New York City & New Jersey High Hoops

  2002 Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest

9/23/02 The Gauchos winning 9rh grade team posed with their plaque and in their Jam Fest t-shirts on the left while Team Next on the right left no doubt as to their 8th grade finish.

9/23/02 NJ Hoops: Celtics win Jam Fest.

The Bi-state Pythons (left) were all aglow as the 7th grade Hoop Group champions and the Rise Panthers 5 team celebrated after their victory in the 6th grade championship game.

9/22/02 A good day for young New York City hoopsters at the Hoop Group as four different city organizations won championships.  The Rise Panthers 5 team took Sam Rines 51 - 39 in the 6th grade division as Brian Wade (11) and Matthew Hines (10) led the scoring.  The Bi-state Pythons came from behind to take the Boston Saintz 57 - 55 in the 7th grade division.  Kevin Dean (12) tied it with a foul shot and won the game with a pull-up foul line jumper with three seconds to play. Allan Thomas (12), Justin Newton (8) and Brian Jones (8) each contributed to the win. Team Next won the 8th grade division 60 - 49 against Sam Rines as Erving Walker went off for 29 points including 6 treys.  As usual Rhakee Begun (14) and Lance Stapleton (9) chipped in. Finally the Gauchos who were without 6-7 forward Curtis Kelly yesterday, didn't have Curtis or point guard Terrell McKenzie today.  No matter,  Ossining's Melquan Bolding (22),  Luiz Guzman (10), Kashief Pratt (10) and Edger Sosa (8) made it a comfortable 52 - 51 9th grade championship win.

9/21/02 The 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grade divisions are playing this weekend at the Rothman Center on FDU's campus in Hackensack. The championship game for each division will be played at 3:15 tomorrow. The sixth grade division has two pools of four teams each.  Seven of twelve games have been decided, two will be played this evening, three more tomorrow morning plus the championship game.  In today's action the JC Boys Club, Rise Panthers 5 and Bayshore Bulldogs each got forfeit wins over PA Swish.  Rise Panther s5 beat the Bulldogs 40 - 29, then the Bulldogs took JCBC 43 - 32.  RP 5 needs to beat Jersey City in tomorrow's 10:15 game to advance to the championship.  Rise Panthers 6 didn't fare as well as they lost to RI Bubbaball 44 - 27 despite 11 from Steven Whittinghm and 8 from Robert Kelly.  On the neighboring court Sam Rines disposed of the Bay State Magic 35 - 19.  SR will play RI Bubbaball at 10:15 tomorrow probably to decide their pool's winner.

The 7th grade division has two pools of  four teams each.  They played six games this afternoon, will play two this evening and four tomorrow morning at 11:30 finishing with the championship game.  The Bi-state Pythons from Queens (don't ask!) won twice - a 44 - 34 defeat of the Jersey City Boys Club and a 46 - 45 overtime thriller over 'their buddies', Team Next.  Justin Newton ('Mr Everything' is playing up a grade) had 8 and Allan Thomas 12 to pace BSP while George Jackson, Corey Thompson and Paul Dail led Team Next.  TN won their first game of the day easily taking the Newark Rams 61 - 41 (pictured below left) as George Jackson had 27 and Corey Thompson 11. The Rams also lost a tough one to their rival, JCBN 55 - 51 after leading at the half 33 - 21.  Jersey City eventually got the ball inside to their big center who had 27 points, 19 in the second half.  In the 2:00 match-ups the Boston Saintz bedeviled the LI Lightning 52 - 44 and Sam Rines crowned the Saddle River Monarchs 40 - 19.

The Newark Rams with their coach, Michael Lytle are on the left; five exhausted but still game Jersey Shore Wildcats are on the right.

The 8th grade division has four three team pools with each team playing twice today.  The two time winners play at 12:45 tomorrow for the right to play in the championship game, while the third place games will be at 9:00 and the second place games at 2:00.  In the eight games played this morning Team Next won twice edging the Newark Rams 74 - 64  as Rhakee Begun and Erving Walker had 13 and 12 then the Jersey Shore Wildcats 51 - 38.  The Wildcats (pictured above right) arrived with only five players and they managed to keep it close for the first half but ran out of gas in the second.  SR Rise also won twice, nipping the LI Lightning 46 - 44 and then bopping the MSU Skyliners 45 - 27.  The Central Jersey Hawks lost twice - to Team Brooklyn (they were wearing Juice All Stars uniforms) 58 - 52 and to the Saddle River Monarchs 53 - 40 (pictured below left).  The Sam Rines team was in the other two games losing to the CAS Warriors 54 - 40 and then beating Monmouth Power 54 - 46.  The Warriors' Chris DeLaRosa had 11 to lead his team.

Saddle River Monarchs on the left and the Jersey Shore Cyclone on the right.  Both teams were winners this afternoon.

The 9th grade division has four three team pools with each team playing twice today.  The two time winners play at 12:45 tomorrow for the right to play in the championship game, while the third place games will be at 9:00 and the second place games at 2:00.  In today's four 3:15 games the Newark Rams overpowered the Monmouth Power 69 - 37,  The Gauchos bulled past the Zoo Crew 59 - 40,  the Jersey Shore Cyclones (pictured above right) stormed past the DC Blue Devils and First Baptist blasted the Metro Rockets 67 - 33.  The 'chos were playing without 6-7 Curtis Kelly, but with Terrell McKenzie running the point they had an easy wire to wire win.  On court one Danny Gurezo and Earl Clarke had 13 and 10 as part of the Rams' balanced scoring.  Lance Thomas had only seven but he's the real deal for Scotch Plains. The Cyclones leading scorers were Jerel Youngblood (17), eighth grader Chris Stokes (12) and Stan Harris (8).  

9/21/02 Coach John Lanza: 'The Staten Island Lightning 15,s keep rolling along. They opened with a 70-61 win over Sonday NYC Express. Doug Elwell, (Farrell) Kazeem Famuyide (St.. Patricks), and new addition Steve Rossitter (Farrell) controlled the boards. The 2nd game they beat S.R. Monarchs 75-57. The super backcourt of  Kyle Mc Alarney (KMac) ( Moore Catholic), Ramsey Hill (New Dorp), and Tom Downing (Curtis) led the Lightning. Robert Bates (Curtis) and Jack Destafano had solid games off the bench.

IGoTSKiLLzBoyY21: 'Newark, NJ - 16u Play at the Hoop Group Jam Fest, the Staten Island Lightning defeated the S.O.N.D.A.Y NYC Express 60-72. High Scorers were Kazeem Famyuide, Ramsey Hill, and Tom Downing for the Staten Island Lightning.  In the second game, the Staten Island Lightning defeated the Saddle River Monarchs 77-55. High Scorers for the Lightning were Doug Elwell and Kyle McAlarney.'

9/20/02 2002 Hoop Group Fall Jam Fest -- it's this weekend.