Welcome to the second issue of volume ten of Swish, a periodical with recaps and photos of Santa Monica YMCA youth basketball games, and other pertinent info such as announcements and updates from the program.
This Winter season has concluded, congratulations to the following teams for being the Champions in their division:
Copper: Justice
Bronze: Sol
Silver: Starzz
Gold: Hustle
Platinum: Legacy
All the thanks go to my assistant Nicholas Walker, the coaches, the referees, the players, and the parents.
I highly recommend to check out “Drbblin with Nick” on the internet. There are currently five videos available from my assistant Nicholas Walker to help improve your game and learn a little history of great basketball players.
Here is a link to episode one: https://youtu.be/5DQSAGv-QFQ
Our theme for team names this season was past and present women’s professional basketball teams to honor the girls in our program.
I suggest checking out the following links to learn more about the history of women’s pro basketball.
https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-womens-basketball-in-america-3528489
https://funwhileitlasted.net/womens-professional-basketball-league-1978-1981/
SAT 2/25/23 WEEKEND #6
Copper
Wings vs Justice
The Justice jumped out to a big quick lead as scoring machine Jonas Ketai had 20 points for the game with 10 in each half, but he did get help with a basket from Knox Jeffers, and a free throw from Lincoln Sheng. The Wings got their scoring going in the second half with a field goal each from Beck Britto, Greyson Lovett, Oscar Farrar, and Bodhi Kothari who also was a perfect two for two at the charity stripe. The Wings had good defense from Lachlan Canniffe and Jhanov Srinivasan, but the Justice provided the stronger defense as Beckett Mauck, Mikes Bitar, and Manu Mota we’re making key steals, and Player of the Game Nina Ketkar led the team in rebounds and was drawing fouls with her drives to the basket.
Player of the Game, the Justice Nina Ketkar. Photo by Kristin Jeffers
Sol vs Fever
It was raining cats and dogs outside, and the roof was leaking, but the sun was shining inside the gym, as the Sol was bright, and heating it up over the Fever. The Sol had points from Beau Ellis Farr, Pablo Gonzalez, Buck Jacobs, and Player of the Game Gabriel Mikhail. The Fever had a bucket from Alden Wong, and good defense from Moss McFly, Alice Roberts, Katarina Epstein, Theodore Edelman, and Stanislau Zhizhenka. The Sol had strong performances from Charlie Kalmbach, Stella Jura, and Teo Escalante.
Gold
Power vs Hustle
Nicholas Walker filled in to coach the Power as they took on the undefeated Hustle. The Hustle got 6 points from Michael Mikhail in the first half, along with a basket each from teammates Harlan Mansfield and Diego Gonzalez. The Power had first half scoring from Noah Hagooli Bolaños, Brandon Israels, Kenzo Lowrey, Luca Samson, and Player of the Game Ryan Cohen to gain a halftime advantage. In the second half, the Hustle got points from Austin Bernier, Rohham Taherian, and multiple points from Diego Gonzalez, as teammates Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos, and Aiden Hill made steals and rebounds. But the Power was mighty as Rayan Chibane led the game in steals, Kay Roberts made assists, and Radin Taherian added a basket to give the Power a commanding lead to ensure the victory,
Pride vs Mystics
They say a tie is like kissing your sister. The Mystics built a halftime lead on the strength of a basket each by Abdullah Jooma and Ibrahim Ally, a 3-pointer by Taha Tourah, a free throw made by Ellis Miller, and 12 first half points by Co-Player of the Game Leo Epstein. The first half scoring for the Pride came from a 3-pointer by Ming Zhu, a basket each from Jason Haynes, Isaac Lynn, and Yisaac Tariku. The Pride AJ Evans had 4 of his 10 points in the first half. In the second half, Leo Epstein continued his scoring with 9 more points as he got assists from Dominic Drew, Azumi Nomoto, and Mariama Belew. The Pride started applying a full court press in the final minutes that chipped away the Mystics lead, and got points from Olana Alemayehu, Isaac Lynn, Jason Haynes, and Co-Player of the Game Iwa Hashim as she hit a game tying field goal in the final seconds. The Pride was tough on defense with the help of Kayhler Tomlinson and Mia Kondvatgev to prevent the Mystics from getting a go-ahead bucket, as the game ended in a tie.
Platinum
Majesty vs Wranglers
The first half was very close. The Wranglers Keen Nikeel and Justin Tun each hit a 3-pointer, and teammate Justin Tun had a “3”, a “2”, and a “1” to shoot for the cycle in the first half. For the Majesty, Razz Lee and Isley Williams scored 5 points each, and Rowan Booher and TJ Turner scored 2 points each. The second half was mostly the Majesty as Jack Phelan, Rowan Booher, and TJ Turner had 5 points each. The Majesty got points from Razz Lee, Isley Williams, and Christian Ferew. For the Wranglers in the second half, Justin Tun and Joseph Zak each had 5 points, James Petrovich and Jarvis Wakefield added points for the team. In the end, the Majesty reigned supreme, and went on to victory. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Comets vs Blizzard
Photo by Thea Cappiccille
In the first half, the Blizzard got scoring from Jack Bell with 4, Yafet Desta and River Zelenovic with 2 each, and London Coleman nailed a “3” and added a free throw. Player of the Game, Parker Cappiccille of the Comets, had 12 first half points, as teammates Ben Steelman, Cassius Taylor, and Matthew Scholze made the scoring column. In the second half, the Comets went on a run with Parker Cappiccille scoring 10 more, Matthew Scholze with 9, Jake Montanez with 6, and Max Baracy adding a basket. Jack Bell did his best to keep the Blizzard close, scoring 10 points, and teammate Joshua Edwards hit a “3”. The Blizzard also had scoring from London Coleman and Aiden Lin; however, it was not quite enough to catch the Comets. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
SUN 2/26/23
Bronze
Storm vs Fillies
On a very rainy weekend, it only made sense that the Storm would be strong today. The Storm built a big first half lead with excellent passing and shooting from Lucas Alemayehu and Ray Song, as they combined for all 12 first half points for their team. In the second half, the Fillies started to make baskets, as Dylan Hancock, Asher Harris, Odin Giantz, and Howie Trussler each made a bucket, and Luca Seidenstein and Fletcher Lurie got multiple rebounds, but the Storm was still strong as Alex Blondheim and Rome Ricks had 2 made field goals each, Rex Bulette had a basket, and Player of the Game Jack Haot had three big buckets, along with being the rebound leader to give the Storm the victory.
Player of the Game, the Storm Jack Haot. Photo by Max Haot
Starzz vs Diamonds
Photo by Mirela Samardjiza
A defensive struggle in the first half as the Diamonds had steals from James Hosdale, Levi Lapierre, and Elliot Sheng, but got a basket each from Mai Ly Pariser and Liana Enayati. The Starzz defense was tough as Nora Neff, Frida Garcia, and Krishna Aysola were getting rebounds. Scoring picked up slightly in the second half, as baskets came from Starzz Jake Cahoon and Niam Pahwa, and a made free throw from Lucas Dogic, but the difference maker was the Player of the game, the Starzz Nanda Aysola, who was the leading scorer with 4 points to give his team the victory. The leading rebounder for the game was the Diamonds Keanu Lowrey.
Copper
Shock vs Aces
The Shock were in search of their first victory of the season, would it be today? It was looking good in the first half as the Shock took a narrow halftime lead on two buckets from Jordan Martin, and one bucket from Tyson Skinner. The Aces Soren Verleun had 4 points in the first half, In the second half, the Aces got a basket each from Oscar Vigder and William Holt, but the Shock got another basket each from Jordan Martin and Theo Steele, and then Player of the Game Tyson Skinner had 7 points in the 3rd quarter alone to give his team their first victory of the season. The Shock had good defensive performances from Ghalia and Muhammad Ferchichi, Jaxton Stangel, Owen Mitchell, Killian Georgaris, and Noah Kim to lock down the Aces shooters.
Silver
Sting vs Blaze
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
The first half was close as the Blaze Eugene Edouarzin played his first game of the year and came out hitting 6 quick points, and teammates Xavier Allen and John Von Oeyen scored 2 points each to keep their team in the game. The Sting got 6 points from Player of the Game Luca Tinti, and teammates Oliver Lynn and Lucas Dogic added points to close out the first half. In the second half, the Sting Mika Stele came out with 7 points, and Lucas Dogic added 4 more points, and Liam Brohier, Nadim Nasr, and Luca Tinti each scored a bucket. The Blaze got a basket from Weston Brea and 8 points from Xavier Allen, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Sting. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Liberty vs Metros
An intense battle for first place in the division, as these two teams squared off. This was a see-saw game of back and forth lead changes. Henry Covington was the leading scorer for the Metros, and Jason Gaines was the leading scorer for the Liberty, as they would often trade field goals. The Metros had steals from Jane Ganek and Dylan Jackson. The Liberty would counter with their tough defense and baskets from Conrad DiMauro, Oliver Harris, Peter Rodrick, and Ross Nelson. As the game progressed through the second half, the Liberty had 6 points from Tucker Gissendanner, and key steals from Arya Nawathe. However, the Metros pulled out the victory with a key basket each from James Boesiger, Betanya Desta, and Player of the Game Henry Fyda in an exciting match.
Platinum
Rockers vs Legacy
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
This turned out to be the Platinum level game of the year. In the first half, the Rockers Sasha Peterson hit a “3” then got another 3 pointer the hard way, hitting a shot while fouled then converting the “And 1” free throw. The Rockers also had scoring from Dylan Kravitz, Sam McGowan, Gabriel Chibane, and Co-Player of the Game Nehum Negusse. For the Legacy, Co-Player of the Game Ryan Chambers and Dagmawi Ayele came out firing, with 8 and 7 points respectively. Kai Halpert and Noah Michael also added to the scoring to keep the Legacy right there. In the second half, the Rockers Dylan Kravitz hit two big 3-pointers, and Nehum Negusse and Danilo Samardzija added more points, and Sasha Peterson hit another “3” along with two made free throws, and Gabriel Chibane was grabbing rebounds to dish out to his Rockers teammates to build a big lead, but the Legacy came roaring back late in the game as Dagmawi Ayele scored 9 more points, and Noah Michael had 3 points, and James Cook and Kai Halbert tallied 2 points each. In the final seconds, Ryan Chambers went down the length of the court to hit the game tying bucket off the backboard as the buzzer sounded. Wow! What a game! Submitted by Nicholas Walker
SAT 3/4/23 WEEKEND #7
Bronze
Sol vs Storm
A divisional matchup featuring two top teams, the Storm took the early lead with a basket from Rome Ricks, and 5 first half points from Jaxon Silverstein. The Sol had first half points from Teo Escalante, Pablo Gonzalez, and Gabriel Mikhail to stay close at the halftime break. In the second half, The Sol had an additional 4 points from Gabriel Mikhail, and a basket each from Pablo Gonzalez, Aiden Yousefi, and Player of the Game Buck Jacobs. The Storm had a bucket each from Rex Bullette and Ray Song, and Alex Blondheim led the game in rebounds, and teammates Rome Ricks and Bodhi Petitti made key steals to stay close. But in the end, the tough defense of the Sol, provided by Charlie Kalmbach, Beau Ellis-Farr, and Julian Horne kept the Storm at bay, and let the Sol shine brightly onto victory.
Fever vs Starzz
Photo by Jessica Lew
The Starzz shone brightly as they had 5 different players score: Lucas Dogic, Jake Cahoon, Nanda Aysola, Nora Neff, and Player of the Game Krishna Aysola. The Fever got baskets from Katarina Epstein, Alice Roberts, and Declan Wong. The Fever also had outstanding defense from Theodore Edelman, and good performances from Stanislau Zhizhenka and Moss McFly. The Starzz assist leader was Barret “Baer” Loubek, and the steals leader was Frida Garcia that helped their team to victory.
Hey! I’m open! Photo by Mirela Samardzija
Fillies vs Diamonds
Liana Enayati led the way for the Diamonds, scoring 8 first half points, and with Decker Amos adding 4 points, the Diamonds went into halftime with a big lead. The Fillies woke up in the second half, as Rohan Jaitly-Pratyoosh and Luca Seidenstein scored 4 each, and Bodie Miller had a basket. But then the Diamonds got their scoring going again as Levi Lapierre scored 4 points, Qiao Ren scored 2, and Decker Amos added 2 free throws. Player of the Game, Liana Enayati of the Diamonds, put the game out of reach when she made another shot. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Silver
Blaze vs Metros
In the first half, the mighty Metros were led by Henry Covington, who had 10 points, and James Boesiger who had 8 points, also Player of the Game Elliot Israels scored a very important basket that brought the crowd to its feet. For the Blaze. Mariela Belew had 3 points and Xavier Allen had 2 points to close out the first half. In the second half, Henry Covington started up just where he left off, scoring 9 more points and James Boesiger hit two more baskets, and Liam Desante added 2 points. For the Blaze, Xavier Alan scored 7 points, and Harrison Hurst hit a basket; however, it was not quite enough to overcome the Metros early lead. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Platinum
Wranglers vs Legacy
The Legacy had only five players, but five is all they needed as they all scored points. The Legacy was led by Player of the Game Dagmawi Ayele with a game high 20 points along with 15 rebounds. The Legacy also had scoring from Ryan Chambers, Noah Michael, Josh Weil, and point guard extraordinaire Noah McLaurin. Although the Legacy had built a good lead at halftime, they tried to slow things down, only to get caught in their own game, as the Wranglers mounted a comeback to get within two points as Justin Tun, Keen Nikkel, Cam Pariser, and Joseph Zak had multiple baskets, and teammates Caden Feradouni and Amir Enayati were both 2 for 2 with their free throws. But the Legacy got back on track and locked down on defense to hold on to a narrow victory.
Blizzard vs Majesty
The Blizzard got an early lead in this game on baskets from Yafet Desta and Mesalay Benyam, along with a “3” each from London Coleman and Amensisa Alemayehu. The Majesty started to get things rolling later in the first half as it was “reigning threes” from Jack Phalen, Kaleab Seyum, and Player of the Game Adonyinas Yonas who made four 3-pointers in the match. The second half did see the Blizzard get additional points from Jack Bell, Joshua Edwards, Aiden Lin, River Zelenovic, Mesalay Benyam, and London Coleman who led her team with 11 total points for the match. But the Majesty was strong with tough defense from Ethan Schwartz and Christian Ferew, and rebounds and points from TJ Turner and Isley Williams leaving us to say “Yes, your Majesty”
SUN 3/5/23
Copper
Aces vs Wings
The Aces established a big lead when within four minutes of the second quarter Soren Verleun had 10 points, and teammate William Holt had 4 points in the first half. For the Wings, first half scoring came from a free throw by Lachlan Canniffe, and two field goals by Oliver Farrar. In the second half, the Wings got all their scoring with 6 points from Bodhi Kothari, and strong defense from Matthew Alemayehu, Luke Sarley, and Oscar Farrar. The Aces Soren Verleun scored another 8 points in the 4th quarter, and defensive stops were made by teammates Noe Lanich, Rowan Massey, and Player of the Game Sora Momoto as she led her team in rebounds and assists.
Shock vs Justice
The Shock were looking for their second victory in a row as they faced the division leading Justice. The Shock built an early lead on 2 baskets from Theo Stele, and a bucket from Tyson Skinner. The Shock had steals and rebounds from Jacob Berger, Ghalia Ferchichi, and Killian Georgaris, and block shots from Ashtok Dhaka. The Justice had 4 first half points from Knox Jeffers. In the second half, the Justice got a basket from Miles Bitar to get closer, but the Shock got 6 points each from Jordan Martin and Player of the Game Theo Stele to cruise to victory.
Silver
Liberty vs Sting
The Liberty jumped out to an early lead with Jason Gaines scoring all 12 points. For the Sting, Nadir Nasr hit a basket and Lucas Dogic added a free throw. In the second half, Jason Gaines continued his scoring with 7 more points for the Liberty, as teammates Arya Nawathe and Player of the Game Andrei Sterlyagov each scored 2 points. For the Sting, Mika Stele got hot by hitting two “3”s as well as a midrange 2, Luca Tinti got 3 points the hard way by hitting a basket and getting fouled in the act of shooting, and making the free throw for the completion of the “And 1”, and Lucas Dogic added a basket. However, the Sting was not able to overcome the Liberty’s early lead. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Gold
Hustle vs Pride
The Pride started with only five players until two more showed late in the first half, but were able to obtain a halftime lead on the strength of baskets by AJ Evans, Isaac Lynn, Kudus Dagnew, and Olana Alemayehu. The Hustle had first half scoring from Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos, Diego Gonzalez, Louis Meehan Smith, and Michael Mikhail. In the second half, the Pride got crucial rebounds and baskets from Player of the Game Mia Kondratyeva to help keep the Pride ahead, along with more points from AJ Evans, Isaac Lynn, and Olana Alemayehu. The Hustle got a huge second half from Michael Mikhail as he added 10 points to his game high total of 14. The Hustle also had a basket from Austin Bernier. But the Pride held on with good defense from Yisaac Tariku and Ethan Kondratyev.
Mystics vs Power
Photo by Apolonia Drew
Comets vs Rockers
These teams combined for an epic platinum level clash. The Comets jumped out to the big first half lead with Parker Cappiccille scoring 8 points, Rayan Etemadnia hit a big “3”, and Hunter Esposito-Doi, Matthew Scholze, and Cassius Taylor each had 2 points. For the Rockers: Danilo Samardzija hit a “3”, Dylan Kravitz nailed three free throws(say that 3x fast!), and Sam McGowan hit a bucket to keep their team close as the half ended. As the second half began, the Rockers came roaring back, led by Dylan Kravitz with 7 points, Danilo Samardzija with 6, Sasha Peterson with 4, and Sam McGowan with 2. Also, the Rockers got a huge 3-pointer from Nicholas Rangel, and a key free throw from Raif Henok Kendrick. The game was nip and tuck after the Rockers run. The Comets Parker Cappiccille refused to let his team lose, by scoring 9 points down the stretch, and teammates Hunter Esposito-Doi added a clutch “3” and a free throw, and Jake Montanez hit a driving shot in the final minute, along with a free throw from Ben Steelman, as the Comets held on for a one point victory. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
SAT 3/11/23 WEEKEND #8
Copper
Justice vs Aces
Photo by Kristen Jeffers
To paraphrase Charles Dickens as to the scoring of this game, it was the best of halves, and the worst of halves. The first half scoring was almost all the Justice as Player of the Game Knox Jeffers had 10 points, and Jonas Ketai had 4 points. The Aces had one basket from Soren Verleun in the first half. In the second half, the Aces did all the scoring as Soren Verleun and William Holt had two baskets each. The Justice held on to the victory with good defense from Lincoln Sheng, Manu Mota, Beckett Mauck, and Miles Bitar. Emma Holt had the most steals for the Aces.
The Justice Miles Bitar and Knox Jeffers. Photo by Kristen Jeffers
Shock vs Wings
The Shock are currently on a winning streak, and got off to a quick start as Tyson Skinner had 6 first half points, Theo Stele with 2 points, and Player of the Game Killian Georgaris had a bucket for the Shock. However, the Wings got within 2 points at halftime on a solid first half by Oscar Farrar who had 6 points, and his brother Oliver had 2 points. In the second half, the Shock continued their scoring with Tyson Skinner getting 4 more points, and Theo Stele adding a bucket. The Wings only scoring came from a bucket by Beck Brito. The Shock were able to lockdown the Wings, with defensive steals by Jaxton Stangel and Ashtok Dhaka to keep their winning streak going.
Silver
Sting vs Metros
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
The Metros had most of their scoring in the first half from Henry Covington with 10 points, and a bucket from Betanya Desta. The Sting had balanced scoring throughout the game with 3 points from Liam Broihier along with his multiple steals, Oliver Lynn had a basket, Nadim Nasr and Mika Stele each scored 8 points, Lucas Dogic made three field goals, and Luca Tinti and Beau Zaczepinski each had a bucket. The Metros had good defensive performances from Redeat Gebeyehu and Henry Kendall, but the Sting were able to lockdown the Metros in the second half to go on to a commanding victory
Liberty vs Blaze
The Liberty led this game from start to finish on the strength of 12 points by Arya Nawathe, and additional points from Tucker Gissendanner, Peter Rodrick, Ryan Yousefi, and Linus Verleun along with other Liberty teammates to go on to victory. The Metros had points from Weston Brea, Eugene Edouarzin, James and Harrison Hurst, Mac McKillp, and John Von Oeyen
Gold
Hustle vs Mystics
It was even for the first ten minutes of the game with the Mystics having a slight lead on a three pointer from Ellis Miller, and buckets by Abdullah Jooma and Ibrahim Ally. The Mystics Dominic Drew was the assists leader of the game with 5 assists, and Radin Taherian substituted for the short handed Mystics and added a basket. However, the Hustle were too strong and were able to build a big lead by halftime on the strength of 32 total game points by Michael Mikhail and points from Diego Gonzalez, Harlan Mansfield, Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos, and Player of the Game Rohham Taherian.
Power vs Pride
A battle of two well coached teams, which saw a back and forth in the first half with quality rebounding by the Power’s Kenzo Lowrey and the Pride’s Mia Kondvatyeva to get additional shots for their team. The Power had good outside shooting from Ryan Cohen hitting a couple 3-balls, and outside shots from Radin Taherian, Brandon Israels, and Spencer Nelson, as they each got assists from Noah Hagooli Bolaños and Kay Roberts as they controlled the backcourt, and Kenzo Lowrey put back a rebound for a bucket at the halftime buzzer. But the Pride showed their depth in the second half as Olana Alemayehu was nailing outside shots, and Jason Haynes, AJ Evans, and Player of the Game Ming Zhu penetrated the lane to do what my childhood idol Dr. J would say:
The Pride showed how strong they were with Ethan Kondvatyev leading the game with blocks and Kayhler Tomlinson leading the game with steals to ensure the Pride went on to victory.
SUN 3/12/23
Fillies vs Starzz
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
This match featured many players getting their first basket ever and some scorers that usually don’t get in the scoring column. For the Fillies, Rohan Jaitly-Pratyoosh had 5 points; Logan Barnett, Luca Seidenstein, Howie Trussler, and Fletcher Lurie each made a field goal, and Bodie Miller added a free throw. For the Starzz, this match featured a couple baskets by Nanda Aysola, with good defense by his brother Krishna and teammate Nora Neff, and a bucket by Niam Pahwa; but, the “Starzz” of the game were Barrett “Baer” Loubek making a bucket, and Player of the Game Frida Garcia scoring her first point ever by converting a free throw, and playing an exceptional game.
Storm vs Fever
The Storm came in with a full squad to help keep the pressure on the Fever. The Storm Rome Ricks was gracious enough to help the Fever, by switching sides, and contributed for them by scoring a bucket. The Fever had 10 points from Declan Wong on his outside shooting, and 6 points from Stanislau Zhizhenka, as Moss McFly, Alice Roberts, and Katarina Epstein played good defense. The Storm were rainmakers with 10 points from Lucas Alemayehu, 7 points from Jaxon Silverstein who made some excellent assists, 4 points each from Ray Song and Alex Blondheim, and 6 big points from Player of the Game Rex Bulette to give the Storm a comfortable lead, with Aidan Schneider and Jack Haot grabbing rebounds.
Sol vs Diamonds
Photos by Anastasia Hosdale
The first half was very close as the Sol got 4 points from Gabriel Mikhail and 2 points from Buck Jacobs, and the Diamonds got 2 points each from Liana Enayati and Keanu Lowrey. In the second half, the Sol pulled away by getting 2 points each from four different players: Gabriel Mikhail, Beau Ellis-Farr, Pablo Gonzalez, and Buck Jacobs. The Diamonds Decker Amos scored 4 points to keep the game close. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Platinum
Wranglers vs Rockers
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
The Rockers came out very hot, jumping out to a 13-0 lead, as Dylan Kravitz hit two “3”s, Sam McGowan scored a bucket, and Sasha Peters had a quick 8 points and two phenomenal assists. The Wranglers Keen Nikkel caught fire scoring 11 quick points to bring the Wranglers back, Cam Pariser hit a “3” along with another bucket, Joseph Zak got into the “3” party with one of his own, and Caden Feradouni put himself into the scoring column to give the Wranglers a slim lead heading into halftime. The second half, the Wranglers Cam Pariser put on a show scoring 17 points to lead his team to victory, in doing so, he clinched the prestigious “Player of the Week” award. The Wranglers got additional points from Joseph Zak, Amir Enayati, and Ilan Larsen to clinch the victory. The Rockers Gabriel Chibane scored 6 points, Azariah Gebeyehu nailed a “3”, Sasha Peterson made three free throws(say that three times fast!), and Dylan Kravitz added a basket to keep the Rockers close. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Majesty vs Comets
The two top teams in the Platinum division squared off for a battle for first place. The game was back and forth in the first half as The Comets got scoring from Parker Cappiccille, Hunter Esposito-Doi, Matthew Scholze, and Matteo Tinti. The Majesty kept pace with points from Razz Lee, Jack Phalen, Adonyinas Yonas, TJ Turner, and Isley Williams. As the second half began, the Comets started to pull away as Parker Cappiccille continue to lead his team in points by finishing with 21 points, and getting a bucket each from Cassius Taylor and Ben Steelman, while Player of the Game Matteo Tinti added to the scoring column and led his team in assists. The Majesty hung in as Jack Phelan led his team in scoring with 12 points and Rowan Booher added a basket. However, in the end, free throws were the difference maker as the Majesty converted 4 of 14, and the Comets went 12 for 15.
Legacy vs Blizzard
Photo by Elaine Kaplan
The Blizzard got an early lead as Jack Bell, Yafet Desta, and Silas Hansson scored, but the Legacy were able to catch up and go ahead at halftime, and keep the lead in the second half with points from Felix Allen, Dagmawi Ayee, Josh Weil, Kai Halpert, Noah McLaurin, Noah Michael, and Player of the Game Landon Broihier. James Cook led the Legacy in assists. The Blizzard got additional scoring from London Coleman, Joshua Edwards, and Aiden Lin. Theo Bell led the Blizzard in steals.
SAT 3/18/23 WEEKEND #9
Copper
Wings vs Justice
Justice was being served in the first half with the usual suspects scoring, Knox Jeffers with a basket, and Jonas Ketai with 9 points. The Justice was providing good defense with Miles Bitar leading the game with steals, and teammates Beckett Mauck, Manu Mota, Lincoln Sheng, and Player of the Game Jason Ren hustling on defense. The Wings had a bucket each from Oliver and Oscar Farrar, Beck Britto, and Jhanov Srinivasan. The Justice continued to get scoring from Knox Jeffers with a basket and a perfect 2 for 2 from the free throw line, and Jonas Ketai with 3 more baskets. The Wings had tough defense from Lachlan Canniffe and Greyson Lovett; however, as Buddy Holly and the Crickets sang “I fought the law, and the law won.”
Bronze
Fillies vs Storm
The Storm led this game from start to finish, with 9 points from Ray Song, 6 points from Alex Blondheim, 2 each from Lucas Alemayehu and Rome Ricks to take a commanding lead. Luca Seidenstein scored 2 points for the Fillies. In the second half, the Storm kept on truckin’, Lucas Alemayehu scored 8 points, and 4 each from Alex Blondheim, Rome Ricks, and Ray Song. Additional Storm players scored with Jack Haot with 2 points, and Rex Bulette hit a free throw. The Fillies got 4 points from James Canniffe and Asher Harris and Luca Seidenstein scored 2 more points each. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Diamonds vs Fever
Photo by Jessica Lew
The Diamonds and legendary singer Peggy Lee were both singing the same tune “Fever in the mornin.” Defensive struggle throughout with the Diamonds getting four points each from Levi Lapierre and Decker Amos, and a basket each from Liana Enayati and Keanu Lowrey. The Fever had 6 points from Alice Roberts, and a basket from Declan Wong. The Fever had Theodore Edelman leading the team in rebounds, and steals from Grayson Mitchell and Shanta Vora. The Diamonds were able to secure the victory as Mai Ly Pariser, Enzo Shepnick Casco, and Qiao Ren had a couple of key steals in the 4th quarter.
Photo by Brian Wong
Silver
Metros vs Liberty
The Metros took on the Liberty for first place in the Silver division. The Metros Henry Covington scored 6 first half points, Liam Desante and Dylan Jackson had 2 points each. The Liberty got 4 points each from Jason Gaines, Oliver Harris, and Arya Nawathe, and 2 each from Peter Rodrick and Lunus Verleun to give the Liberty a halftime lead. In the second half, the Metros got 4 more points from Henry Covington and 2 points from Liam Desante. The Liberty had Linus Verleun score 4 more points, and Conrad DiMauro and Jason Gaines added 3 points each to claim the victory for their team. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Platinum
Wranglers vs Blizzard
The first half was very competitive. The Blizzard got 5 points from River Zelenovic, 4 more from Yafet Desta, Theo Bell served up a “Trey”, Silas Hansson hit a bucket, and Joshua Edwards made two free throws. For the Wranglers, Joseph Zak had 9 first half points, Cam Pariser had 6, James Petrovich and Keen Nikkel had 4 points each, and Caden Feradouni hit a free throw to cap off the first half scoring. In the second half, Theo Bell hit a “3” and 2 more field goals for the Blizzard. Aiden Lin and River Zelenovic each nailed a “3” from downtown. For the Wranglers, Keen Nikkel scored 8 points, Cam Pariser got 6 more points, Joseph Zak added 4 more, and Caden Feradouni made a swish shot to lead his team to victory. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Rockers vs Majesty
The first half was very close, as the Majesty got scoring from 6 different players that included Adoniyas Yonas, Rowan Booher, TJ Turner, Isley Williams, Jack Phalen, and Ethan Schwartz; the Rockers also got scoring from 6 different players in the first half that included Sasha Peterson, Danilo Samardzija, Nehum Negusse, Nicholas Rangel, and a “3” ball form both Dylan Kravitz and Azariah Gebeyehu. The Majesty Isley Williams had a very strong second half scoring 10 points, and teammate Jack Phelan had 8 points, with Rowan Booher, Christian Ferew, and Ethan Schwartz making the scoring column. The Rockers got 8 more points from Sasha Peterson, with points from Sam McGowan and Nahum Negusse, but it was not quite enough to overcome the Majesty. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
SUN 3/19/23
Copper
Aces vs Shock
Photos by Jennifer Massey
The Shock have been shocking the Copper division as they are currently on a winning streak, and show no signs of slowing down. Player of the Game, the Shock’s Jordan Martin had 10 points for the game, Noah Kim made 2 baskets, and Ashtok Dhaka made a bucket as well. Great defense helped the Shock as the new sibling tandem. Ghalia and Muhammad Ferchichi, had steals and rebounds, and Killian Georgaris and Jaxton Stangel hustled all over the court. The Aces kept pace with Soren Verleun and Oscar Vidger scoring, but even more impressive was May Zachary scoring her first basket and making her first free throw.
Silver
Blaze vs Sting
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
The Sting had 4 points from both Nadim Nasr and Mika Stele to take a halftime lead. Sean Dobbs scored a bucket to keep the Blaze in striking distance. In the second half, the Sting got 6 points from Nadir Nasr, 5 points from Mika Steele, and 2 points each from Oliver Lynn and Beau Zaczepinski to take a commanding lead. The Blaze got a scoring surge from Eugene Edouarzin with 6 points which was not quite enough to catch the Sting. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Bronze
Starzz vs Sol
Photos by Christian Loubek
Many were looking forward to this matchup of the top two teams in the division, and the fans would not be disappointed. Both teams battled to a 5-5 tie to end the first half as Co-Player of the Game, the Sol’s Beau Ellis-Farr had a basket, and teammate Gabriel Mikhail had 3 points. The scoring for the Starzz in the first half, came from Nanda Aysola with a bucket, and Jake Cahoon with 3 points. Defense was tough as the Starzz Krishna Aysola, Nora Neff, and Niam Pahwa had steals and rebounds, and the Sol Teo Escalante, Pablo Gonzalez, and Buck Jacobs were not allowing penetration to the basket. The Sol got a basket and a “3” from Beau Ellis-Farr, and a go ahead basket from Gabriel Mikhail as the Sol took a two point lead with just 10 seconds to go. The Starzz had 7 second half points from Co-Player of the Game, Lucas Dogic, but no basket would be more crucial than what would soon transpire in the final moments of the game. As the Sol brought the ball into play following a timeout, they played the ball inside the three point line to make it a live ball, the Sol then threw the ball across the court to which the Starzz Lucas Dogic intercepted it, and took it down the court, and drove to the basket, making a layup at the buzzer to tie the score! Great game! And congratulations to both teams for putting on a fine performance.
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
Gold
Power vs Hustle
Photo by Jessica Lew
Nicholas Walker filled in to coach the Power as they took on the first place Hustle. The Hustle were missing some key players, but put in a total team effort with scoring from all six of their players that played in the game, which included Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos, Austin Bernier, Harlan Mansfield, Louis Meehan Smith, Rohham Taherian, and Player of the Game Aidan Hill. The Power stayed close throughout the game with scoring from Rayan Chibane, Brandon Israels, Kenzo Lowrey, Radin Taherian, Alden Wong, and Kay Roberts, along with assists from Noah Hagooli Bolanos and solid defense from Spencer Nelson. In the end, the Hustle edged out the Power to give coaches Karim Mikhail and Armando Gonzalez the Gold division championship. Hustle was the perfect name for their team because all their players do exactly that.
Photo by Brian Wong
Player of the Game, Aidan Hill of the Hustle. Photo by Karen Arrigo Hill
Pride vs Mystics
Photo by Pamela Petrigliano
The Mystics Leo Epstein was a force to be reckoned with as he scored 13 points, and had 20 rebounds, but the Pride showed what their name means by having Ethan Kondvatyev, Issac Lynn, Isaac Tariku, and Kayhler Tomlinson not be intimidated by his tall stature, and prevented him from scoring more. The Pride had AJ Evans as the leading scorer with 14 points including a perfect 4 for 4 from the charity stripe, and 4 points from Olana Alemayehu, and a basket each from Mia Kondvatyeva, Iwa Hashim, and Ming Zhu, but it was the hug 5 baskets by Player of the Game Jason Haynes that helped the Pride edge out the Mystics. The Mystics had three “3”s from Ellis Miller, 4 points from Ibrahim Ally, a free throw from Abdullah Jooma, a bucket from Azumi Nomoto, and hustle defense from Mia Petrigliano and Dominic Drew. Special thanks to Jeff Epstein for filling in to coach the Mystics.
Platinum
Comets vs Legacy
Photos by Scott Halpert
The Legacy came out on fire, led by Noah Michael who had 13 points, Dagmawi Ayele scored 5 points, Josh Weil scored 4 points, and 2 points each from Landon Broihier, Ryan Chambers and Kai Halpert. For the Comets, Hunter Esposito-Doi scored 8 to keep his team in the game, Rayan Etemandia and Cassius Taylor scored 3 points each to finish off the first half. In the second half, Ryan Chambers got hot for the Legacy, scoring 9 points. The Legacy also had Dagmawi Ayele with 5 points, Noah Michael and Felix Allen with 4 points each, Kai Halpert with a “3”, and Josh Weil with a bucket. The Comets had 7 points from Matteo Tinti, 4 from Rayan Etemadnia, and Hunter Esposito-Doi added two free throws. However, the Legacy had a commanding win. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
FRI 3/24/23
Silver
Blaze vs All-Stars
The Blaze were in search of their first victory against a talented team of All-Stars made of top Bronze players and other Silver players. In the first half the Blaze jumped out to a lead on 10 points from Xavier Allen, 8 points from Eugene Edouarzin, and a bucket from Harrison Hurst. The All Stars had a bucket from Ray Song, Gabriel Mikhail, and Buck Jacobs. In the second half, the Blaze got a huge basket from Sean Dobbs who also led his team in rebounds, and 2 buckets from John Von Oeyen, and solid defense from James Hurst, Mariella Belew, and Mac McKillop. The All Stars got closer with a bucket each from Ray Song, Jaxon Silverstein, Elliot Israels, Gabriel Mikhail, and two baskets from Beau Ellis-Farr, along with good defense from Liam Desante, Levi Cogan, and Alden Wong. But just as the game got close, Player of the Game Eugene Edouarzin hit a crucial shot to give the Blaze their first victory of the season. Beau Ellis-Farr was Player of the Game for the All-Stars
SAT 3/25/23 WEEKEND #10
Copper
#3 Aces vs #4 Wings
The Wings flew out to a halftime lead with points by Bodhi Kothari, Greysen Lovett, Jhanov Srinivasan, and Player of the Game Lachlan Canniffe. The Aces got first half scoring from William Holt and Oscar Vigder, and May Zachary was the rebound leader for the team. In the second half, there wasn’t much scoring, but the Aces had fine defensive performances by Emma Haot and Sora Nomoto. The Wings held onto victory with tough defense from Oliver and Oscar Farrar, Matthew Alemayehu, and Louis Liu.
Bronze
Diamonds vs Storm
The Diamonds started the scoring in the first half, with two baskets by Decker Amos, and a bucket each by Liana Enayati and Keanu Lowrey. The Storm countered with a basket each by Alex Blondheim, Jack Haot, and Ray Song to finish the half only down by two points. In the second half, the Diamonds got tough defense from Mai Ly Pariser, but the Storm got another bucket by Ray Song, and points from Lucas Alemayehu and Rome Ricks to edge out the Diamonds.
Platinum
Comets vs Wranglers
The Comets took a commanding first half lead on the short handed Wranglers. Parker Cappiccille led the way with 14 first half points. Matteo Tinit had 5, Matthew Scholze had 4 and both Hunter Esposito-Doi and Jake Montanez had 3 each. For the Wranglers, Caden Feradouni had 4 points, and 2 each from Amir Enayati and Cam Pariser to close out the first half. In the second half, Parker Cappiccille scored 14 more points to finish with 28 total points for the game. Matteo Tinti scored 8, Hunter Esposito Doi scored 6, Rayan Etemadnia and Jake Montanez scored 4 each, and Ben Steelman added a free throw to close out the scoring for the Comets, which was a final total of a resounding 66 points. The Wranglers scoring did pick up in the second half, as James Petrovich had 7 points, Cam Pariser had 5, and Ilan Larsen and Keen Nikkel had 2 points each. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Legacy vs Majesty
The Legacy took a first half lead and never looked back. Josh Weil had 6 points, Noah Michael hit two “3”s, Ryan Chambers had a “3” and a “2”. Felix Allen, Dagmawi Ayele, and Kai Halpert had 2 points each. The Majesty got 7 points from Isley Williams, and Jack Phelan and Adoniyas Yonas hit a three-ball each, and Ethan Schwartz and TJ Turner had 2 points each, and Rowan Booher added a free throw to close the first half scoring. In the second half, the Legacy’s Kai Halbert elevated his game to new heights, scoring 13 points, which included two “3”s from downtown. Ryan Chambers scored 6, Noah Michael had 7, Dagmawi Ayele joined the downtown party with his own ‘3” and a regular basket, and Felix Allen and Josh Weil scored 2 points each. All together, six players scored for the Legacy, showing the importance of balanced scoring. The Majesty’s Isley Williams played with all of his soul to keep his team in the game, scoring 12 second half points. Rowan Booher added 6, Jack Phelan had 5, and Ethan Schwartz scored 2 more; however, it was not quite enough to keep the Legacy from victory and the championship title of the Platinum division. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Blizzard vs Rockers
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
The Blizzard blew out to an early lead on points from Mesalay Benyam, London Coleman, Amensisa Alemayehu, and Jack Bell. The Rockers came rolling back with the “Three’s Company” of Dylan Kravitz, Sam McGowan, and Player of the Game Danilo Samardzija making shots from beyond the arc, and driving into the paint to pull out to a halftime lead. In the second half, River Zelenovic and Theo Bell joined the 3-ball party with their long range shooting, and Silas Hannson and Yafet Desta each scored a bucket, as London Coleman continued her scoring to lead her team with 17 points. The Rockers got additional points from Azariah Gebeyehu, Nahum Negusse, and Nicholas Rangel. But the inside and outside shooting of Player of the Game, Danilo Samardzija, was unstoppable, as he had 25 total points for the game to lead his team to victory.
Rockers waiting to substitute into the game. Photo by Stacy Kravitz
Gold
#3 Power vs #4 Mystics
Photo by Penia Wong
The Mystics jumped out to an early lead on baskets by Dominic Drew and Olana Alemayehu. The Power took a halftime lead on points from Brandon Israels, Kenzo Lowrey, and Alden Wong. In the second half, the Mystics Dominic Drew spotted Ross Nelson alone by the basket, and threw him an inbound pass from half court, in which Ross converted for his first ever Gold division basket!! Azumi Nomoto had 7 points, and Olana Alemayehu and Yisaac Dagnew added “3”s to get the Mystics closer, but the Power countered with a bucket by Ryan Cohen, 4 points by Luca Hayutin, 8 points each from Brandon Israels, and 10 big second half points by Player of the Game Alden Wong, including a buzzer beater “3” from way Downtown at half court to end the game.
Photo by Apolonia Drew
Player of the Game, the Power Alden Wong. Photo by Penia Wong
SUN 3/26/23
Copper
#1 Justice vs #2 Shock
The Shock have been the hottest team in the Copper division and have been on an unbeaten streak, would it continue? The Justice got the early lead on the hot shooting of Knox Jeffers who was a perfect 4 for 4 from the free throw line in the first half, and had 2 baskets. Teammate Jonas Ketai would be the high scorer for the game with 10 points. The Shock had a bucket each from Tyson Skinner and Killian Georgaris in the first half. The Shock rallied in the second half, as Theo Stele had 6 points, Jordan Martin had 7 points, and Player of the Game Noah Kim had a huge basket in the 4th quarter to give the Shock the one point victory. The Justice had good defensive performances by Miles Bitar, Beckett Mauck, and Lincoln Sheng. The Justice consolation was the Copper division championship.
Bronze
Sol vs Fillies
If the Sol wins, they win the Bronze division championship. It would not be denied as the Sol Beau Ellis-Farr had a game high 14 points, Gabriel Mikhail had 8 points, Player of the Game Aiden Yousefi had 6 points, Pablo Gaonzalez had 2 points, and Marcel Jimenez led the game in steals. The Fillies had 6 points from Rohan Jaitly-Prayoosh, and a bucket by Luca Seidensteing, along with rebounds by Logan Barrett and James Canniffe. The Sol was shining after the game, congratulations on the division title.
Starzz vs Fever
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
In the first half, Declan Wong scored 8 points and Alice Roberts scored 4 for the Fever. The Starzz got 2 points each from Lucas Dogic and Jake Cahoon. In the second half, the Fever got 4 more points from Player of the Game Alice Roberts. The Starzz made a galant comeback, as Jake Cahoon scored 4 and Lucas Dogic hit a “3”, but the Fever held off the Starzz to get the win. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Photo by Brian Wong
Silver
#3 Metros vs #4 Blaze
The first half was the dynamic Henry Covington on full display, scoring 12 points, and teammate Betanya Desta also had 4 points for the Metros. For the Blaze, Eugene Edouarzin scored 7 first half points, and Sean Dobbs scored 2 points as the first half came to a close. In the second half, Henry Covington scored 18 more points to finish with 30 for the second time this season showing his extraordinary basketball talent. Henry Fyda added 2 points for the Metros. The Blaze got 7 more points from Eugene Edouarzin, and Mac McKillop and John Von Oeyen each scored 2 points. Submitted by Nicholas Walker
Player of the Game, the Metros Henry Covington. Photo by Jeff Boesiger
#1 Liberty vs #2 Sting
Photo by Mirela Samardzija
The battle for the Silver division title was on the line, and it was a defensive struggle in the first half as the Liberty got a point for Jason Gaines, and a basket each from Ross Nelson and Conrad DiMauro. The Sting had 5 first half points from Nadim Nasr, and a three ball by Mika Stele. In the second half, the Liberty picked up the scoring with 5 points from Jason Gaines and another basket by Ross Nelson. But the Sting grinded it out with a basket by Luca Tinti, 5 points from Lucas Dogic, a free throw from Oliver Lynn, and a late basket from Mika Stele, and key takeaways from Player of the Game, Jeffrey Records, to give the division title to the Sting.
Gold
#1 Hustle vs #2 Pride
In the most intense game of the season, the first half had the Hustle Michael Mikhail scoring 9 points, Austin Bernier with a bucket, Louis Meehan-Smith with two free throws, and Rohham Taherian with a free throw. The Pride were able to tie it up at halftime with 4 points by AJ Evans, a free throw from Jason Haynes, a basket by Olana Alemayehu, and 6 first half points by Ming Zhu including a reverse layup with English off the backboard. The second half was just as intense as the Hustle Michael Mikhail had 14 points, Louis Meehan-Smith had 5 points and multiple rebounds, and Austin Bernier added another basket, and Constantine Avramopoulos, Kendrick Chavez, and Aidan Hill fought hard on defense. The Pride countered with 6 points from Jason Haynes, a basket each from Isaac Lynn, Isaac Tariku, and Olana Alemayehu. Kayhler Tomlinson made a big free throw, and Player of the Game AJ Evans took over down the stretch scoring 7 points with 5 points coming from the free throw line. The Pride got key block shots from Ethan Kondratyev, rebounds from Mia Kondratyeva, and steals from Kudus Dagnew to help the Pride hold on to a one point victory. Congratulations to the Hustle for winning the Gold division title.
This Issue’s Profile
Each issue, Swish has a profile of a coach, player, or someone in the program who inspires all of us involved in Santa Monica YMCA youth basketball.
This issue’s profile is the Belew family with parents Embibel (Bill) and Hewan who have their daughters, Mariella and Mariama(Gabby), as longtime participants in the Santa Monica YMCA youth basketball program. The sisters have often played together and this past season, they played on different teams in different divisions. Mariella was in the Silver division, and Gabby was in the Gold division. Each season, the sisters get more improved and are beloved by all their teammates for their exceptional sportsmanship and teamwork. They always play with a smile, and enjoy the game.
I asked the Belew family some questions for the Swish:
What is your favorite thing about the youth basketball program at the Santa Monica YMCA?
Bill: What I like most about the youth basketball program at Santa Monica YMCA, is seeing kids that have never touched a basketball in their young lives transform and become fierce competitors in the game of basketball. There’s nothing like witnessing the pure joy and excitement of your kids making their first shot, wearing the (Lakers) Purple and Gold
Hewan: I like the program because it promotes a sense of community through the pursuit of well organized basketball program. It has maintained such a strong program that most families that started at the same time as our kids at the age 5/6 are still members. It is so wonderful to see our kids growing and acquiring skills together.
Gabby: I love how all the kids are aggressive because if they weren’t as aggressive the game wouldn’t be a challenge.
Mariella: I like that it’s competitive and Fun.
Who is your favorite player, and why?
Gabby: At the moment my favorite player is Austin Reaves because he keeps the games going even if his team is losing by 30 points. He’s also really good at shooting, defending and making good assists.
Mariella: My favorite player is LeBron James because he’s a good shooter and passer.
What hobbies or activities do you like to do?
Gabby: Some of my hobbies are playing basketball, acting, drawing, singing, and dancing.
Mariella: My hobbies are gymnastics, climbing, running around everywhere and exploring new things.
The Belew family: Bill, Hewan, Gabby, and Mariella.
The Belew family helps to keep our program strong, and we can’t thank them enough for all that they have done to promote and support our program of youth basketball at the Santa Monica Family YMCA.
Scores
SAT 2/25/23 WEEKEND #6
Copper
Wings 10, Justice 23
Bronze
Sol 15, Fever 2
Gold
Hustle 20, Power 29
Pride 29, Mystics 29
Platinum
Majesty 32, Wranglers 25
Comets 45, Blizzard 28
SUN 2/26/23
Copper
Shock 17, Aces 8
Bronze
Storm 32, Fillies 8
Starzz 9, Diamonds 4
Silver
Sting 31, Blaze 20
Liberty 22, Metros 24
Platinum
Rockers 46, Legacy 46
SAT 3/4/23 WEEKEND #7
Bronze
Sol 15, Storm 11
Fever 14, Starzz 25
Fillies 10, Diamonds 22
Silver
Blaze 17, Metros 35
Platinum
Wranglers 44, Legacy 49
Blizzard 35, Majesty 54
SUN 3/5/23
Copper
Aces 22, Wings 11
Shock 20, Justice 6
Silver
Liberty 23, Sting 16
Gold
Hustle 23, Pride 37
Mystics 22, Power 33
Platinum
Comets 32, Rockers 31
SAT 3/11/23 WEEKEND #8
Copper
Justice 14, Aces 10
Shock 16, Wings 10
Silver
Sting 37, Metros 16
Liberty 40, Blaze 17
Gold
Hustle 43, Mystics 20
Power 14, Pride 29
SUN 3/12/23
Bronze
Fillies 14, Starzz 28
Storm 31, Fever 18
Diamonds 10, Sol 14
Platinum
Wranglers 45, Rockers 35
Majesty 28, Comets 37
Legacy 41, Blizzard 25
SAT 3/18/23 WEEKEND #9
Copper
Wings 9, Justice 23
Bronze
Fillies 12, Storm 42
Diamonds 12, Fever 8
Silver
Metros 16, Liberty 26
Platinum
Wranglers 46, Blizzard 33
Rockers 33, Majesty 46
SUN 3/19/23
Copper
Aces 9, Shock 16
Silver
Blaze 10, Sting 23
Bronze
Starzz 14, Sol 14
Gold
Power 20, Hustle 24
Pride 34, Mystics 31
Platinum
Comets 28, Legacy 57
FRI 3/24/23
Silver
Blaze 26, All-Stars 18
SAT 3/25/23 WEEKEND #10
Copper
#3 Aces 10, #4 Wings 13
Bronze
Diamonds 11, Storm 13
Platinum
Comets 66, Wranglers 27
Legacy 57, Majesty 43
Blizzard 47, Rockers 60
Gold
#3 Power 44 , #4 Mystics 26
SUN 3/26/23
Copper
#1 Justice 18 , #2 Shock 19
Bronze
Sol 32, Fillies 8
Starzz 11, Fever 16
Silver
#3 Metros 36 , #4 Blaze 21
#1 Liberty 12 , #2 Sting 18
Gold
#1 Hustle 34 , #2 Pride 35
Standings:
Teams are awarded 5 points for a win, 3 points for a tie, 1 point for a loss, 0 points for a forfeit. Tournament games have greater point value. Teams are listed in their place in the standings with W-L-T and team points.
Copper:
Justice 7-3-0, 40 points*Champions*
Shock 5-5-0, 32 points
Aces 4-6-0, 27 points
Wings 4-6-0, 27 points
Bronze:
Sol 8-1-1, 44 points*Champions*
Starzz 7-2-1, 40 points
Storm 7-3-0, 38 points
Diamonds 4-6-0, 26 points
Fever 2-8-0, 18 points
Fillies 1-9-0, 15 points
Silver:
Liberty 6-3-1, 38 points*Champions*
Sting 6-2-2, 40 points
Metros 6-3-1, 37 points
Blaze 1-10-0, 16 points
Gold:
Hustle 7-3-0, 40 points*Champions*
Pride 6-3-1, 38 points
Power 5-5-0, 31 points
Mystics 1-8-1, 17 points
Platinum:
Legacy 6-2-2, 38 points*Champions*
(1-1-0 vs Comets, 2-0-0 vs Wranglers)
Comets 7-3-0, 38 points
(1-1-0 vs Wranglers)
Wranglers 6-4-0, 34 points
Majesty 5-4-1, 32 points
Rockers 3-6-1, 24 points
Blizzard 1-9-0, 14 points
Winter Season Awards
Copper
Most Valuable Player
Jonas Ketai-Justice
Most Outstanding Player
Soren Verleun-Aces
Most Improved
Killian Georgaris-Shock
Hustle award
Bodhi Kothari-Wings
All First Team
Theo Stele-Shock
Jhanov Srinivasan-Wings
William Holt-Aces
Tyson Skinner-Shock
Oscar Vigder-Aces
Soren Verleun-Aces
Bodhi Kothari-Wings
Jordan Martin-Shock
Mikes Bitar-Justice
Oliver Farrar-Wings
Killian Georgaris-Shock
All Second Team
Lachlan Canniffe-Wings
Oscar Ferrar-Wings
Greysen Lovett-Wings
Jaxton Stangel-Shock
Noah Kim-Shock
Ghalia Ferchichi-Shock
Muhammad Ferchichi-Shock
May Zachary-Aces
Lincoln Sheng-Justice
Beckett Mauck-Justice
Manu Mota-Justice
Beck Britto-Wings
Emma Haot-Aces
Sora Nomoto-Aces
Owen Mitchell-Shock
Ashok Dhaka-Shock
Luke Sarley-Wings
Nina Ketkar-Justice
All Honorable Mention
Rowen Massey-Chaparrals
Jacob Berger-Shock
Noe Lanich-Aces
Rowan Massey-Aces
Matthew Alemayehu-Wings
Weston Vasquez-Aces
Safi Pahwa-Justice
Brooks Carey-Justice
David Shafari-Aces
Crosby Trudeau Viriato-Aces
Louis Liu-Wings
Soraya Lattimore-Aces
Jason Ren-Justice
Bronze
Most Valuable Player
Beau Ellis-Farr-Sol
Most Outstanding Player
Ray Song-Storm
Most Improved
Nora Neff-Starzz
Hustle Award
Theodore Edelstein-Fever
All First Team
Ray Song-Storm
Decker Amos-Diamonds
Levi Lapierre-Diamonds
Keanu Lowrey-Diamonds
Logan Barrett-Fillies
Luca Seidenstein-Fillies
Nanda Aysola-Starzz
Krishna Aysola-Starzz
Niam Pahwa-Starzz
Theodore Edelman-Fever
Katarina Epstein-Fever
Lucas Dogic-Starzz
Jake Cahoon-Starzz
Nora Neff-Starzz
Liana Enayati-Diamonds
Jaxon Silverstein-Storm
Jack Haot-Storm
Rome Ricks-Storm
Alex Blondheim-Storm
Lucas Alemayehu-Storm
Henry Fyda-Bombers
Betanya Desta-Bombers
Mai Ly Pariser-Diamonds
Declan Wong-Fever
Beau Ellis Farr-Sol
Charlie Kalmbach-Sol
Pablo Gonzalez-Sol
Buck Jacobs-Sol
Teo Escalante-Sol
Alice Roberts-Fever
Gabriel Mikhail-Sol
Stanislau Zhizhenka-Fever
All Second Team
Elliot Sheng-Diamonds
Rohan Jaitly Pratyoosh-Fillies
James Canniffe-Fillies
Dylan Hancock-Fillies
Asher Harris-Fillies
Howie Trussler-Fillies
Rex Bullette-Storm
Qiao Ren-Diamonds
Zachariah Negusse-Diamonds
James Hosdale-Diamonds
Moss McFly-Fever
Frida Garcia-Starzz
Beau Zaczepinski-Jeeps
Aiden Yousefi-Sol
Julian Horne-Sol
Barrett “Baer” Loubek-Starzz
Tomas Leblond-Starzz
Bodie Miller-Fillies
Marcel Jimenez-Sol
All Honorable Mention
Shanta Vora-Fever
Bodhi Petitti-Storm
Fletcher Laurie-Fillies
Amarveer Gupta-Storm
Odin Giantz-Fillies
Aidan Schneider-Storm
Enzo Shepnick Casco-Diamonds
Baran Dahukey-Fever
Julia Browning-Fever
Ruth Tariku-Starzz
Grayson Mitchell-Fever
Stella Jura-Sol
Tyler Enayati-Storm
Silver
Most Valuable Player
Mika Stele-Sting
Most Outstanding Player
Henry Covington-Metros
Most Improved
Sean Dobbs-Blaze
Hustle Award
Conrad DiMauro-Liberty
All First Team
James Boesiger-Metros
Mariama Belew-Blaze
Xavier Allen-Blaze
Mika Stele-Sting
Eugene Edouarzin-Blaze
Sean Dobbs-Blaze
John von Oeyen-Blaze
Conrad DiMauro-Liberty
Ross Nelson-Liberty
Linus Verleun-Liberty
Oliver Harris-Liberty
Arya Nawathe-Liberty
Jason Gaines-Liberty
Liam Broihier-Sting
Nadir Nasr-Sting
Oliver Lynn-Sting
Luca Tinti-Sting
Lucas Dogic-Sting
Betanya Desta-Metros
All Second Team
Andrey Sterlyagov-Liberty
Peter Rodrick-Liberty
Nadim Nasr-Sting
Redeat Gebeyehu-Metros
Henry Fyda-Metros
Dylan Jackson-Metros
Henry Kendall-Metros
Liam Desante-Metros
Ryan Yousefi-Liberty
Tucker Gissendanner-Liberty
Mac McKillop-Blaze
All Honorable Mention
Itamar Yurman-Sting
Jeffrey Records-Sting
Beau Zaczepinski-Sting
Kaya Dahukey-Sting
Elliot Israels-Metros
Levi Cogan-Metros
Jane Ganek-Metros
James Hurst-Blaze
Harrison Hurst-Blaze
Finn Purdy-Blaze
Weston Brea-Blaze
Jake Cahoon-Sting
Gold
Most Valuable Player
Michael Mikhail-Hustle
Most Outstanding Player
AJ Evans-Pride
Most Improved
Azumi Nomoto-Mystics
Hustle Award
Kenzo Lowrey-Power
All First Team
Alden Wong-Power
Michael Mikhail-Hustle
Ibrahim Ally-Mystics
Brandon Israels-Power
Dominic Drew-Mystics
Louis Meehan Smith-Hustle
Noah Hagooli Bolaños-Power
Kenzo Lowrey-Power
Ryan Cohen-Spirits
Kay Roberts-Power
Jason Haynes-Pride
Austin Bernier-Hustle
Aidan Hill-Hustle
AJ Evans-Pride
Mia Kondratyeva-Pride
Isaac Lynn-Pride
Ming Zhu-Pride
Kayhler Tomlinson-Pride
Azumi Nomoto-Mystics
Constantine Avramopoulos Orlandos-Hustle
All Second Team
Leo Epstein-Mystics
Diego Gonzalez-Hustle
Iwa Hashim-Pride
Luca Samson-Power
Mia Petrigliano-Mystics
Ryan Cohen-Power
Rayan Chibane-Power
Abdullah Jooma-Mystics
Taha Tourah-Mystics
Ellis Miller-Mystics
Radin Taherian-Power
Rohham Taherian-Hustle
Olana Alemayehu-Pride
Harlan Mansfield-Hustle
Ethan Kondratyev-Pride
Honorable Mention
Mariama Belew-Mystics
Kendrick Chavez-Hustle
Jarec Garibay-Hustle
Yisaac Tariku-Pride
Luca Hayutin-Power
Spencer Nelson-Power
Kudus Dagnew-Pride
Arshan Khajavi-Mystics
Platinum
Most Valuable Player
Ryan Chambers-Legacy
Most Outstanding Player
Cam Pariser-Wranglers
Most Improved
Raif Henok Kendrick-Rockers
Hustle Award
Jack Bell-Blizzard
All First Team
Parker Cappiccille-Comets
Sasha Peterson-Rockers
Cam Pariser-Wranglers
Dagmawi Ayele-Legacy
Kai Halpert-Legacy
Matthew Scholze-Comets
Jack Bell-Blizzard
Hunter Esposito Doi-Comets
Rowan Booher-Majesty
Jack Phalen-Majesty
Isley Williams-Majesty
Sam McGowan-Rockers
London Coleman-Blizzard
Keen Nikkel-Wranglers
Danilo Samardzija-Rockers
Noah Michael-Legacy
Ryan Chambers-Legacy
Dylan Kravitz-Rockers
Gabriel Chibane-Rockers
Yafet Desta-Blizzard
River Zelenovic-Blizzard
James Petrovich-Wranglers
Josh Weil-Legacy
All Second Team
Caden Feradouni-Wranglers
Landon Broihier-Legacy
Felix Allen-Legacy
Noah McLaurin-Legacy
James Cook-Legacy
Mesalay Benyam-Blizzard
Aiden Lin-Blizzard
Razz Lee-Majesty
TJ Turner-Majesty
Adonyinas Yonas-Majesty
Kaleab Seyum-Majesty
Jarvis Wakefield-Wranglers
Amir Enayati-Wranglers
Nahum Negusse-Rockers
Azariah Gebeyehu-Rockers
Jake Montanez-Comets
Ethan Schwartz-Majesty
Silas Hansson-Blizzard
Joshua Edwards-Blizzard
Theo Bell-Blizzard
Rayan Etemadnia-Comets
Christian Ferew-Majesty
Ben Steelman-Comets
Joseph Zak-Wranglers
Cassius Taylor-Comets
Matteo Tinti-Comets
Rayan Etemadnia-Comets
Justin Tun-Wranglers
Honorable Mention
Max Baracy-Comets
Dakota Hoefner-Wranglers
Asher Zaczepinski-Majesty
Raif Henok Kendrick-Rockers
Nicholas Rangel-Rockers
Toby Nasimov-Blizzard
Ilan Larsen-Wranglers
Kaleab Tesfaye-Rockers
Amensisa Alemayehu-Blizzard
Levi Hamilton-Legacy
Axel Trussler-Comets
Thank you very much, to all the coaches, parents, players, referees, and my assistant Nicholas Walker.
Special thanks to the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation for partnering with the Santa Monica Family YMCA youth basketball program.
Dr. Paul Drew, youth basketball coordinator at the Santa Monica Family YMCA, editor and publisher of Swish
