player of the Game, but also led his team to victory.

Silver

Gulls vs Pheasants

The Gulls controlled the first half, as they had multiple baskets from Julian G and player of the game Rome R as he had 10 of his 14 game points in the first quarter alone.  The Pheasants would actually outscore the Gulls in the second half as Victor L, Bodhi, and Phoenix V became the three bucketeers, as they were making threes from downtown, and teammate Cayson G had the traditional duece from the side.  The Gulls were able to hang on for the win, as they were able to get a basket each from Hugo C and Miles W, and multiple shots made from Aiden Y to walk off with the victory.

Hermits vs Nene

The Hermits were looking to cook the goose as Lucas A, Maximus A, and Mateo C all had baskets with drives to the hoop.  But before the hermits put the goose in the oven, then the Nene were able to get a ‘3’ from Ignacio G, and  multiple baskets and assists from Player of the Game-Teddy M to take the halftime lead.  The Hermits fought back in the second half, as Krsna P had a trey, Landon S made a basket, and Rocco T made all his free throws.  Then Nene would get multiple baskets and rebounds from William H and Ilya Z, as they were able to pull far enough ahead for the victory.

Loons vs Osprey

The Loons controlled most of this match as multiple baskets were scored by Decker A, Walker R, and Player of the Game-Pablo G in the first half, and Sadie B, Max L, Olivia W adding a bucket each in the second half.  The Osprey had their scoring from Gianna S, Jonas K, and Beck B.  The Osprey had good game performances from newcomers to the league:  Halle G and Luke G as they made several steals and got rebounds to help their team.  The Loons would go onto victory as Elliot S and Everest F would also make it onto the scorecard.

Gold

Goldfinches vs Meadowlarks

The Goldfinches had first half scoring from Henry F, Dylan R, and Leo Y;  while the Meadowlarks had first half scoring from Emet K, Rohan P, Beau Z, and Luca T to take the lead at halftime.  The Goldfinches were able to get closer in the second half as Ocean Y and Andrey S were connecting from distance;  however, the Meadowlarks would have Buck J, Zayd S, and Player of the Game-Dylan Jackson control the boards to get offensive rebounds to put back in for points as they went onto the victory.

Bananaquits vs Spindalis

The Banaquits struck first with a nice driving layup from newcomer Jason D.  The Spindalis would then take over with a strong first half that had a couple of makes from Keegan E, ‘3’s from Linus V and Asher M, and a basket from Beni O.  In the second half, the Bananaquits would have newcomer Georg L make a nice floater in the lane, and two outside swish shots made from Oliver Lynn to cut into the lead of the Spindalis, but the Spindalis would have Harrison B bank in a shot, and Player of the Game-Ezra E have a double-double in points and rebounds to power his team to victory.

Roadrunners vs Reds

The Roadrunners had first half scoring from Radin T, Augie T, and Noah L who had a nice reverse layup;  but, the Reds would take the lead at halftime with their big frontline players of Mohamed D, Joshua E, Dylan M, and Kai H controlling the boards with their bigger size and putting the rebounds back in for points.  The Reds kept their lead through the third quarter as Judah H, Brandon I, and Dominic D became dime dealers and found open teammates for layups.  The Roadrunners kept pace with baskets from Ibrahim A and Radin T.  For all intents and purposes, it looked as if the Reds would cruise to victory;  but, then it all changed in the fourth quarter as the Roadrunners Dylan K went on a hot streak that I have never seen before in our program.  He could not miss as he had three ‘3’s, four deuces, and multiple steals to which the Roadrunners went on a 20-0 run.  Within a blink of an eye, the Roadrunners ended up winning the match by 15 points.  17 fourth quarter points was the most that any player in the history of our league has scored in the final quarter;  therefore, not only was Dylan K the Player of the Game, he was also earned Player of the Week.  One of the most outstanding performances that I have ever seen.

Photo by Stacy Kravitz 

SUN 5/11/25

Copper

Purple Finches vs Bluebirds

The Bluebirds did most of their chirping in the first half as they had baskets made by newcomer Matthew M, Bryce R, and Player of the Game-Cody G.  The Purple Finches would get going in the second half, as Nara W controlled the boards and found teammate John L open to which he would score.  The Bluebirds hung on to the victory as Nicolas L added a basket.

Rails vs Doves

Photo by Dean Georgaris

Early matchup between two of the teams with more experienced players.  The Doves got out to a huge first half lead on baskets from Owen W, Lincoln S, and Player of the Game-Russell D;  however, the Rails would have a strong second and third quarter to grab the lead, as Jaxon O had four baskets in the second frame, Kosmos K would score his first ever Bronze division hoop, and Tomas Leblond would make both his free throws and add another couple of baskets.  The Doves regrouped, and spread the ball around as Bennet Z and Josephine C found open players for scores, and Rohan Henderson controlled the boards to put back rebounds for points, as the Doves got the lead back and held on at the very end.

Silver

Pheasants vs Loons

Photo by Josh Levy

The Loons controlled most of this match as they took the early lead with baskets from Finn P, Sadie B, and Player of the Game-Olivia W, as they received assists from Saum S.  The Pheasants won the battle of the second half as they got buckets from Ari Levy, Victor L, Bodhi P, and Phoenix V.  The Pheasants also got newcomers and BFFs Leah C and Audri S having a block party as they rejected multiple shots.  In the end, the Loons won as they showed great ball distribution for a team total of 7 assists in the second half.

Quail vs Cardinals

This would be a topsy turvy match, and would have a wild ending.  The first quarter was all the Quail as Bobby D had two baskets, and Liana E made a nice turnaround jumper off of a dime from Nanda A.  The Cardinals would have diversified scoring to win the second quarter, as Colin C, Milos T, and Player of the Game-Brooks C each made a basket.  Defense took over the third quarter as the two teams locked it down.  With full court pressure in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals took advantage as they created multiple turnovers that led to baskets by Sahar G, Tyler K, and Liam H as they went on a 9-0 run to take a 3 point lead with seconds left.  The Quail had been scoreless all quarter, and a last second heave from the deep right corner backed in off of an impossible angle, as Player of the Game-Charlie K was able to launch it before the buzzer to tie the match.  I asked Charlie if he called ‘Bank’ on the shot, and he said yes, to which I believe him.  It was the first ‘Kiss your sister’ of the season, as the game ended in a draw.

Nene vs Gulls

The Gulls took the halftime lead as Hugo C had a ‘3’, and William B had multiple baskets from putbacks as he was controlling the boards.  The Nene kept pace with baskets from Killian G and Soren Verleun.  The second half saw good defense from Knute H and Theodore R to keep the Gulls ahead through the fourth quarter.  The Nene were able to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter as Max A made multiple blocks, Nicholas J got rebounds, and Teddy M and Player of the Game-Ilya Z scored multiple points to give their team the come from behind victory.

Gold

Yellowhammers vs Orioles

Strong first half from the Yellowhammers as Beau E, Ray S, Drew W, and Keshav S scored multiple points with their sharpshooting skills;  while the Orioles stayed close with baskets from Auden T and Elliot S.  Although the Yellowhammers had a big lead going into the second half, the Orioles put on full court pressure in which multiple turnovers were created that led to a pair of treys from Matthew K, a pair of baskets each from Cade M and Juliana H, free throws converted by Nicholas C, and before you knew it, the match was even going into the fourth quarter.  The Yellowhammers would take over the fourth quarter as Theodore E would make drives to the hoop, and Declan W and Player of the Game-Krishna A would make ‘3’s from way downtown to give their team the lead for good and onto the win.

Platinum

Peregrines vs Blue Hens

Photo by Jean Paik 

The Peregrines took the lead into halftime with multiple field goals from Rohham T, a ‘3’ from newcomer Rex S, and a putback bucket from Rowan O.  The Blue Hens had baskets from Louis M, Ezra M, and Ryan Y to stay close at halftime, then they were able to make a solid run in the third quarter as Lavi G, Dylan Z, and Liam A led the comeback with inside the lane scores, and tie it up going into the fourth quarter.  The Blue Hens continued to get points from Louis M and Ezra M;  the Peregrines would counter and take the lead for good in the final minutes as Henry M who was making his Platinum division debut made crucial layups, and Caleb S and Player of the Game-Declan W would nail the 3-ball in the final minute to give their team the victory.

SAT 5/17/25  WEEKEND #2

Copper

Robins vs Bluebirds

Photo by Stephanie Bojorquez

The Bluebirds had most of their scoring from Cody G and Player of the Game-Bryce R, but also had good defense from Sebastian P and Avila R to have a big lead that they never gave up.  The Robins were able to get baskets from Cal H and Lawson R, and rebounds from Jules T and Teddy C to help their team get points on the scoreboard.  In the end, a couple of steals from Indio W helped to secure the victory for the Bluebirds.

Chickadees vs Purple Finches

Back and forth action throughout this match, with the Chickadees getting first half scoring from Samuel S and Player of the Game-Etty S to take a one point lead at halftime;  The Purple Finches had most of their first half scoring from Nara W, and rebounds from Connor T and Jane W.  In the second half, the Purple Finches got a couple of steals from Cam F and Elijah A to get the ball to John L who scored 10 of his game high 12 points in the second half.  The Chickadees had to get a late basket in the fourth quarter from Eleanor C, and some lockdown defense in the final seconds, as William G and Naomi B wouldn’t allow the Purple Finches to get the last shot up, and they held on for the one point victory.

Bronze

Willows vs Rails

Photo by Dean Georgaris

The Rails had a strong first half with multiple field goals from Matthew A and Player of the Game-Titus A, and a basket from Jayson G to take a big lead into halftime.  The Willows would have a strong second half, as Henry C and Zachary C would score multiple points, and JJ S and James W would gather rebounds that brought their team closer to try to take the lead.  The Rails would rally in the fourth quarter as Cameron D would make a free throw, Alexander W got steals, and Kosmos K would make his first Bronze basket to give their team the victory.

Photo by Denise Maratos

Grouse vs Larks

Larks were all first quarter with multiple makes from Louis Liu, and a basket each from Jordan C and Sophie O.  The Grouse won the second quarter as Max H and Zayden R would each make a bucket with their outside shooting.  The Larks would win the third quarter with a field goal from Hank C, a free throw from Jones U, and strong rebounding from Canasia B.  The fourth quarter saw the Grouse get all the scoring, as Ray L had a strong quarter, but it wouldn’t be enough to catch the Larks as they would hold on for the win.

Silver

Cardinals vs Loons

The Cardinals had first half scoring from Auggie F, Sahar G, and Nakai S;  the Loons had first half scoring from Oscar F, Saum S, and Olivia W to take the halftime lead.  In the second half, the Cardinals got Milos T, Liam H, and Landon W on the scoreboard as they made nice drives to the hoop.  The Loons had a strong third quarter from Elliot S as he had several buckets including an “And1”, but the real star of the match was Player of the Game-Decker A who had a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Loons to the victory.

Osprey vs Gulls

Tight first half with multiple lead changes, as the Gulls had a ‘3” each from George C and Rome R, a perfect 2 for 2 from the charity stripe by Julian C, and a nice outside shot made by Hugo C.  The Osprey had first half scoring from Beck B, Gianna S, and Oliver F, and continued their scoring in the third quarter as Luke G made a couple of hook shots.  The Gulls took over in the fourth quarter as Loren G and Aiden Y each made a basket, and Player of the Game-William B took over as he had 10 of his game high 12 points in the second half to lead his team to the victory.

Nene vs Quail

Photo by Dean Georgaris

The Quail were tough on defense as Frida G and Cetine T would not allow the Nene to score any points in the first half, and get the ball to teammates Nanda A and Bobby D to give their team the lead at halftime.  The Nene got back on track in the second half, as Liam Y had a couple of nice makes off of assists from Teddy M and William H, and Greyson L controlled the boards on the misses.  But the day belonged to the Quail, as Riggan M made a basket, and Player of the Game-Alice Roberts took over and became the leading scorer for the match and led her team to the victory.

Photo by Jaime and Mayra Guzman

Gold

Meadowlarks vs Bananaquits 

Mostly the Meadowlarks as Beau Z, Rohan P, Dylan J, and Player of the Game-Emet Ketai were the leading scorers.  The Bananaquits got scoring from Georg L and Jason D, and had rebounds from Natcha W and Naphat W, along with several steals from Megan O and Julian Z to help their team fight on, and improve their team play.  The Meadowlarks won with assists from Buck Jacobs to remain undefeated in the division.

Orioles vs Goldfinches

Photo by Brian Read

The Goldfinches controlled the first half with multiple makes from Jordan S and Trevor S, while the Orioles kept pace with a basket from Siddhant K, a trey from Matthew K, and several baskets from Player of the Game-Cade M.  In the second half, the Goldfinches had some tight defense from Connor V who grabbed multiple rebounds and had several blocks;  however, the Orioles countered with a couple of field goals from Andy H, and free throws made from Elliot I and Matthew K to come from behind and claim the victory.

Matthew K received his award for Most Outstanding Player in the Gold division last season.  Photo by Macarena Klass

Platinum

Blue Hens vs Roadrunners

The Roadrunners relied heavily on the “3” ball as Dylan K had a plethora of downtown makes, and Noah L and Player of the Game-Chloe S each had a nice swish from distance, as their team built a good lead going into the halftime break.  The Blue Hens would do most of their scoring in the second half, as sub player Judah H had a ‘3”, Ryan Y, Liam A, and Lavi G had multiple points;  however, the Roadrunners would continue to score as Danny Z, Daniel F, and Ibrahim A would putback rebounds for points and help their team go onto the victory.

SUN 5/18/25

Copper

Robins vs Purple Finches

A strong first half from the Robins helped them get a good lead at halftime as Joshua B scored all eight of his points in the first half with help from Teddy C and Lawson R as they were able to grab a couple of steals and get the ball up the court. The Purple Finches were able to have a much stronger second half in which John L scored eight of his 10 points in the second half as he was assisted by Augustine M and Connor T. Nora W had another strong game again, as she got rebounds and went coast to coast for drives that led to scores. The Purple Finches were making a comeback, but the Robins were able to get the victory as Player of Game-Cal H had a game high 12 points in which most of his points came in the final minutes to help his team get the victory.

Thrashers vs Wrens

The Thrashers would go on to win this match as Ellis L, Caleb A, Aiden G, and Jack M all had multiple baskets, and Desmond S made a free throw.  The Wrens were able to get first time baskets from Soraya K, Alexis S, and Zach S to make it a respectable score.  The Thrashers saw Player of the Game-Oliver W score his first basket ever!, and everyone went home happy.

Bronze

Doves vs Mockingbirds

Photo by Carol Chan

The Doves pitched a shutout in the first half, primarily due to tough defense as Josephine C, Clara C, Ivy H, and Sabrina G would not allow the opponent to get shots up.  The Doves got most of their scoring in the first half from Russell D as he had all 10 of his points in the first half.  In the second half, the Mockingbirds got their scoring going as Esme C was making baskets and free throws, as she was assisted by David S, and the defense picked up as Issa A and Devraj K created turnovers.  The Doves would go onto the victory as a free throw was each made by Bennet Z and Player of the Game-Sofia A.

Cardinals vs Hermits

Photo by Carol Chan

See-saw first half as the Hermits got all their first quarter scoring from Lucas A as he was assisted by Landon  S, and all their second quarter scoring from Mateo C..  The Cardinals were able to grab the lead by halftime as Colin C, Sahar G, Liam H, and Beau K all had baskets from hook and bank shots.  In the third quarter, the Hermits got scoring from Krsna P, River S, and Kailash S to get the lead back;  however the Cardinals took advantage of the fourth quarter press to get turnovers that led to points by Tyler K, Auggie F, and Player of the Game-Nakai S as they were able to hold on for the victory. 

Lucas A received his award for Most Outstanding Player in the silver division, and Kailash S for Most Improved in the silver division for the Winter season.  Photos by Jeremy Stanton

Pheasants vs Osprey

The Pheasants started the scoring with baskets from Ari L and Bodhi P;  however, the Osprey got Luke G and Oliver F on the scoreboard to tie it up in the second quarter.  The Pheasants would have the tough defensive tandem of Leah C and Audri V prevent the outside scoring from happening and get the ball to Cayson G for a couple of scores, but the Osprey had a couple of secret weapons which would be Grace P and Jonas K who would find ways to get the ball in the hoop.  Grace P was making shots from the elbow corner of the free throw lane, and Jonas K would earn Player of the Game honors as he had 20 points with drives up and under to get past the defense, and then when the defense shut the door, he would bomb it from the three line, as he led his team to their first victory of the season

Gold

Spindalis vs Yellowhammers

First quarter scoring for the Spindalis came from Asher M and Beni O; the Yellowhammers had drives made by Theo E and Finn P.  The second quarter saw the Spindalis get a “3” from Nathanaiel W and a deuce from Linus V;  The Yellowhammers had a trey each from Beau E and  Declan W, along with two baskets from Keshav S to take the halftime lead.  In the third quarter, the Spindalis got Jonathan W and Ezra E on the scoreboard to get close to getting the lead back, and had Quest D start the fourth quarter with a basket to tie it up.  The Yellowhammers would take over for the rest of the match as Jaxon S would be the dime dealer as he found Declan W and Player of the Game-Drew W open for easy makes which helped to give the Yellowhammers the victory.

Platinum 

Reds vs Peregrines

The Peregrines took off early and fast, and soared to a big lead with baskets from Leonardo G, Rowan O, and R T thanks to great assists by Caleb S.  The Reds would get their scoring going as Dylan C and Mohamed D would make drives to the basket, and Judah H and Zachary L would lock down on D with some nice pickpocketing.  The Peregrines would be too strong on this day as Sean D not only blocked shots, he would then make a ‘3’ as well, and Player of the Game-Max P would make his drives to the hoop, and convert his free throws to give their team a comfortable lead to go onto the victory.

SAT 5/31/25 WEEKEND #3 

Copper

Chickadees vs Wrens

All the first half scoring for the Chickadees came from Sam S; the Wrens had a first half bucket from Lucas R, along with several blocks from Alishan N.  The Wrens had a second half field goal from Raffaele G and a couple of steals from Soraya K;  however, the Chickadees would get all their second half scoring from Etty S, and multiple rebounds from Player of the Game-Naomi B, as their team went onto the victory.

Bluebirds vs Thrashers

The Bluebirds struck first with a basket from Cody G; but, the Thrashers came back to take the lead with baskets from Ellis L as he was assisted by Ethan C and Desmond S.  Mostly defense in the second and third quarters with steals from the Aiden G of the Thrashers; and, rebounds from Matthew M and Lorenzo A of the Bluebirds.  In the final quarter, the scoring picked up as Bryce R got on the scoreboard to give the Bluebirds the lead, but the Thrashers would have a free throw made by Miles H, and a basket each from Caleb A and Jack M to get the narrow victory.

Bronze

Mockingbirds vs Willows

The Willows struck first with a basket from Zachary C;  however, the Mockingbirds would come back with a bucket from Devraj K as he was assisted by Esme C.  The Willows got Natalie W and George B to give them field goals in the second half;  but, the Mockingbirds would take the lead for good as Lucas G and Owen G had the long range shots going in, and Player of the Game-Ryder K made multiple drives to the hoop to score a game high 12 points and give his team their first victory of the season.

Doves vs Larks

The Larks would employ a tough perimeter defense in which turnovers were created by Sophie O and Sora N who then gave assists to Gavin M and Louis L for multiple points to take a big early lead.  The Doves would make a valiant effort to come back in the second half as Owen W converted multiple free throws, and Bennet Z would control the boards.  The Larks would go onto the victory as Hank C had floaters going in, and Player of the Game-Jordan C had a couple of ankle breaker moves on the dribble to get to the hoop for the scores, and help his team remain undefeated in the division.

Silver

Quail vs Hermits

The Hermits had first half scoring from Anthony W and rebounds from Alex B;  The Quail had baskets from Cetine T and Levi L to get the halftime lead.  In the second half, the Hermits got closer with free throws made by Krsna P, and a drives converted from Lucas A.  The Quail would go onto the victory as Liana E got onto the scoreboard, and teammate Bobby D had a game high 11 points to earn Player of the Game honors, and lead his team to the victory.

Gulls vs Cardinals

Strong first half from the Cardinals that featured multiple makes from Auggie F, Wyatt M, Sahar G;  The Gulls kept pace with baskets from George C and Loren G.  The second half saw the Gulls get a basket each from Knute H, Julian G, and Aiden Y to get closer;  however, the Cardinals would pull away as Beau K would score, and Player of the Game-Tyler K would have a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds to help the Cardinals get the victory.

Gold

Goldfinches vs Spindalis

Neck and neck first quarter as each team exchanged baskets with the Spindalis getting scoring from Quest D and Nathanaiel W;  while the Goldfinches had buckets from Ocean Y and Leo Y.  The second quarter belonged to the Goldfinches as Alexander M, Andrey S, and Trevor S each had makes.  In the second half, the Spindalis had a strong performance from Ezra E as he had 13 of his game high 21 points along with points from teammate Linus V;  but, the Goldfinches would counter as Conner V grabbed rebounds and found an open Jordan S who had a couple of treys to give his team pull away a get the victory on this day.

Bananaquits vs Yellowhammers

The Yellowhammers did most of their damage in the first half with multiple baskets from Theo E, Beau E, and Player of the Game-Declan W to build a big lead at halftime.  The Bananaquits would win the battle of the second half for points, as Jason D and Norman T had multiple points, and Caleb O had a strong performance with a couple of baskets and a dozen rebounds.  The Yellowhammers would go onto the victory with Niam P and Keshav S getting onto the scoreboard to keep the lead to the end.

Orioles vs Meadowlarks

This would be a Dickens of a match, as it was the tale of it was the best of halves, and it was the worst of halves, as each half had its ups and downs for each team. The Meadowlarks controlled the first quarter with a basket from Emet K and an And1 from Rohan P, and they continued their scoring in the second quarter as Archie L and Beau Z made outside shots.  The Orioles really didn’t get going until the third quarter when they shut out the Meadowlarks and went on a 14-0 run which included baskets from Siddhant K, Josiah H, Juliana H, and Cade M.  The Orioles would continue their hot shooting in the fourth quarter, as Matthew K had 8 of his game high 13 points in the fourth frame to give his team the lead;  however, the Meadowlarks would regroup, as Buck J made a bucket, Rohan P had a ‘3’ and couple of frees, and Player of the Game-Zayd S had a couple of big rebounds for putbacks to get closer to the Orioles.  It wasn’t until the final seconds that the Meadowlarks had Emet K step up to the charity stripe and nail both free throws to give his team the one point victory in quite a thriller.

Platinum

Peregrines vs Roadrunners

The Peregrines struck first and took the early lead as Leo G had a ‘3’, Henry M would make the putback, and Max P would have 8 points in the first half.  The Roadrunners would fight back as they had Conrad D making steals, Kaya D making the trey from far away, Danny Z on the loose with his coast to coast runaway freight train drives, and Chloe S had her inside and outside game going with nice dribbling moves to score at the hoop and from distance, as the Roadrunners would grab the lead at halftime.  The Peregrines would do their best to try and catch the Roadrunners, as Caleb S would make some nice swish shots from long range;  however, as Wile E. Coyote found out, it is not easy to catch a Roadrunner.  The Roadrunners would go onto the victory as Ibrahim A and Noah L each added a bucket, and Player of the Game-Augie T had multiple baskets and assists to help his team maintain their lead till the end, and allow the Roadrunners to get away.  Next time Wile, get equipment from ACME to catch a roadrunner.

SUN 6/1/25

Copper

Wrens vs Purple Finches

The Purple Finches would get their first victory of the season as Mason H and John L each had 6 points, Connor T would lead the match in assists, and Player of the Game-Nara W had a double-double of 10 points and 18 rebounds to put on quite a show.  The Wrens got all their scoring from Lucas R, and some good defense from Dylan M, Sonia H, and Soraya K.

Bronze

Rails vs Grouse

The Grouse were a little shorthanded to start, so they borrowed a few Rails, and were able to get the first half lead with the help of Tomas L from the Rails scoring 7 points, and rebounds from Max H and Ashley N.  The Rails got their scoring going in the second half with Kosmos K making multiple long shots, Jaxon O using the backboard for a couple of makes, and Player of the Game-Tomas L switching back to his team to score 6 points.  The Grouse would have the stronger second half in which Ray L had 14 points and Player of the Game-Zayden R would make nothing but net on his shots to give the Grouse the victory, but the Rails would also get the victory for letting the Grouse use their players, so everybody wins!

Silver

Hermits vs Pheasants

Photo by Carol Chan

The Pheasants controlled the first half with multiple baskets from Ari L and Victor L, as they found ways to drive the ball down low for scores, but also make the side shots from distance as well.  The Hermits would control the third quarter as Lucas A, Maximus A, Mateo C, and Krsna A would lead the comeback as they each had a basket, and before you knew it, they were right on the tail of the Pheasants.  In the fourth quarter, the Hermits continued to score as Rocco T and River S made shots from the elbow as they got the lead;  however, the Pheasants would put together some tough defense as Kris P and Tyler E forced turnovers and found Audri V open down low to score her first two baskets ever!  And then August S and Player of the Game-Bodhi P took over and made multiple baskets toward the end of the match to give the Pheasants their first victory of the season.

Osprey vs Quail

Mostly Quail in this match as Levi L, Riggan M, and Player of the Game-Sebastian A had multiple field goals with the help of great defense from Cetine T and Frida G.  The Osprey did get a ‘3’ from Oliver F, and multiple points from Jonas K, but also had improvement in skills shown by Sachiko T, Henry W, Poppy M, Halle G, and Eli P as all of them grabbed multiple rebounds and did a great job with their passing and dribbling.  The Quail would go onto the victory, as Griffin M and Nanda A also contributed with points and rebounds.

Gold

Spindalis vs Meadowlarks

This would be the most exciting match of the day.  The Spindalis got a big lead in the first half as Quest D scored with a nice putback, Beni O and Asher M had baskets, and silver division sub Jonas K was dishing out dimes to Ezra E who had 13 first half points.  The Meadowlarks would save their best for the second half to take advantage of the full court press to wear down the shorthanded Spindalis, as multiple turnovers led to ‘3’s by Emet K and Viggo M, and Oliver M and Beau Z had the outside shot going as they were able to put on a late fourth quarter surge to take the lead;  however, with only seconds to go, Player of the Game-Ezra E got the only fourth quarter points on a drive to the hoop to finish the match with a game high 20 points, and give the Spindalis the last second victory in a nailbiter.

Orioles vs Bananaquits

The Bananaquits struck first with a quick layup by Oliver H off the jump ball, and an outside shot from Jason D.  The Orioles would come back to take a narrow lead at halftime on a basket by Elliot I, and multiple points from Auden T.  The Orioles would extend their lead in the second half with baskets from Nicholas C, Josiah H, and Juliana H, as they were helped by the good defense of Elliott C.  The Bananaquits had second half baskets from Caleb O and Naphat W.  The Orioles went onto the victory as Player of the Game-Auden T would finish with a game high 20 points.

Platinum

Reds vs Blue Hens

Photo by Apolonia Drew

First half scoring for the Reds came from Kai H and Dylan M as they were assisted by Justin P. The Blue Hens had first half scoring from Liam A and Louis M to take the halftime lead, and they expanded on their lead in the second half with Lavi G and Dylan Z providing good defense to get the ball to open players Ezra M and Diego G for multiple ‘3”s.  The Reds would do their best to make a comeback as Zachary L had a basket, and Judah H and Kamden K got rebounds;  but, the Blue Hens would continue their hot shooting as Player of the Game-Diego G would be on fire from beyond the arc to finish the match with a quad set of treys and a victory for his team. 

SAT 6/7/25 WEEKEND #4

Copper

Robins vs Thrashers

The Thrashers were able to build a big lead in the first half as Ellis L and Desmond S did the scoring for their team;  The Robins got their scoring going in the second half as the Teddys tandem of Teddy C and Teddy S each had a free throw made, and Joshua B scored a couple of buckets as he was assisted by Cal H and Daniel W, and Lia M grabbed a couple of rebounds.  The Thrashers were able to build on their lead as Caleb A and Jack M each had a basket, and Player of the Game-Aiden G crashed the boards and put back the rebounds for points to give his team the victory, and remain undefeated in the division.  

Chickadees vs Bluebirds

The Chickadees scored first as Samuel S was 2 for 2 from the charity stripe.  The Bluebirds got the lead by halftime as Cody G had a triplet of buckets in the second frame, and his teammate Bryce R added a basket as they were aided by steals from Sebastian P.  The Chickadees had a scoring surge in the third frame as Etty S had several baskets with the help of good passes from Ronan S, and before you knew it, it was a tie game.  Back and forth play in the final frame with free throws from Huntley T would put the Chickadees ahead;  however, a few late points by Player of the Game-Nicolas L would give the Bluebirds the narrow victory in this close affair.

Bronze

Rails vs Larks

Photo by Denise Maratos

The Larks would have dominant first half performances from Louis L with his coast to coast drives, and a pair of ‘3’s from Hank C to take a commanding lead at the halftime break.  The Rails would get back on track as Kosmos K and Matthew A would score long range shots, and teammates Jaxon O and Titus A would effectively use the backboard for scores to get closer.  In the end, a basket from Canasia B and a couple of driving layups from Player of the Game-Gavin M would seal the deal and keep the Larks unbeaten in the division.

Willows vs Doves

The Willows had a nice first half of scoring from Zachary C as he was assisted by Hannah C and Haruka Y to give their team the early lead.  The Doves would get rolling as Owen W, Russell D, and Bennett Z would all score thanks to each of them getting assisted by the master dime dealer Lincoln S, as their team took the lead at halftime.  The Willows would have Henry C get hot as he would make outside shots, James W made a free throw, and George B had multiple rebounds.  The Doves would pull away in the final minutes as Sabrina G would assist Player of the Game-Clara C as she scored a couple of late baskets to give their team the victory.

Grouse vs Mockingbirds

The Grouse took the early lead with a pair of treys from Zayden R, baskets from Ray L, and a floater each from Benjamin B and Max H.  The Mockingbirds would chip away on the lead as Ryder K, Jake J, and Owen G would have buckets;  and, Max D would make a free throw.  It wouldn’t be enough to catch the Grouse, as they held on thanks to good defense from Copper sub Joshua B.

Photo by Carol Chan

Silver

Loons vs Nene

Photo by Dean Georgaris

Mostly the Loons went crazy with buckets for everyone, but really it was assists made by Decker A, Max L, Finn P, and Elliot S in the first half to give the Loons a big lead at halftime.  The Nene were able to get a basket each from Ilya Z, Liam Y, and Charlie K to get closer in the second half, and had a ‘3’ from Ignacio G;  however, the Loons would then continue to have an assist party as Pablo G, Walker R, and Player of the Game-Saum S would dish out more dimes to keep the lead good and plenty until the end for the victory.

Cardinals vs Osprey

The Osprey got out front early with baskets from Luke G and Jonas K, and a pair of treys from Oliver F.  The Cardinals came back to take the lead at halftime on 7 different Cardinals scoring that included several baskets by Brooks C and Beau K.  In the second half, the Osprey had pressure defense from Halle G and Eli P to hold the Cardinals to limited scoring;  but, the Cardinals would use good defense from Colin C and baskets from Brooks C, along with multiple assists from Player of the Game-Sahar G to stay out front till the end to get the victory.

Quail vs Gulls

The Quail would dominate this match to take advantage of the shorthanded Gulls, as Bobby D, Alice R, and Player of the Game-Griffin M would all have a crazy 8 in the scoring column to build a big lead.  The Gulls would play hard and get scoring from Loren G, Julian G, Rome R, and Miles W,  and had Knute H lead the team in rebounds.  The Quail continued to dominate in the second half, as Riggan M and Frida G would make baskets to help their team remain undefeated for the season.

Platinum

Blue Hens vs Peregrines

Photo by Penia Wong

Strong first half from the Peregrines gave them a big halftime lead, as Max P and Leo G swooped to the hoop for multiple makes.  The Blue Hens were able to get going in the second half as the 3-ball would be their best friend, and Liam A, Ezra M, and Lavi G would all have a 3’.  The Peregrines continued to keep their scoring going, as Alden W made shots from midrange and downtown, and Player of the Game-Rex S not only made baskets, but had multiple steals and rebounds to help his team get the victory.

Reds vs Roadrunners 

Mostly Roadrunners using their speed to get a big lead early as Player of the Game-Danny Z would take drives coast to coast with runaway speed, and teammates Augie T and Daniel F made multiple shots.  The Reds did have a ‘3’ each from Judah H and Mohamed D as they were assisted by Zachary L and Brandon I.  The Roadrunners would hold on for the victory, as Chloe S and Noah L would score to keep the lead for good.

SUN 6/8/25

Copper

Bluebirds vs Wrens

The Bluebirds would score first, as baskets were scored by Cody C, Nicolas L, and Cody G to get a big first half lead.  The Wrens would get baskets in the second half, as the first basket ever were scored by Alishan N, Zach S, and Arlo W, along with good defense from Sonia H, Zadie S, and Soraya K.  The Bluebirds would get Player of the Game-Matthew M on the scoreboard as he had a couple of field goals in the fourth frame, as they went on to win.

Bronze

Larks vs Willows

A dominant performance from the Larks as Jordan C, Hank C, Louis L, and Player of the Game-Canasia B would all score in the first half.  The Willows would get it going in the second half as Vivienne B and George B would start making their outside shots, and Hana T and Julia R would gather rebounds.  The Larks would continue scoring as Gavin M would make a ‘3’, and Jones U would get a bucket, as they cruised to the victory.

Grouse vs Doves

The Grouse had first half scoring from Ray L, and solid rebounding from Benjamin B and Max H;  however, the Doves would have the halftime lead as free throws were made by Russell D and Lincoln S.  In the second half, the Grouse would get steals from Ashley N and copper sub Joshua B to try to make a comeback.  The Doves would go onto the victory as Rohan H scored a couple of baskets, and Player of the Game-Bennett Z would make multiple buckets including a nice 360 degree whirlybird that he did with his body, and then put the biscuit in the basket, in which I got dizzy just watching him do it.

Silver

Hermits vs Loons

Photo by Carol Chan

This would be a back and forth affair.  The Hermits had the halftime lead on baskets from Anthony W and Mateo C.  The Loons would tie it up to end the third quarter as Elliot S and Saum S would make bank shots.  The fourth quarter would be fast and furious and the lead went back and forth.  The Hermits would take the lead on a basket from Rocco T, only to have the Loons get it back on a basket from Sadie B, but then have the Hermits take the lead again with a triplet of treys from Lucas A.  But the Loons would find a way to get for the day, as Player of the Game-Finn Price would save his best for last, and score crucial points down the stretch to give his team the victory, and remain undefeated in the Silver division.

Photo by Larisa Reznichek

Pheasants vs Nene

The Nene only had two players, so we divided up both teams equally to have Gold vs Black.  Black had baskets from Victor l, Phoenix V, Audri V, Ignacio G and Max A who was their leading scorer.  Gold had baskets from Kris P, Bodhi P, Cayson G, and Player of the Game-August S who had assists from Ari L.  Gold won the match, and the Pheasants got credit for the victory.

Gold

Spindalis vs Orioles

Photo by Christina Lopez

This would be the first of two matches that were nail biters. The Orioles would get the halftime lead with a ‘3’ from Siddhant K, and baskets from Matthew K, Finley P, and Auden T;  the Spindalis had first half scoring from Asher M and Quest D.  The Orioles would have a strong third quarter from Cade M who would have 6 of his game high 12 in the quarter;  however, the Spindalis would tie it up to end the third quarter as Ezra E and Nathanaiel W would each have a ‘3’, and Jonathan W and Keegan E would each have a deuce.  The Spindalis would take a small lead to start the fourth quarter, as Beni O made a couple of steals to get the ball to his teammates.  The Orioles would use pressure defense as Josiah H and Elliott C would create traps, and then Player of the Game-Juliana H would steal the ball and make crucial layups to put her team up for good, and they would hold on for the narrow victory.

Yellowhammers vs Goldfinches

Photo by Brian Read

After all the excitement of the previous game, this match would continue the excitement as these teams would also go wire to wire.  The Yellowhammers controlled the first quarter with a basket each from Krishna A, Theodore E, and Niam P;  the Goldfinches kept pace with a basket from Andrey S, and a ‘3’ each from Ocean Y and Jordan S.  The Yellowhammers were able to get the halftime lead as Declan W had three threes in three minutes on three consecutive shots as he was assisted on all ‘3’s by Jaxon S, and teammate Ray S also had a ‘3’, and Keshav S made a couple of nice outside shots.  The Goldfinches would make a strong run in the third quarter with driving layups from Henry F and Trevor S as they were assisted by Dylan R, and were able to get within a point by the end of the quarter.  With several lead changes in the fourth quarter, the Goldfinches had Ocean Y get hot from beyond the arc, as he made several treys followed by conversions of floaters down the lane.  The Yellowhammers put on a late surge as Kian S made a couple of outside shots, Beau E had a deuce and a trey from straightaway, and Player of the Game-Ray S nailed two crucial outside shots to give her team the narrow victory, and remain the only undefeated team in the division.

Dylan R received his 2025 Winter Silver division MVP award.  Photo by Brian Read

SAT 6/14/25 WEEKEND #5

Copper

Robins vs Chickadees

The first half was all defense from both sides as Theo A and Theo G made some steals for the Chickadees, and Jules T and Samantha B got rebounds for the Robins.  The scoring picked up in the second half as Etty S threw a touchdown pass to Naomi B to give the Chickadees the lead.  The Robins came back with a 2 for 2 from the charity stripe by Cal H, and Teddy S with his first basket ever!  The Chickadees were able to pull it out in the end as Player of the Game-Samuel S took over and banked a couple shots off the backboard to take the lead back, and a couple of blocks by Kanai V helped to preserve the victory.

Thrashers vs Purple Finches

Close match throughout, as the teams were tied at halftime with crazy eights, as the Purple Finches had free throws from John L and a basket from Jane W;  the Thrashers had baskets form Caleb A and Oliver W.  Both teams remained close through the third quarter as Ellis L and Aiden G scored for the Thrashers, and Sebastian G and Nara W each had a bucket, as they were aided by nice passes from Hodge P and Connor T.  The Thrashers were able to pull away down the stretch of the third quarter as Player of the Game-Desmond S made crucial baskets with his good outside shooting touch to help give his team the victory.

Bronze

Grouse vs Willows

It was a four on four affair as both teams were short handed.  The Grouse built a good lead in the first half as Benjamin B and Ray L had multiple drives to the hoop for scores;  the Willows kept pace with a couple of floaters from Player of the Game-Vivienne B as she was assisted by Hannah C.  In the second half, the Willows had rebounds from Julia R as she then got the ball up the court to an open George B who made multiple outside shots to get their team close to catching the Grouse;  however, the Grouse would get a basket each from Nathan S and Player of the Game-Max H as they held on for the outright win.  The Willows were also given credit for the victory, as both teams shared players.

Mockingbirds vs Rails

The Rails took the early lead as Kosmos K made several baskets including a ‘3’.  The Mockingbirds were able to take a narrow lead by halftime as Ryder K, Lucas G, and Jake J made baskets.  In the second half, it was back and forth as the Rails had most of their scoring off long distance bank shots from Jaxon O, as he was assisted by Alex W.  The Mockingbirds would pull away in the end, as good defense from David S and Ben L led to baskets in the final minutes by Player of the Game-Luca P to give their team the victory.

Silver

Loons vs Quail

It was a three-for-all in the first quarter as the Qual had a trey from Charlie K, and the Loons had a ‘3’ from Decker A and a pair of downtown makes from Oscar F.  The next couple of quarters went back to deuces wild as the Quail had baskets from Liana E and Sebastian A; the Loons had deuces from Sadie B and Olivia W.  The Loons would prevail as Player of the Game-Oscar F would dish out the most dimes as he found Olivia W and Decker A open in the fourth quarter to put the game away and give the Loons the victory.

Nene vs Cardinals

The two teams battle out for the first three quarters with the Cardinals getting multiple points from Sahar G, Milos T, and Landon W;  the Nene had all their scoring from Killian G, Teddy M, and Soren V as they took a lead going into the fourth quarter;  however, the depth of the bench for the Cardinals took over in the fourth quarter as they shutout the Nene, and Auggie F scored, and Player of the Game-Wyatt M led all scorers with 14 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds for the double-double to give the Cardinals the victory.

Gold

Meadowlarks vs Yellowhammers

The Yellowhammers would get the first half lead with multiple makes by Player of the Game-Theodore E and Krishna A, along with a basket each from Keshav S and Finn P;  while the Meadowlarks kept pace with ‘3’s from Oliver M, Luca T, and Rohan P.  The Yellowhammers would build on their halftime lead in the third quarter as Drew W and Declan W got on the scoreboard.  In the fourth quarter, the Meadowlarks made a furious comeback as Emet K, Buck J, and Dylan J grabbed rebounds and made steals that were converted into points, as they got within a couple of points of the Yellowhammers with only a minute left in the game.  The Yellowhammers would hold on as Ray S made a crucial long distance shot using all of her body to launch the ball, and the shot was a swish from downtown that would be just enough to keep her team undefeated for the season.

Goldfinches vs Bananaquits

The Bananaquits jumped out to the early lead with baskets from Caleb O and Oliver L;  the Goldfinches would get their scoring going in the second quarter as Player of the Game-Henry Fyda would end up with 10 first half points and teammate Ocean Y would receive assists from Saum S, in order to hit the open ‘3’s.  In the second half, the Bananaquits would get good defense from Megan O and Roman T, as they found open teammates Jason D and Player of the Game-Norman T for multiple points to get closer to the Goldfinches.  In the end, the Goldfinches were able to have Dylan R, Leo Y, and Andrey S score on drives to the hoop to hold onto the victory.

Platinum

Peregrines vs Reds

It was high fives after the first quarter as each team had 5 points, but then the Reds would post a 12-0 run in the second quarter as they had a trey from Joshua E, and a pair of deuces each from Judah H and Dylan M.  In the second half, the Peregrines would get rolling and have ‘3’s from Rowan O and Caleb S, and start to cut into the lead of the Reds, as they had a strong fourth quarter from Max P who controlled the boards and put back the rebounds to get his team within striking distance of taking the lead.  The Red would regather and Kai H and Player of the Game-Mohamed D would take over and make jumping floaters in the lane as they were able to go onto their first victory of the season.

Roadrunners vs Blue Hens

The Roadrunners only had a couple players show, so we divided the teams up, and had a fun match as the teams battled each other.  Highlights were Players of the Game, Diego G, Ryan Y, and Lavi G with clutch ‘3’s, and baskets by Amir E and Liam A, along with solid rebounding from Jaden K.  The Roadrunners had points from Oliver H and Ibrahim A.  In the end, the Blue Hens got the win, but a fun time had by all.

SUN 6/15/25

Copper

Robins vs Wrens

The Robins got the halftime lead with baskets from Teddy C and Cal H;  the Wrens had a basket from Teddy S who crossed over teams to sub for the Wrens along with teammates Daniel W and Lucky S who assisted him on the basket.  The Wrens caught up to tie the Robins in the third quarter, as pressure defense from Players of the Game, Sonia H and Dylan M helped to get the ball to sub player Jojo C as she scored a couple of buckets.  The Robins pulled away in the fourth quarter as Samatha B and Jules T locked down the defense, and teammates Joshua B and Player of the Game-Lawson Robinson scored with outside shots that gave the Robins the victory.

Bronze

Doves vs Rails

Photo by Denise Maratos

The Rails took the early lead with baskets from Matthew A and Kosmos K; the Doves would take the lead by halftime as buckets were made by Rohan H and Bennett Z as they controlled the boards to grab rebounds to put back for points. In the second half, the Rails got closer as Titus A, Jaxon O, and Marlowe G were making 12 footers from the wing.

Photo by Dean Georgaris

The Doves would regather in the final minutes as Sabrina G made key blocks to get the ball ahead to Player of the Game-Owen W as he drove to hoop without fear even though he kept getting knocked down, he would get back up and nail his free throws to give his team the victory.

Mockingbirds vs Larks

Photo by Carol Chan

Mostly Larks throughout this match as Louis L was the scoring leader with 10 points as he was assisted by Player of the Game-Jones U.  The Mockingbirds would get their scoring in the second half as Jake J had a couple of nice outside shots as he was assisted by Ben L and Esme C.  The Larks cruised to the win with additional baskets by Canasia B and Player of the Game-Sophie O.

Silver

Cardinals vs Pheasants 

Close contest throughout the first half as the Pheasants got all their scoring from Bodhi Petitti;  while the Cardinals had bank shot makes from Brooks C, Wyatt M, and Beau K.  In the second half, the Pheasants were able to get Phoenix V on the scoreboard as he was assisted by Dean M;  however, the Cardinals took over the match with multiple makes from Wyatt M, Beau K and Brooks C as they were the recipients of the pass master Sahar G.  Player of the Game-Landon W scored all his points in the second half, as the Cardinals went onto the victory.

Gold

Meadowlarks vs Goldfinches

The Goldfinches won the battle of the first half with baseline jumpers from Henry F and long distance missiles from Ocean Y.  The Meadowlarks would show resiliency and would take advantage of the full court press in the second half as turnovers created by Buck J and Archie L would lead to fast break points by Emet K and Player of the Game-Beau Z.  The Goldfinches would do their best to catch up, as Andrey S added a basket, and Connor V grabbed rebounds;  but, the Meadowlarks would prevail with strong inside play by Dylan J and Zayd S to outback rebounds for points, and Player of the Game-Beau Z taking it down the lane for the daggers to get the win.

Orioles vs Yellowhammers

Big first half performances by Drew W with a ‘3, Krishna A drives to the hoop, and hot outside shooting from Player of Game-Jaxon Silverstein would give the Yellowhammers a big lead at halftime.  The Orioles would cut into the lead in the second half, with treys from Matthew K, hook shots from Siddhant K, good rebounding from Elliot C, and a basket each by Finley P and Josiah H to get closer;  but, the Yellowhammers squashed the comeback with a jumpers from Finn P and Ray s to help their team remain undefeated.

Spindalis vs Bananaquits

Father’s Day special in which both teams would share a win.  Highlights for the Spindalis were steals from Beni O, rebounds put back in for points by Quest D, a ‘3’ each from Ezra E and Keegan E, and three threes from Player of the Game-Linus V.  The Bananaquits had solid defense from Nawat W and Natcha W, multiple steals from Megan O and Caleb O, and points from Naphat W and Player of the Game-Jason D who led his team in scoring with a ‘3’ and multiple buckets.

TUES 6/17/25 

Copper

Chickadees vs Thrashers

The Chickadees would have the lead at the end of each of the first three quarters as Naomi B and Samuel S each had multiple baskets and assists, with the help of Eleanor C and Theodore A creating turnovers.  The Thrashers would stay close as Aiden G and Caleb A would get on the scoreboard, and were able to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, as Player of the Game- Ellis L would make late baskets as he was assisted by Jack M, and the Thrashers would steal the victory away from the jaws of defeat, and remain unbeaten in the division.

Silver

Osprey vs Hermits

Photo by Carol Chan

First half scoring for the Hermits came from Lucas A and Mateo C;  the Osprey would get a basket from Luke G and a plethora of deuces and treys from Jonas K, along with multiple rebounds from Grace P, as they took a narrow lead into halftime.  The Hermits would get Anthony W and Krsna P on the scoreboard in the second half to stay close.  

Photo by Hayley Farrar

The Osprey would overpower the game, as Henry W had tough defense that helped get the ball to Player of the Game-Beck B who made key baskets late to secure the win for his team.

Platinum

Blue Hens vs Reds

Both teams shared players to agree on a win for both sides.  So Reds players Mohammed D, Kamden K, and Dominic D, and gold sub Ocean Y  went over to the Blue Hens, and each player would contribute points, and Blue Hens Lavi G had 4 points and Diego G had a pair of ‘3’s.  The Reds had the lead late in the match as Judah H and Players of the Game, Kai H and Dylan M, had multiple points to put the Reds ahead with only seconds to go.  The Blue Hens had Player of the Game-Mohammed D scoring multiple points off of assists from Dominic D, so Mohamed D decided to return the favor. Dominic D started up on the high left of the court, ran down low and to the right corner, with the ball already on the bounce pass from Mohamed D, Dominic D rushed to the corner to get it, catch it, turn, and fire up the ‘3’ all in one motion.  With ice water in his veins, Dominic D was “Mr. Clutch” and nailed it to put his team ahead for the “Winner, Chicken Dinner!”, earning him Player of the Game honors.  Afterward, the Blue Hens coach, Armando Gonzalez, said that he had never coached Dominic D before, but was so happy to finally have a chance to do so.  Fun match for all.

WED 6/18/25

Bronze

Mockingbirds vs Doves

Photo by Carol Chan

The Mockingbird‘s got all their first half scoring from Ryder K as he was able to get 10 points in the first half.  The Doves were able to get their scoring going in the second half as Owen W and Bennett Z each had baskets and free throws made, and Josephine C made a nice pass to Clara C down low for a score to get within a few points.  The Mockingbirds would pull away in the final minutes of the match, as Devraj K made a hook shot in the lane, and Player of the Game-Lucas G put it in with the bank shot to put money in the bank for the win.

Rails vs Willows

Photo by Denise Maratos

The Willows struck first with two quick baskets from George B off of assists from Haruka Y and JJ S.  The Rails came back to take the halftime lead on baskets from Kosmos K, Jaxon O, and Marlowe G.  The Willows fought back and had a strong second half from Henry C who had a triplet of dueces, and free throws from Zachary C to get within a few points of the Rails.  The Rails clamped down on defense as Jacob G stole the ball to get it ahead to the open Tomas L and Player of the Game-Cameron D for makes at the elbows(high corner of the free throw lane), as the Rails went onto the victory.

Photo by Dean Georgaris

Silver

Gulls vs Hermits

Photo by Carol Chan

It was as if this game could be labeled a battle of Siamese twins as the two teams could not separate from each other throughout the match.  The first half had the Gulls getting inside baskets from William B and outside makes from Hugo C as he was assisted by his brother Billy C;  the Hermits relied on their transition game as Alex B would throw deep bombs to Anthony W who made a turnaround three, and Xavier S would make a turnaround two.  The second half continued with multiple lead changes that saw the Gulls get a triplet of dueces in the third frame from George C, and a pair of treys in the fourth frame from Rome R.  With their team behind in the final minutes, the Hermits would rely on their speed as Krsna P would make a couple of layups, and Player of the Game-Lucas A would make a couple of reverse layups and nail the dagger ‘3’ to give a small lead that the defense would hold onto for the narrow victory and the first win of the season for the Hermits.

THUR 6/19/25

Copper

Bluebirds vs Purple Finches

The Purple Finches had Sebastian G score all his points in the first and third quarters of the match with 8 and 6 respectively, and teammate Mason H had 6 points throughout the game.  The Bluebirds would have Koa E get rebounds to get the ball to Matthew M and Bryce R for scores.  The dominant force would be Player of the Game-Cody G who would finish with a triple double as he had 18 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 steals to take over the game and give the Bluebirds the victory.

Bronze

Larks vs Grouse

Photo by Linda Chen

Defense reigned supreme through the first three quarters of this match, as the score was 4 to 4, with the Larks getting a basket each from Hank C and Jordan C, and the Grouse having Nathan S and Ray L with a field goal apiece.  The Larks would break the tie in the fourth quarter as Player of the Game-Vivienne L would make steals that got the ball up the court to Louis L who scored five points to give the Larks the lead for good, and keep them unbeaten in the division.

Silver

Pheasants vs Quail

The Quail would prevail as they took a big early lead and never looked back, as Player of the Game-Liana E led all scorers with 12 points as she was assisted by Levi L who connected with her on his long court passes, Alice R had 10 points, and Frida G was the steals leader.  The Pheasants had a pair of ‘3’s from Victor L, a free throw from Leah C, and rebounds Cayson G to put up a good fight, but wouldn’t be enough to catch the Quail.

Platinum

Roadrunners vs Peregrines

The Roadrunners would run away with win from the start as Dylan K and Player of the Game-Augie T would rain ‘3’s, as each would put a quadruple of treys on the scoreboard, and for good measure, Danny Z who nail a buzzer beater trey from beyond half court to end the third quarter.  The Peregrines would have most of the scoring in the second half with Max P having 20 points and 12 rebounds for the game, Rohham T making nice jump shots, and Henry M and Caleb S each had a pair of downtown triples.  In the end, the lead was too much for the Peregrines to overcome, as the Roadrunners would also get Radin T, Oliver H, and Chloe S on the scoreboard, and they would win the match.

FRI 6/20/25

Copper

Wrens vs Thrashers

Both teams decided to share players so they could each share a victory.  But this would turn out to be more than just any game, as it would go back and forth between the two sides till the very end.  The first half saw the Wrens with sub players from the Thrashers, Players of the Game-Ellis L and Jack M, playing off each other to score multiple points, as their teammates Sonia H and Soraya K provided strong defense;  The Thrashers had a majority of their points from Player of the Game-Caleb A in the first half.  The score was tied at 18-18 to end the third quarter, as the Thrasher had good defense from Caleb L; while the Wrens used the double team combo of Arlo W and Alexis E to guard the middle.  Back and forth action in the fourth quarter saw the Thrashers take a lead with baskets from Player of the Game-Ethan C; however, the Wrens would take the lead back with seconds to go, as Ellis L made a basket.  The Thrashers would have one last try as the buzzer sounded, and Player of the Game-Caleb A would step up and deliver the strike to give the Thrashers the one point victory for the game, as the shot from the elbow was nothing but net.

Silver

Gulls vs Loons

Photo by Matthew Farrar

The Loons got out front quickly as Oscar F, Pablo G, and Saum S would all make drives to the hoop, and Decker A had all 11 of his points in the first half. The Gulls would get their scoring going in the second quarter, as Hugo C was making bottoms of the net with his outside shot, and teammate Rome R would have a pair of treys to bring their team closer to the Loons.  In the second half, the Gulls would get Aiden Y and George C on the scoreboard;  however, the Loons would keep their lead till the end as Olivia W made her first ever 3-pointer, and Player of the Game-Sadie B would dominate the paint as she led all rebounders and scored 9 points to keep their team undefeated.

Osprey vs Nene

The two sides went back and forth in the first half with the Osprey getting ‘3’s from Oliver F, and deuces from Luke G;  while the Nene had a couple of swish makes from Killian G, and putbacks for points from Max A.  The match remained tight in the third quarter as Beck B got on the scoreboard with shot made from the elbow as he was assisted by Grace P and Henry W;  the Nene kept pace with the strong inside game from Liam Y who led the Nene in Scoring with 12 points for the match, and Greysen L provided tough defense.  The Nene got out in front in the beginning of the fourth quarter as Teddy M drove to the hoops to score;  however the Osprey would have a dominant fourth quarter in which Player of the Game-Jonas K took over and had most of his game high 25 points in the fourth frame that consisted of fadeaways and fallaways to put his team out front for good, and onto the victory.

Gold

Bananaquits vs Meadowlarks

The Bananaquits struck first with a basket by Jason D and a ‘3’ by Naphat W;  the Meadowlarks would get rolling in the second quarter with ‘3’s from Player of the Game-Oliver M and Rohan P.  The second half saw the Bananaquits get all their points from Oliver L to keep pace.  The Meadowlarks would go onto the victory as Emet K and Luca T would each score 10 points for the match.

SAT 6/21/25 WEEKEND #6

Copper

Purple Finches vs Chickadees

The Chickadees jumped out to an early lead as Mason H knocked down a pair free throws and Jane W scored a driving bank shot.  The Chickadees would come roaring back with baskets from Ronan S, Etty S, and Samuel S to take a big lead into halftime.  The second half saw the Purple Finches tighten up the defense as Hodge P and Braylon W became master thieves and pickpocketed the opponents to get the fast break running as they found Connor T who had his first basket ever!  The Chickadees would go onto the victory, as Theodore A and Elanor C grabbed the rebounds to get the ball to Player of the Game-Huntley T who scored a pair of buckets to add to his pair of assists for the win.

Bronze

Willows vs Mockingbirds

Photo by Carol Chan

Both teams were a little short on players, so they agreed to share players and the victory. The Willows had Vivienne B convert an And1, Henry C and Zachary C use the hook shot for scores, Esme C make a drive, and Player of the Game-George B dominate the boards and score points;  the Mockingbirds had a plethora of points from Ryder K, rebounds and steals from David S and Ben L, and a basket form Player of the Game-Luca P.  Fun time had by all.

Larks vs Doves

Photo by Mary Choi

Defense dominated the first three quarters of this game, as points came at a premium.  The Doves were locking it down with Sabina G and Sofia A not letting anyone score; while the Larks had Sophie O and Jones U stopping any penetration to the hoop.  Eventually points were scored, as the Doves got all their points from the free throw line with Owen W and Bennett Z making charity stripe shots, but the Larks would get more for their points on field goals as Canasia B and Louis L finally broke through the defense to make drives to the hoop, and Player of the Game-Hank C made running floaters to give their team just enough points to eek out the victory.

Grouse vs Rails

Photo by Linda Chen

Pretty much all Grouse in this matchup as they would win with Players of the Game, Nathan S and Quentin D, each had multiple points and rebounds, and teammates Lukas B had a bucket, and Copper sub Cody S had a trio of baskets and assists.  The Rails had nice outside shooting from Jaxon O and Marlowe G as they made distance shots, and Carmen D and Jacob G showed good defensive skills.

Photo by Linda Chen

Silver

Loons vs Hermits

Photo by Carol Chan

In the first of the in-season quarterfinal matches, the Hermits started ahead in the match, as Lucas A would make acrobatic drives to the hoop, and Kailash S would make a basket.  The Loons would get going and start making shots as Oscar F would score 14 points in the first half, and teammates Olivia W and Sadie B would put offensive rebounds back up for points.  The Hermits would try their best to catch up in the second half as Krsna P would hit a ‘3’, Xaveir S and Landon S each had a basket, and Alex B scored down low;  however, the defense would be tight as Player of the Game-Finn P would make several blocks and steals to not allow the opponent to catch up, and Marcel J and Pablo G would also score to move the Doves into the Winners bracket game scheduled for the next day.

Quail vs Nene

The second quarterfinal match would unfortunately be a forfeit for the Nene since they only had two players, so we divided up all players and had a fun game anyways.  The match featured Nene players Max A and Player of the Game-Soren V scoring multiple baskets; the Quail had the combo of long passes from Alice R to Liana E who would catch on the run and turn around and shoot in mid flight to score.  Players of the Game: Nanda A for scoring in double figures, and Cetine T for leading the match in steals and rebounds.

Cardinals vs Pheasants

The third quarterfinal match of the day was mostly Cardinals throughout as they were effectively passing the ball around as assists were made by Beau K, Wyatt M, and Sahar G who was dishing more dimes than a meterman. The recipients of these dimes were Milos T and Player of the Game-Auggie F.  The Pheasants were able to get a basket each from Phoenix V and Cayson G, and a pair of buckets from Kris P and August S to make the score respectable.  The Cardinals would advance to the semifinals of the winners bracket for the next day which would turn out to be a humdinger of a match, read on for more.

Osprey vs Cardinals

As they say, the best for last, and the last of the quarterfinals matches would definitely live up to that.  The first three quarters saw back and forth lead changes with the Gills getting baskets down low from Billy C and Knute H, coast to coast layups from Aiden Y, and a couple of running floaters from Rome R; the Osprey would have baskets from Beck B and Luke G, and a ‘3’ from Oliver F to end the third quarter with both teams having blackjack for a score, 21 to 21.  The fourth quarter saw the Osprey get a couple of timely baskets from Eli P, and drives to the hoop by Jonas K who wound his body in contorted positions to somehow get the ball into the hoop;  the Gulls would counter with jumpers from Julian G and Loren G to finish the fourth quarter with both teams tied at Kurt Rambis’s goal uniform number #31.  Unfortunately with no subs, the Osprey would run out of gas in the overtime, and the Gills had Player of the Game-William B take over as he had 8 of his game high 21 points in the overtime to get the Gulls to advance to the winners bracket semifinal match for the next day.

Platinum

Roadrunners vs Reds

The Roadrunners had to start the match shorthanded, to which the Reds would take advantage of, with Joshua E driving to the hole for points, and Zachary L and Justin P making outside shots.  The cavalry finally arrived for The Roadrunners and they got the ball rolling, as the Augie T would find Dylan K, Chloe S, and Oliver H open beyond the arc to sink the treys, and take the lead before halftime.  The Reds would regroup at halftime, and start to make a comeback in the third quarter as Mohamed D would take the ball to the rack for scores, as Judah H would set effective screens to free him for an easy lane to the hoop.  With the score getting closer, Player of the Game-Ibrahim A took over to have a double-double in rebounds and points, with most of his points coming in the final minutes to lead the Roadrunners to the victory.  

Peregrines vs Blue Hens

Photo by Mike O’Neal

The Peregrines would take advantage of having depth on their bench, and go on to win this match, as Alden W had three threes, Max P made multiple dives to the hoop, Leo G made coast to coast drives with his hard dribbling, and Player of the Game-Henry Mack would make a pair of ‘3’s and lead the match in rebounds.  The Blue Hens had strong performances from Amir E and Liam A as they had rebounds and points, Jaden K played strong defense, Diego G had a trey, and Ryan Y led his team with makes down low and from downtown.

SUN 6/22/25

Copper

Bluebirds vs Robins

The Robins took the early lead as Lawson R and Jules T scored, followed by a couple of baskets from Cal H.  The Bluebirds were able to take the lead before halftime, as Cody G had 10 points and Player of the Game-Matthew M had a triplet of deuces.  In the second half, the Robins tied it up with points from Lucky S, as strong defense from Rocco A and Teddy S created turnovers to help their team.  The Bluebirds were able to have a strong fourth quarter in which Indio W was able to get rebounds to get the ball to Bryce R for which he nailed his shots, and the team went ahead for good and onto the victory.

Silver

Hermits vs Osprey

Photo by Carol Chan

In the first of the consolation bracket semifinals, The Hermits had first half scoring from Lucas A, Alex B, Xavier S, and Anthony W to get the early lead;  however, the Osprey would have a ‘3’s from Oliver F and Jonas K to grab the lead before halftime.  In the second half, the Hermits had points from Mateo C, a ‘3’ from Krsna P, and steals from River S to get closer to the Osprey.  The Osprey would take over down the stretch as Beck Britto would convert free throws, and Player of the Game-Eli P would effectively use the backboard to score, as their team went onto the victory for a place in the consolation finals.

Photo by Carol Chan

Nene vs Pheasants

In the second consolation semifinal, the Nene controlled the first half as Teddy M had 13 points, and Soren V made a couple of baskets and assists.  The Pheasants would get first half points from Leah C, and then get more of their scoring in the second half, as Tyler E, Cayson G, and Kris P would all score, thanks to rebounds from Audri V.  The Nene would continue their scoring as Max A had a couple of inside power moves, and Player of the Game-Killian G made several nice swish shots from the perimeter, as the Nene made a date for the consolation finals.

Loons vs Gulls

In the first semifinal of the winners bracket, the Loons started off strongly as Decker A made a couple of drives to the hoop, Oscar F had the nice outside shooting touch, and Oliva W made a couple of putbacks after her offensive rebounds.  The Gulls would draw closer by halftime, as Julian G made outside shots, and Rome R made a running trey and floaters down the lane.  In the second half, Hugo C made a nice long ‘3’, and Aiden Y scored a running layup;  but, the Loons would continue to get others on the scoreboard with baskets by Pablo G and Player of the Game-Saum S who would also lead the team in assists, as the Loons won, and would go onto the finals of the winners bracket.

Quail vs Cardinals

The best would be saved for last, as this semifinal would become an instant classic.  The Quail won the battle of the first quarter as Nanda A and Levi L would score;  The Cardinals won the battle of the second quarter, as Landon W, Brooks C, and Sahar G would each have buckets to get within two points of the Quail at halftime.  In the third quarter, the Quail would have two baskets from Liana E; the Cardinals had scores from Milos T and Auggie F to take a one point lead at the end of third frame.  The fourth quarter press by both teams saw mad scrambles in which Alice R made a couple of driving shots for the Quail to tie it up with seconds to go.  With only a couple seconds on the game clock, the Cardinals got the ball underneath their basket, and Sehar G found Wyatt M at the elbow, who took the inbounds pass, squared up, and nailed the shot at the buzzer, to give his team the win, a date in the finals, and Player of the Game honors.  It was a great shot, that had his team run over to congratulate him, and had the crowd going wild.

Gold

Yellowhammers vs Spindalis

Photo by Penia Wong

Dominant performance by the Yellowhammers throughout this match, as Krishna A had an And1, Keshav S and Niam Pahwa each had a bucket, and it was a 3’ party as Beau E, Finn P, and Player of Game-Ray S would sink the treys from downtown.  Ray S also led all scorers with 13 points as she had it dialed in all of her shots that were nothing but net until sunset, as their team would remain undefeated this season.  

Photo by Christina Lopez-Dixon

The Spindalis had points from all their players that included a ‘3’ from Ezra E and Linus V, bank shots from Beni O and Quest D, and nice midrange makes from Harrison B and Keegan E to put up a good fight.

Goldfinches vs Orioles

These two teams would fight tooth and nail from start to finish.  The first quarter saw the Orioles get a basket from Auden T and several drives made by Juliana H, and big blocks from Elliot C; the Goldfinches had free throws from Trevor S, and baskets from Connor V and Leo Y.  In the second quarter, Finley P and Josiah H got on the scoreboard for the Orioles to give them the lead at halftime.  The Goldfinches would catch up in the third quarter as Player of the Game-Ocean Y would nail a three from long distance.  The fourth quarter was mad scrambles on both ends which saw the Goldfinches take the lead on a basket by Henry Fyda, and a free throw by Saum S.  In the final seconds, Player of the Game-Matthew K was able to convert a floater for the tie which was a perfect mature Kobe Bryant score 24-24.

TUE 6/24/25

Copper

Purple Finches vs Wrens

The Purple Finches took the big early lead with multiple baskets from Sebastian G, Jane W, and Player of the Game-Braylon Weida. The Wrens got a free throw from Sonia H, and rebounds from Alexis E and Soraya K.  We switched a few players at halftime, and Sebastian G continued his scoring, but this time for the Wrens, and Dylan M got a couple of steals.  The Purple Finches would still have enough points from the first half to hold onto the win with the help of a basket from Hodge P, Elijah A with his rebounds, and Luke O with his rebounds.

Bluebirds vs Chickadees

The Chickadees had the lead to end the first quarter as they had a free throw from Ronan S, and bank shots made from Etty S and Naomi B.  The Bluebirds would get chirping in the second quarter as Cody G and Matthew M had hook shots going in to take the lead at halftime. The Chickadees would shut out the Bluebirds in the third quarter as Theodore A was the master thief with his pickpockets of the Bluebirds, and a basket by Sam S got them close to taking that lead back.  But the Bluebirds would regroup and get a downlow basket from Bryce R, and a runner from the side by Player of the Game-Nicholas L to give the Bluebirds the victory.

Gold

Meadowlarks vs Orioles

The two teams battled back and forth in the first half in which the Meadowlarks had a fadeaway jumper by Luca T, and several layups by Rohan P who also converted the And1(made shot while being fouled, and making the free throw);  the Orioles were able to have the lead at halftime, as Auden T had a three of a kind-all deuces, and Matthew K had four of his game high six treys by halftime.  In the second half, the Orioles got baskets from Josiah H and Juliana H to slightly extend their lead;  however, the full court press in the second half would be used effectively by the Meadowlarks as they created multiple turnovers that led to assists and points by Emet K and Beau Z, quick turnaround layups by Archie L, and Player of the Game-Buck J making a ‘3’ and multiple inside shots that would allow their team to catch the Meadowlarks, and go onto a resounding victory with a dominant fourth quarter performance.

Platinum

Reds vs Peregrines

A strong first half by the Peregrines helped to give them a large halftime lead, as Max P had multiple assists and double digit scoring, Rex S made a couple of outside shots, and Sean D controlled the boards.  The Reds would get most of their scoring in the second half,  as Kai H led his team with 13 points for the match, Justin P and Mohamed D would score points, Z Law led his team in rebounds, and Dominic D would score a nice swish shot from the elbow and lead his team in assists.  The Peregrines would go onto the victory, as Rowan O grabbed many rebounds to get the ball to Player of the Game-Leo G who would make coast to coast drives to the hoop, and sink a ‘3’ from deep, as their team would get the win.

WED 6/25/25

Bronze

Rails vs Mockingbirds

Photo by Carol Chan

Due to events of the day in the city of Santa Monica, teams were a little shorthanded, so we divided them up equally, and credited both teams with a victory.  The Rails/Mockingbirds had baskets in the first half from Luca P and Player of the Game-Matthew A;  the Mockingbirds had a couple of buckets from Player of the Game-Esme C that included an amazing shot in which she contorted her body to put up a pirouetting hook shot the went up high and into the basket.  In the second half, the Rails/Mockingbirds took a lead late in the fourth quarter when Owen G scored a turnaround jumper;  but, the Mockingbirds got the lead back with seconds to go, as Ryder K hit a ‘3’.  The Rails/Mockingbirds called a timeout, and set up one last play, in which Tomas L went to the deep right corner and threw up a difficult angle shot that would go through the bottom of the net as time expired.  Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!  Tomas L would get Player of the Game honors, as his team could claim the victory. 

Photo by Dean Georgaris

Silver

Hermits vs Pheasants 

Photo by Carol Chan

Mostly Hermits in their victory as all five players scored.  The Hermits leading scorer was Lucas A;  Mateo C, Kailash S and River S each had two baskets and two assists.  Player of the Game-Krsna P had 8 points and led the Hermits in steals.  The Pheasants had rebounding from Leah C and Audri V, a basket from Tyler E, two buckets from Kris P and Player of the Game-Phoenix V.  All players on both teams played the entire game, so very tired, but very happy.

Photo by Jeremy Stanton

Gold

Yellowhammers vs Bananaquits

We played a series of two games in this matchup.  First, the teams went at each other for two quarters with the Yellowhammers dominating that first match as Players of the Game Keshav S and Beau E each had 10 points, and teammates Declan W and Ray Song scored on their outside shooting; the Bananaquits had baskets from Megan O and Player of the Game-Oliver L.  For the last two quarters, we divided both teams up equally to which the Bananaquits got the victory as Krishna A came over to their side to score multiple points along with Beau E who would sink four ‘3’s as they were assisted by Naphat W, Nawat W, and Natcha W.  The Yellowhammers in the second match, had baskets from Niam P, Finn P, and Bananaquits player Caleb O.  The Yellowhammers get the victory for the main match, and the Bananaquits get the victory for the mini-match.

THUR 6/26/25

Copper

Thrashers vs Robins

The Thrashers were in control of this match from start to finish as Player of the Game-Caleb A and Ellis L led all scorers with multiple points, as teammate Jack M led the match in assists.the Robins had baskets for Lucky S and Joshua B and strong defense from Daniel W and Jules T.  In the end, the Thrashers got steals from Ethan C, and rebounds from Aiden G to hold onto the victory.

Bronze

Larks vs Rails

Would the Larks stay undefeated?  At first, it didn’t look as if they would when the Rails took the early lead on points scored from Marlowe G and Titus A, and teammate Jacob G controlled the boards.  But the Larks were able to grab the lead before halftime Hank C, Jones U, and Sophie O scored with their hot outside shooting.  In the second half, the Rails came back to tie it up with baskets by Jaxon O and Matthew A;  however, the Larks would prevail as Player of the Game-Canasia B would score two buckets late to keep the lead for good, and keep the Larks undefeated.

Doves vs Willows

The Doves dominated the first half with multiple makes from Bennett Z and Player of the Game-Rohan H to take a big lead going into the halftime break.  The Willows would regroup and come out strong in the second half, as Henry C, Hannah C, JJ S, and George Beeher all scored and were catching up to the Doves;  however, late baskets by Clara C and Russell D saved the day, as the Doves held on for the win.

Mockingbirds vs Grouse

Photo by Linda Chen

It was an all four score at halftime with the Mockingbirds getting a basket each from Esme C and Ryder K; while the Grouse had a bucket from Benjamin B and free throws made by Cody G.  More scoring would occur in the second half, as rebounds from Issa A helped the Mockingbirds get Devraj K on the scoreboard; and, the Grouse had Max H, Zayden R, and Quentin D make crucial baskets down the stretch with the help of great defense from Player of the Game-Ashley N that was just enough to edge out their opponent for the narrow victory.

Photo by Carol Chan

Platinum

Blue Hens vs Roadrunners

Photo by Oly Nathalie

The Roadrunners would lead from start to finish as all five of their players would score, with Augie T and Danny Z being the scoring leaders, and Chloe S and Ibrahim A making nice hook shots thanks to assists from Player of the Game-Oliver H.  The Blue Hens leading scorers were Liam A and Diego G, and Jaden K and Ryan Y contributed to the scoring, as teammate Dylan Z made rebounds and steals.  Fun game for all, but all were tired as neither team had subs.

FRI 6/27/25

Copper

Purple Finches vs Thrashers

The Thrashers would essentially do as their name indicated in the first half as Caleb A, Ellis L, and Desmond S would score, thanks to great assists from Player of the Game-Jack M.  The Purple Finches would score most of their points in the second half in which Mason H, Jane W, and Brayton W would make the scoreboard with their nice shooting touch, and Cam F and Hodge P made some nice rebounds, but it would not be enough to catch the Thrashers as Ethan C and Aiden G would also dish out quality dimes to teammates that would help the Thrashers remain undefeated.

Chickadees vs Robins

The Robins would get all their scoring from Joshua B and Lucky S with the help of steals from Teddy S and Daniel W.  The Chickadees would prevail to win the match as Naomi Bhalla, Samuel S, Huntley T, and Player of the Game-Naomi B who also led the team in rebounds. The Chickadees also had nice defense from William G to help them to the victory.

Silver

Osprey/subs vs Nene

The Consolation final of the in-season tournament was a battle between the shorthanded or should I say shortclawed Osprey versus the five Nene.  The Osprey with subs did get the halftime lead on ‘3’s from Oliver F and baskets from his brother Oscar F;  however, the Nene would have a stronger second half, as Max A gathered rebounds, Teddy M and Soren V made drives to the hoop, Killian G hit the ‘3’, and Player of the Game-Liam Y would be solid with points in the paint to give the Nene the victory.

Gold

Spindalis vs Goldfinches

The Goldfinches started the match with quick baskets from Trevor S and Jordan S to take the early lead.  The Spindalis would capture the lead by halftime as Linus V and Ezra E played a back and forth passing game to find each other for inside makes and downtown treys.  In the second half, the Goldfinches mounted a comeback with a high arcing ‘3’ from Andrey S and a basket by Henry F;  however, the Spindalis would get a basket from Beni O, putbacks from Player of the Game-Quest D, and multiple assists from Keegan E as they would go onto the victory. 

Bananaquits vs Orioles

Mostly Orioles throughout this match, as Elliot C had a couple of inside makes, Siddhant K and Matthew K each had a trey, Julian H made drives to the hoop, and Player of the Game-Josiah H not only had the long range missile striking, but was putting passes on a silver platter for teammates to score.  The Bananaquits had multiple baskets from Oliver L, points from Naphat W, and quality rebounding from Nawat W and Natcha W.  In the end, the Orioles won as they were aided by baskets from Finley P and Nicholas C.

SAT 6/28/25 WEEKEND #7

Copper

Thrashers vs Bluebirds

Would the Thrashers have the perfect undefeated season?  The Bluebirds had other ideas as Cody S and Matthew M put their team out front early as they created turnovers to convert to points.  The Thrashers would eventually get going as Jack M and Ellis L would get points in bunches to help their team take the lead at halftime.  The Bluebirds would fight back in the second half as Avila R and her brother Kai R would double team their opponents and force mistakes that led to points from Bryce R.  The Thrashers would not give up the lead as Aiden G snatched rebounds, Caleb A would make shots from the elbow, and Player of the Game-Desmond S would score down the final stretch to have the Thrashers finish undefeated for the season.

Purple Finches vs Robins

The Robins would get all their scoring from Joshua B and Lucky S, and assists from Lawson R and Daniel W;  the Purple Finches would get multiple makes from Sebastian G, Mason H and Player of the Game-Jane W as they built a big enough lead to hold onto the victory with the help of defense from Cam F and Connor T.

Wrens vs Chickadees

The Wrens would get scoring from Arlo W, Sonia H, Dylan M, and Alexis E;  the Chickadees would have baskets from William G, Samuel S, and Huntley T.  The Player of the Game would be Theodore A who had 6 points that would help his team get the victory.

Bronze

Willows vs Larks

The Larks would look for perfection as they wanted to finish the season unbeaten, and they showed determination to achieve that goal as they had multiple points in the first half from Louis L and Hank C, while Player of the Game-Sora N anchored the defense to hold the Willows at bay.  The Willows would break through in the second half as Henry C, Zachary C, and George B would score, and Hannah C would grab rebounds.  The Larks would go onto the victory as Sophie O and Jones U made multiple steals, and Canasia B was the rebound leader, thus the Larks would achieve perfection with the undefeated season.

Doves vs Grouse

The Doves held a comfortable lead through the first three quarters as Owen W, Rohan H, and Sabrina G would score;  however, the Grouse would make a furious comeback in the fourth quarter as Lukas B, Zayden R, and Nathan S would make driving floaters as their rainbows lit up the sky.  The Doves would narrowly escape with the victory, as Player of the Game-Russell D made crucial buckets down the stretch with excellent outside shots as he was assisted by Lincoln S; bringing a sigh of relief for the Doves as they could coo again for the win.

Silver

Gulls vs Quail

The hope was a good battle for third place of the in-season tournament;  however, only one Gull showed up and he played great earning Player of the Game honors, as it was Rome R who was the leading scorer for the match with 12 points, as he had other subs playing with him.  The Quail got credit for the victory as Nanda A made a basket and a couple of assists to Player of the Game-Sebastian A who had six points along with teammate and also Player of the Game-Cetine A who had 4 points to represent the Quail as they got 3rd place for the in-season tournament.

Gold

Goldfinches vs Yellowhammers

The Yellowhammers were looking to keep their season undefeated, and started out well with multiple baskets from Drew W, Beau E, and Declan W to have a one point lead at halftime.  The Goldfinches would have a strong third quarter as Jordan S, Andrey S, and Dylan R would score as they took advantage of the second half full court press, as they took a narrow lead by the end of the third quarter.  The Yellowhammers came out swinging in the fourth quarter, as Niam P and Theodore E made driving layups to the hoop;  however, the Goldfinches continued to put the pressure on, and Saum S got on the scoreboard, and teammate and Player of the Game-Henry F was lights out as he had a game high 22 points, as they pulled off the upset, and got the victory.  

Meadowlarks vs Spindalis

The Meadowlarks would double up the Spindalis in the first two quarters as Viggo M and Rohan P decided to have a three party with treys served on a tray from assists by Luca T and Player of the Game-Leon M.  The Spindalis made a run in the second half with ‘3’s of their own by Linus V, layups by Quest D and Beni O, and outside shots from Keegan E to draw closer;  but, in the end, Buck J showed up to the three party to serve the dessert of additional ‘3’s to sweeten the lead for the Meadowlarks, and go onto the victory, as they looked at the matchup for the division title to be played the next day.

Platinum

Peregrines vs Roadrunners

The Roadrunners were looking to capture the division title with a victory this evening.  Would the antics of Wile E Coyote with his Acme devices spoil the opportunity? (If you are old enough, then you know what I’m talking about, Beep Beep!).  It was back and forth for the first three quarters, with the Peregrines using big man ball with Max P driving down the middle for layups, as Rohham T made shots from the perimeter;  the Roadrunners had the three ball working in their favor with multiple treys from Dylan K and Augie T, and inside makes from Danny Z and Ibrahim A to take a one point lead into the fourth quarter.  The Peregrines would take the lead back halfway through the fourth quarter as Leonardo G and Henry M would make long range shots;  but, the Peregrines put on a final surge in which runaway freight train Danny Z got hot and hit threes, Oliver H made key free throws, and Player of the Game-Radin T made crucial baskets and defensive stops to give the Roadrunners the narrow victory and the division title.  Next time, Wile.

Reds vs Blue Hens

The shorthanded Blue Hens gave it a battle with strong play from Jaden K and baskets from Diego G;  but, the Reds would prevail with multiple points from Mohamed D, Kai H, and Player of the Game-Joshua E.  The Reds also had Judah H get on the scoreboard, rebounds from Kamden K, steals from Zachary L, and assists from Dominic D to help give the Reds the victory.

SUN 6/29/25

Copper

Wrens vs Bluebirds

We decided to mix it up, and put the Bluebirds Cody S on the Wrens in which he would score all their points, but was helped by teammate Alexis E with her rebounds, and Zadie S and Zach S with their steals.  Without their top scorer, the Bluebirds went to Matthew M to be their leading scorer as he had 22 points, but this would not be possible without the help of Player of the Game-Bryce R who was the ultimate dime dealer as he had more dimes than an old jukebox, as he found Matthew M for all those special deliveries that gave the Bluebirds the victory.

Silver

Loons vs Cardinals

Photo by Matthew Farrar

Intensity was at an all time high as these teams would battle for the in-season tournament championship.  The Cardinals came out firing, as Sahar G and Auggie F scored early;  but, the Loons wouldn’t get crazy, and stay composed as Decker A took the rock to the rack, Olivia W and Pablo G would put back rebounds for points, and Elliot S would find Player of the Game-Oscar F open, in order to give him the ball in his wheelhouse for pure shooting makes as they took the lead at halftime.  The Cardinals would come out strong in the third quarter as Brooks C, Wyatt M, and Landon W would score to draw closer to the Loons.  

Photo by Matthew Farrar

The Fourth quarter would belong to the Loons as the took control with assists from Saum S, as they continued to score and go onto the victory, completing the trifecta of a perfect undefeated season, in-season tournament title, and the division title.

Gold

Orioles vs Spindalis

First half scoring for the Spindalis came from Quest D and Linus V;  the Orioles had ‘3’s from Matthew K and Julianna H to take the halftime lead.  In the second half, the Spindalis got silver division sub Soren V on the scoreboard off of a nice assist from Beni O.  The Orioles would go onto the victory, as Auden T added a couple of inside drives, and Player of the Game Nicholas C would make outside jumpers to give his team the victory.

Bananaquits vs Goldfinches

Mostly Goldfinches in this matchup as Player of the Game-Jordan S would be the high scorer, followed right behind by Player of the Game-Saum S who had his outside shot going.  The Bananaquits were led in scoring by Oliver L and Player of the Game-Nawat W.  Other notable performances were from the Goldfinches Henry F, and the Bananaquits Megan O and Naphat W who each had a basket.

Yellowhammers vs Meadowlarks

This highly anticipated match would determine the division title, and it would become a classic.  The Yellowhammers won the first quarter as ‘3’s were made by Declan W and Krishna A;  however the Meadowlarks would win the second quarter and take the lead into halftime with their own trifecta of triples from Buck J, Rohan P, and Luca T.  The Yellowhammers would take the lead back in the third quarter as Ray S also had a ‘3’ and made multiple acrobatic drives to the hoop.  The Meadowlarks would come back late to take the lead towards the end of the game, as Dylan J got the rebound and put it back in the hoop with only seconds to go to take a one point lead.  Fast and furious action followed with mad scrambles near the hoop, as the Yellowhammers desperately tried to get the shot up, and with time winding down, Keshav S got the rebound and put the ball up and the crowd roared as the ball went down the cylinder for the winning basket.  Not only did Keshav S earn Player of the Game honors, but gave the outright division title to the Yellowhammers.  What an exciting game!!

Gold/Platinum

Gold All-Stars vs Black All-Stars

We divided up Gold and Platinum players to play a fun all-star match.  Highlights included multiple points and rebounds from Player of the Game-Henry M,  ‘3’s from Player of the Game-Matthew K, and a solid performance from Player of the Game Andy H who had multiple makes with his nice shooting touch.  Other scorers included Theodore E, Quest D, Zachary L, Josiah H, and Judah H.

Platinum

Gold All-Stars vs Black All-Stars

Once again, we divided up the players for a fun all-star match which was a tribute to longtime coach Bill Kravitz who was coaching his last game at the YMCA, and his son Dylan would play his last match at the YMCA.  Dylan would have three threes, Max P had 10 points, Augie T and Radin T would each have 8 points, Rowan O and Rex S would get on the scoreboard, and Player of the Game would be Judah H who made two big ‘3’s down the stretch to give the Gold side the victory.

This Issue’s Profile

Each issue of the 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 Emmett Krauss who helps to manage the front desk and supervise the gymnasium and the facility.  Many times, I have needed his help with various things that happen, and he is always there to help immediately and provide effective solutions.  He is very dedicated to not only promoting the youth basketball program, but he promotes all that our YMCA has to offer for membership and programs for all ages.  If I need an answer, he’s got it.

I asked Emmett a few questions for the Swish:

DocDrew:  What is your favorite thing about working at the Santa Monica YMCA?

Emmett: Just getting to interact with people from so many different backgrounds. It’s also a great feeling to know that you are part of a much larger community.

DocDrew:  Who inspires you?

Emmett: Anyone who is willing to risk their reputation to enact positive change. 

DocDrew:  What hobbies or activities do you like to do?

Emmett: Every week, I try to make time to skateboard, play basketball, and do something creative, like music production.

Emmett Krauss

We are very fortunate to have Emmett to provide support for all of us at the Santa Monica Family YMCA, and help us all thrive together.  Next time you check in at the Y, give him a hi!  Who knows, you may actually catch him dunking the ball;  however, dunking is not allowed at our YMCA😀!

Scores

SAT 5/10/25  WEEKEND #1

Copper

Wrens 4, Robins 19

Thrashers 10, Chickadees 4

Bronze

Larks 19, Mockingbirds 4

Willows 7 Grouse 17

Silver

Gulls  40, Pheasants 24

Hermits 28, Nene 36

Loons 33, Osprey 9

Gold

Goldfinches 20, Meadowlarks 32

Bananaquits 12, Spindalis 38

Platinum

Roadrunners 45, Reds 30

SUN 5/11/25

Copper

Purple Finches 3, Bluebirds 13

Bronze

Rails 16, Doves 20

Silver

Pheasants 16, Loons 40

Quail 16, Cardinals 16

Nene 25, Gulls 18

Gold

Yellowhammers 42, Orioles 33

Platinum

Peregrines 41, Blue Hens 39

SAT 5/17/25  WEEKEND #2

Copper

Robins 5, Bluebirds 22

Chickadees 18, Purple Finches 17

Bronze

Willows 9, Rails 23

Grouse 12, Larks 19

Silver

Cardinals 16, Loons 31

Osprey 17, Gulls 30

Nene 8, Quail 23

Gold

Meadowlarks 44, Bananaquits 4 

Orioles 22, Goldfinches 18

Platinum

Blue Hens 29, Roadrunners 47

SUN 5/18/25

Copper

Robins 24, Purple Finches 17

Thrashers 35, Wrens 10

Bronze

Doves 14, Mockingbirds 3

Silver

Cardinals 40, Hermits 32

Pheasants 19, Osprey 31

Gold

Spindalis 24, Yellowhammers 37

Platinum

Reds 20, Peregrines 44

SAT 5/31/25 WEEKEND #3 

Copper

Chickadees 14, Wrens 4

Bluebirds 10, Thrashers 12

Bronze

Mockingbirds 20, Willows 8

Doves 6, Larks 18

Silver

Quail 23, Hermits 6

Gulls 15, Cardinals 46

Gold

Goldfinches 40, Spindalis 32

Bananaquits 19, Yellowhammers 44

Orioles 31, Meadowlarks 32

Platinum

Peregrines 36, Roadrunners 49

SUN 6/1/25

Copper

Wrens 8, Purple Finches 22

Bronze

Rails 17, Grouse 33

(both teams get the win, Grouse had players from the Rails)

Silver

Hermits 26, Pheasants 36

Osprey 8, Quail 22

Gold

Spindalis 30, Meadowlarks 29

Orioles 34, Bananaquits 14

Platinum

Reds 18, Blue Hens 45

SAT 6/7/25 WEEKEND #4

Copper

Robins 6, Thrashers 19

Chickadees 14, Bluebirds 16

Bronze

Rails 11, Larks 30

Willows 15, Doves 26

Grouse 21, Mockingbirds 11

Silver

Loons 44, Nene 17

Cardinals 36, Osprey 25

Quail 34, Gulls 17

Platinum

Blue Hens 23, Peregrines 40

Reds 22, Roadrunners 55

SUN 6/8/25

Copper

Bluebirds 28, Wrens 6

Bronze

Larks 34, Willows 14

Grouse 4, Doves 18

Silver

Hermits 28, Loons 29

Pheasants 22, Nene/Pheasants 11

Gold

Spindalis 32, Orioles 35

Yellowhammers 42, Goldfinches 40

SAT 6/14/25 WEEKEND #5

Copper

Robins 4, Chickadees 10

Thrashers 22, Purple Finches 15

Bronze

Grouse 16, Willows 11

(Both teams won, shared players)

Mockingbirds 20, Rails 18

Silver

Loons 31, Quail 15

Nene 22, Cardinals 36

Gold

Meadowlarks 31, Yellowhammers 35

Goldfinches 39, Bananaquits 27

Platinum

Peregrines 22, Reds 29

Roadrunners/subs 27, Blue Hens 32

SUN 6/15/25

Copper

Robins 11, Wrens 6

(Both teams won, shared players)

Bronze

Doves 21, Rails 14

Mockingbirds 4, Larks 18

Silver

Cardinals 32, Pheasants 12

Gold

Meadowlarks 38, Goldfinches 24

Orioles 29, Yellowhammers 39

Spindalis 41, Bananaquits 13

(Both teams won, shared players)

TUES 6/17/25 

Copper

Chickadees 13, Thrashers 14

Silver

Osprey 32, Hermits 20

Platinum

Blue Hens/Reds 36, Reds 32

(Both teams won, shared players)

WED 6/18/25

Bronze

Mockingbirds 18, Doves 13

Rails 25, Willows 16

Silver

Gulls 41, Hermits 43

THUR 6/19/25

Copper

Bluebirds 28, Purple Finches 20

Bronze

Larks 9, Grouse 4

Silver

Pheasants 7, Quail 30

Platinum

Roadrunners 68, Peregrines 47

FRI 6/20/25

Copper

Wrens 22, Thrashers 23

Silver

Gulls 22, Loons 38

Osprey 45, Nene 36

Gold

Bananaquits 12, Meadowlarks 47

SAT 6/21/25 WEEKEND #6

Copper

Purple Finches 6, Chickadees 24

Bronze

Willows 14, Mockingbirds 18

(Both teams won, shared players)

Larks 12, Doves 6

Grouse 23, Rails 8

Silver

In-season tournament quarterfinals 

Loons 45, Hermits 26

Quail 21, Nene/Quail 32 

Cardinals 51, Pheasants 17

Osprey 34, Gulls 44 OT

(Osprey get credit for a tie)

Platinum

Roadrunners 39, Reds 31

Peregrines 37, Blue Hens 19

SUN 6/22/25

Copper

Bluebirds 22, Robins 16

Silver

In-season tournament semifinals

Consolation bracket

Osprey 32, Hermits 20

Nene 31, Pheasants 13

Winners bracket

Loons 19, Gulls 23

Quail 24, Cardinals 26

Gold

Yellowhammers 41, Spindalis 25

Goldfinches 24, Orioles 24

TUE 6/24/25

Copper

Purple Finches 24, Wrens 13

Bluebirds 18, Chickadees 13

Gold

Meadowlarks 51, Orioles 37

Platinum

Reds 21, Peregrines 41

WED 6/25/25

Bronze

Rails 14, Mockingbirds 13

(Both teams won, shared players)

Silver

Hermits 42, Pheasants 10

Gold

Yellowhammers 40, Bananaquits 6

Mini-game:

Yellowhammers 22, Bananaquits 28

(Bananaquits will receive 3 points)

THUR 6/26/25

Copper

Thrashers 20, Robins 6

Bronze

Larks 16, Rails 9

Doves 25, Willows 12

Mockingbirds 10, Grouse 13

Platinum

Blue Hens 39, Roadrunners 54

FRI 6/27/25

Copper

Purple Finches 18, Thrashers 32

Chickadees 17, Robins 9

Silver

Osprey 29, Nene 32

(6-4-2 for W-T-L, Consolation In-season tourney)

Gold

Spindalis 43, Goldfinches 22

Bananaquits 21, Orioles 31

SAT 6/28/25 WEEKEND #7

Copper

Thrashers 41, Bluebirds 22

Purple Finches 17, Robins 12

Wrens 8, Chickadees 26

Bronze

Willows 13, Larks 19

Doves 17, Grouse 16

Silver

Gull/subs 18, Quail 14

(Quail win by forfeit)

(6-4-2 for W-L-T, 3rd place In-season tourney)

Gold

Goldfinches 51, Yellowhammers 35

Meadowlarks 58, Spindalis 35

Platinum

Peregrines 53, Roadrunners 55

Reds 57, Blue Hens 42

SUN 6/29/25

Copper

Wrens 15, Bluebirds 26

Silver

Loons 28, Cardinals 17

(7-5-3 for W-L-T, 1st place In-season tourney)

Gold

Orioles 29, Spindalis 13

Bananaquits 7, Goldfinches 24

Yellowhammers 35, Meadowlarks 34

Gold/Platinum

Gold All-Stars 31, Black All-Stars 17

Platinum

Gold All-Stars 41, Black All-Stars 25

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 and seeding games have greater point value.  Teams are listed in their place in the standings with W-L-T and team points.

Copper:  

Thrashers 10-0-0, 50 points

*League Champions*

Bluebirds 8-2-0, 42 points

Chickadees 6-4-0, 34 points

Purple Finches 3-7-0, 22 pts

Robins 3-7-0, 22 points

Wrens 2-8-0, 18 points

Bronze: 

Larks 10-0-0, 50 points

*League Champions*

Doves 7-3-0, 38 points

Grouse 6-4-0, 34 points

Mockingbirds 5-5-0, 30 pts

Rails 4-6-0, 26 points

Willows 2-8-0, 18 points

Silver:  

Loons 10-0-0, 52 points

*League Champions*

Cardinals 7-2-1, 42 points

Quail 7-2-1, 41 points

Osprey 4-5-1, 29 points

Nene 4-6-0, 25 points

Gulls 3-7-0, 21 points

Pheasants 2-8-0, 18 points

(1-1 vs Hermits; 1-0 vs Nene)

Hermits 2-8-0, 18 points

(0-1 vs Nene, 1-0 vs Gulls)

Gold:

Yellowhammers 9-1-0, 46 pts

*League Champions*

Meadowlarks 7-3-0, 38 pts

Orioles 5-4-1, 32 points

Goldfinches 4-5-1, 28 points

Spindalis 4-6-0, 26 points

Bananaquits 2-8-0, 16 points

Platinum:

Roadrunners 8-1-0, 40 pts

*League Champions*

Peregrines 5-4-0, 29 points

Reds 3-6-0, 21 points

Blue Hens 3-6-0, 20 points

Spring Season Awards

Copper

Most Valuable Player

Ellis L-Thrashers

Most Outstanding Player

Etty S-Chickadees

Most Improved

Lawson R-Robins

Hustle award

Jane W-Purple Finches

Top Passer

Bryce R-Bluebirds

All First Team

Joshua B-Robins

Nara W-Purple Finches

Mason H-Purple Finches

Sebastian G-Purple Finches

Naomi B-Chickadees

Samuel S-Chickadees

Huntley T-Chickadees

John L-Purple Finches

Cal H-Robins

Lawson R-Robins

Jane W-Purple Finches

Bryce R-Bluebirds

Etty S-Chickadees

Ellis L-Thrashers

Cody G-Bluebirds

Nicolas L-Bluebirds

Matthew M-Bluebirds

Lucky S-Robins

Caleb A-Thrashers

Jack M-Thrashers

All Second Team

Theodore A-Chickadees

William G-Chickadees

Ronan S-Chickadees

Hodge P-Purple Finches

Connor T-Purple Finches

Brayton W-Purple Finches

Teddy C-Robins

Teddy S-Robins

Jules T-Robins

Daniel W-Robins

Ethan C-Thrashers

Aiden G-Thrashers

Desmond S-Thrashers

Oliver W-Thrashers

Miles H-Thrashers

Sonia H-Wrens

Soraya K-Wrens

Alexis E-Wrens

Dylan M-Wrens

Arlo W-Wrens

All Honorable Mention 

Lorenzo A-Bluebirds

Koa E-Bluebirds

Sebastian P-Bluebirds

Avila R-Bluebirds

Kai R-Bluebirds

Indio W-Bluebirds

Theo G-Chickadees

Saydee M-Chickadees

Kanai V-Chickadees

Elijah A-Purple Finches

Cam F-Purple Finches

Augustine M-Purple Finches

Luke O-Purple Finches

Rocco A-Robins

Samantha B-Robins

Lia M-Robins

Owen G-Thrashers

Miles P-Thrashers

Caleb L-Thrashers

Raffaele G-Wrens

Alishan N-Wrens

Zach S-Wrens

Zadie S-Wrens

Lucas R-Wrens

Holden C-Wrens

Bronze

Most Valuable Player

Louis L-Larks

Most Outstanding Player

Owen W-Doves

Most Improved

Zachary C-Grouse

Hustle Award

Jaxon O-Rails

Top Passer

Esme C-Mockingbirds

All First Team

Louis L-Larks

Owen W-Doves

Zachary C-Willows

Jaxon O-Rails

Esme C-Mockingbirds

Lincoln S-Doves

Canasia B-Larks

Hank C-Larks

Ray Lyons-Grouse

Jones U-Larks

Sophie O-Larks

Ryder K-Mockingbirds

Matthew A-Rails

Kosmos K-Rails

Henry C-Willows

George B-Willows

Clara C-Doves

Russell D-Doves

Rohan H-Doves

Bennett Z-Doves

Benjamin B-Grouse

Max H-Grouse

Zayden R-Grouse

Nathan S-Grouse

Jordan C-Larks

All Second Team

Ashley N-Grouse

Vivienne L-Larks

David S-Mockingbirds

Luca P-Mockingbirds

Tomas L-Rails

Lucas G-Mockingbirds

Vivienne B-Willows

Sofia A-Doves

Sabrina G-Doves

Lukas B-Grouse

Quentin D-Grouse

Gavin M-Larks

Owen G-Mockingbirds

Jake J-Mockingbirds

Devraj K-Mockingbirds

Titus A-Rails

Marlowe G-Rails

Cameron D-Rails

Hannah C-Willows

All Honorable Mention 

Alexander W-Rails

Haruka Y-Willows

Jayson G-Rails

Issa A-Mockingbirds

James W-Willows

Max D-Mockingbirds

Mavis G-Mockingbirds

JJ S-Willows

Julia R-Willows

James W-Willows

Hana T-Willows

Ben L-Mockingbirds

Adam F-Grouse

Josephine C-Doves

Ivy H-Doves

Sora N-Larks

Silver

Most Valuable Player

Saum S-Loons

Most Outstanding Player

Alice R-Quail

Most Improved

Eli P-Osprey

Hustle Award

Krsna P-Hermits

Top Passer

Sehar G-Cardinals

All First Team

Saum S-Loons

Krsna P-Hermits

Decker A-Loons

Jonas K-Osprey

Eli P-Osprey

Cetine T-Quail

Alice R- Quail

Sehar G-Cardinals

Lucas A-Hermits

Mateo C-Hermits

Sebastian A-Quail

Rome R-Gulls

Liana E-Quail

Bobby D-Quail

Charlie K-Quail

Elliot S-Loons

Oscar F-Loons

Olivia W-Loons

Nanda A-Quail

Sadie B-Loons

Oliver F-Osprey

Beck B-Osprey

Luke G-Osprey

Brooks C-Cardinals

Auggie F-Cardinals

Wyatt M-Cardinals

Bodhi P-Pheasants

Milos T-Cardinals

Rome R-Gulls

Pablo G-Loons

Cayson G-Pheasants

Phoenix V-Pheasants

Victor L-Pheasants

Max A-Nene

Soren V-Nene

Teddy M-Nene

Killian G-Nene

All Second Team

William B-Gulls

Aiden Y-Gulls

Loren G-Gulls

Levi L-Quail

Colin C-Cardinals

Liam H-Cardinals

Beau K-Cardinals

Nakai S-Cardinals

Landon W-Cardinals

Billy C-Gulls

George C-Gulls

Hugo C-Gulls

Julio G-Gulls

Finn P-Loons

Ignacio G-Nene

Ilya Z-Nene

Liam Y-Nene

Grace P-Osprey

Leah C-Pheasants

Tyler E-Pheasants

Ari L-Pheasants

Kris P-Pheasants

Audri V-Pheasants

August S-Pheasants

Riggan M-Quail

Griffin M-Quail

Maximus A-Hermits

Xavier S-Hermits

Alex B-Hermits

Landon S-Hermits

Kailash S-Hermits

River S-Hermits

Anthony W-Hermits

Frida G-Quail

Knute H-Gulls

All Honorable Mention

Theo R-Gulls

Rocco T-Hermits

Miles W-Gulls

Marcel J-Loons

Max L-Loons

Walker R-Loons

William H-Nene

Charlie K-Nene

Greyson L-Nene

Halle G-Osprey

Poppy M-Osprey

Gianna S-Osprey

Henry W-Osprey

Sachiko T-Osprey

Dean M-Pheasants

Gold

Most Valuable Player

Krishna A-Yellowhammers

Most Outstanding Player

Rohan P-Meadowlarks

Most Improved

Beni O-Spindalis

Hustle Award

Jason D-Bananaquits

Top Passer

Julianna H-Orioles

All First Team

Buck J-Meadowlarks

Krishna A-Yellowhammers

Theodore E-Yellowhammers

Ray S-Yellowhammers

Beau E-Yellowhammers

Keshav S-Yellowhammers

Declan W-Yellowhammers

Emet K-Meadowlarks

Henry F-Goldfinches

Jordan S-Goldfinches

Ocean Y-Goldfinches

Andrey S-Goldfinches

Quest D-Spindalis

Keegan E-Spindalis

Ezra E-Spindalis

Rohan P-Meadowlarks

Josiah H-Orioles

Naphat W-Bananaquits

Beni O-Spindalis

Oliver L-Bananaquits

Linus V-Spindalis

Jason D-Bananaquits

Matthew K-Orioles

Auden T-Orioles

Julianna H-Orioles

All Second Team

Drew W-Yellowhammers

Caleb O-Bananaquits

Megan O-Bananaquits

Dylan R-Goldfinches

Trevor S-Goldfinches

Saum S-Goldfinces

Leo Y-Goldfinches

Zayd S-Meadowlarks

Dylan J-Meadowlarks

Archie L-Meadowlarks

Beau Z-Meadowlarks

Luca T-Meadowlarks

Niam P-Yellowhammers

Leon M-Meadowlarks

Andy H-Orioles

Elliot C-Orioles

Elliot I-Orioles

Nicholas C-Orioles

Siddhant K-Orioles

Cade M-Orioles

Finley P-Orioles

Jaxon S-Yellowhammers

Natcha W-Bananaquits

Nawat W-Bananaquits

Oliver M-Meadowlarks

Honorable Mention

Georg L-Bananaquits

Norman T-Bananaquits

Roman T-Bananaquits

Julian Z-Bananaquits

Alex M-Goldfinches

Connor V-Goldfinches

Harrison B-Spindalis

Jonathan W-Spindalis

Nathanaiel W-Spindalis

Asher M-Spindalis

Viggo M-Meadowlarks

Kian S-Yellowhammers

Platinum 

Most Valuable Player

Augie T-Roadrunners

Most Outstanding Player 

Max P-Peregrines

Most Improved 

Judah H-Reds

Hustle Award

Liam A-Blue Hens

Top Passer

Chloe S-Roadrunners

All First Team

Max P-Peregrines

Liam A-Blue Hens

Judah H-Blue Hens

Chloe S-Roadrunners

Augie T-Roadrunners

Mohamed D-Reds

Liam A-Blue Hens

Henry M-Peregrines

Danny Z-Roadrunners

Ibrahim A-Roadrunners

Kai H-Reds

Diego G-Blue Hens

Rex Scarpa-Peregrines

All Second Team

Dylan K-Roadrunners

Rohham T-Peregrines

Radin T-Roadrunners

Lavi G-Blue Hens

Ryan Y-Blue Hens

Dominic D-Reds

Leonardo G-Peregrines

Sean D-Peregrines

Rowan O-Peregrines

Caleb S-Peregrines

Alden W-Peregrines

Kamden K-Reds

Joshua E-Reds

Zachary L-Reds

Dylan M-Reds

Justin P-Reds

Daniel F-Roadrunners

Noah L-Roadrunners

Oliver H-Roadrunners

Honorable Mention

Brendan I-Reds

Jaden K-Blue Hens

Louis M-Blue Hens

Ezra M-Blue Hens

Dylan Z-Blue Hens

Amir E-Blue Hens

Ocean Y-Peregrines

Matthew K-Blue Hens

Jack M-Blue Hens

Abdullah J-Reds

Kaya D-Roadrunners

Conrad D-Roadrunners

Thank you very much, to all the coaches, parents, players, and referees.  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