10/27/03 NYHoops: Jimmy Salmon's team turns the IS8 Fall Classic into the Playaz Club Gold Invitational.

10/27/03 John P Miciotta: 'JR Smith took home "the furniture". That's the phrase IS8's organizer, public address announcer, and driving force Pete Edwards uses to describe the 20 inch Sony tv that they award the championship MVP annually at the fall classic. No doubt, the committee of Pete, Anthony and Hassan had in mind Smith's barrage of highlight reel dunks and three point shooting when awarded him the prize that will fit nicely into his dorm room at North Carolina next fall. Those were impressive indeed, but it may have been a defensive play Smith made early in the game that turned it into a rout.

It was a nip and tuck battle in the first period when with the Playaz leading by a point or two. Mt Vernon's star Keith Benjamin drove in from the left wing for an apparent layup against the Playaz press. All was going smoothly for Keith who's early shooting had kept Mount Vernon close. But then, seemingly in a split second, Smith swooped in from an angle, exploded to the glass and pinned what should have been an easy layup against the backboard with both hands. It was a clean block and the force of it, not a foul by Smith smashed Benjamin's hand against the backboard causing a cut. While Keith returned to the game in relatively short order, the force of that block went well beyond that spectacular moment which will go down in IS8 lore. The Mt. Vernon team, felt its impact for the remainder of the game and it completely changed the way they shot and took the ball to the rim. Suddenly, the attacking style that kept them even at 21 after one quarter was replaced by caution. And while Smith along with long and agile forward Shane Clarke challenged many shots, many others were altered by the hesitance Mt. Vernon players felt after the block. A dead even score at the end of the first period became a 15 point deficit at the half, as missed layups and long jumpers by players reluctant to enter the paint turned into fast break opportunities for the Playaz. With their two great guards (tournament player of the year Sean Singletery and Kyle Lowery) and Smith who is perhaps the best finisher in the nation's prep ranks, they overwhelmed Mt. Vernon and were never challenged.

It must be noted though that Mt.Vernon became the first high school team to reach the IS8 final, beating teams along the way that were comprised of top players from many schools. And the team that finally beat them was essentially a collection of all stars from New Jersey and Philly. Pete often referred to them as "the pro players" and that phrase I suspect was as much a tribute to how quick their fast break was as it was meant to acknowledge the individual abilities of the Playaz team.

In the early going Benjamin and junior guard Chris Lowe had some good moments but once "the block" happened Mt. Vernon never recovered and the Playaz took full advantage of the change in momentum.

Although today's final was not a close contest, the tournament action was typical of past seasons at "the 8". Games were close, well contested and full of terrific talent. Congratulations to the champs, and to Mt. Vernon, a team that reminded everyone who watched them in this tournament why they will be the top high school team in New York state this season.

Congratulations and thank you to Pete Edwards and the staff at IS8. Congratulations for making this such a great event, and making it better each time. And thank you for your help and support

10/26/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'The Playaz Club Gold used a late 6-0 run to break a 78-78 deadlock and went on to an 89-83 victory over the Bedford YMCA in the IS 8 Tip-Off semifinals. They will meet Mount Vernon, 76-74 winners over Rock Steady in OT, for the championship.The Playaz got off to a 10-0 start before Bedford recovered and even took a brief lead in the first quarter. The teams traded baskets throughout the second quarter with the Playaz holding a 43-39 halftime margin. Bedford opened the second half with a 12-1 run to take its biggest lead of  the game at 51-44 and began the final period with a four-point margin. The Playaz Club regained the momentum and used their late spurt and clutch foul-shooting to seal the win.

Kyle Lowry led all scorers with 26 points while Virginia-bound Sean Singletary added 23 and North Carolina-recruit J.R. Smith had 14 points for the Playaz Club. Levance Fields scored 20 points and Terrance Portis had 19 points to lead the Bedford Y, which also received 11 points from Jamel White and 10 points from Eugene Lawrence.'

10/26/03 NYHoops: IS 8 Seminfinals.  Web note:  Game starts at noon. If you get to the gym at about 11:30 and no one is there, you forgot to set your clock back an hour!

10/25/03 Pete Edwards: 'Mount Vernon defeated Rock Steady 76-74. High scorers Keith Benjamin 26, Jonathan Mitchell 13, Dexter Gray 11. Rock Steady - Dwight Gooding 24, Vernon Goodridge 17, Basil Leslie 11. Players Club survived Bedford YMCA 89-83. High scorers Kyle Lowry 26, Sean Singletary 23, J.R. Smith 14, Shane Clark 13. Bedford YMCA - Levance Fields 20, Terrance Portis 19, Jamel White 11, Eugene Lawrence 10.'

10/25/03 Happy Madison: 'Mt Vernon just got by Rock Steady in overtime 76-74. Keith Benjamin was the difference down the stretch. He led Mt with 26 points. Jon Mitchell had 13, Dexter Gray had 11. For Rock Steady Dwight Gooding was very good today - he had 24. Vernon Goodridge had 17, Basil Leslie 11 and Stanley Branch had a number of highlight reel dunks for Rock Steady.

In game 2 Playaz Gold just got by Bedford in a really close game all the way through. Final score Playaz Gold 89 Bedford Y 83. Playaz were led by Kyle Lowry 26, Sean Singeltary 23, JR Smith 14 and Shane Clark 13. Most people in attendance thought the game was going to be lopsided but Bedford played well. In the end the Playaz backcourt of Lowry and Singeltary were just to much to overcome. Bedford was led by Lavance Fields 20, Terrance Portis 19.'

10/24/03 NYHoops: IS8 Final 4 Preview.

10/23/03 Coach Jermaine (coach G) Baron of Starrett City has clarified the details behind his team's IS8 forfeiture after their quarterfinal win. There was concern before the game that Angelo Whitehead, their 6-4 forward was enrolled at the two year school, TCI making him ineligible. Angelo and his mother both assured coach G and the team that he was not in the school. Angelo played, Starrett won and the team left for another tournament. Later on that day a TCI assistant coach confirmed that Angelo was indeed at TCI and the player fessed up. Too late for Starrett.  Pete Edwards declared the forfeit and awarded the Ravens the quarterfinal spot against Playaz Gold.  

10/13/03 Keith Mason: IS8 quartefinals report.

10/13/03 John P Miciotta: 'Mt Vernon rallied from a 5-point fourth quarter deficit thanks two the backcourt play of Keith Benjamin and Chris Lowe, to beat SONDAY Express and earn the final berth in the IS8 semi finals beginning on October 25.

Mt. Vernon opened the game with a 5-0 run before SONDAY got its feet on the ground. Hot outside shooting by Nico Scott and Yadda Gaines helped them build the lead to as much as 11. The good early looks at the basket came as a result of good patience and ball movement by SONDAY. Throughout the game it seemed like each time SONDAY made more than two or three passes, they were able to score. But while they showed that patience in spurts, they hurt themselves with turnovers and quick shots that allowed the Knights to get out in transition. In the early going Dexter Gray took full advantage running the floor and getting on the offensive boards.

SONDAY led by 4 as the second half began and the game seesawed back and forth. Just as he had Saturday, Brian Beckford bounced back from a sluggish first half to score ten points and pass the ball well against Mt.Vernon's press. The Knights got closer and set themselves up for their final run with a rally triggered by the continued good inside work of Gray and two offensive rebounds for scores by Robinson. They had SONDAY back on their heels and finally took the lead on a basket by Lowe with 2: 30 left. A basket by Benjamin opened the lead to 4 before a long trey by Gaines gave SONDAY a final chance but another basket by Lowe and free throws and a hoop by Benjamin sealed it for Mt. Vernon.

In the day's earlier action, quickness and speed won out over size beginning with Bedford Y's win over Real Scout. The Xaverian duo of LaVance Fields and Terrence Portis helped Bedford get out to an early lead but it was Jamel White who was the difference in the game with his outside shooting. He put on an exhibition that was reminiscent of those put on by former Molloy and current Richmond star Reggie Brown in holding off a rally by Real Scout. Former McClancy player Salvador Patricio nearly matched White's effort with terrific outside shooting of his own, but the terrific inside work of Ricky Smith and a terrific job of team rebounding against Real Scout's big front line, was enough to give Bedford a well earned win against a fine Real Scout team.

Rock Steady's win against Playaz Red was also an game where quick guards won out over better size. Dwight Gooding and Peedy Nelson were impressive scoring and pushing the ball up court and Trevor Ireland, a junior from South Shore provided a big lift off the bench. Rock Steady's big man Vernon Goodridge was saddled with foul trouble but had two offensive rebounds for scores late in the game to secure the win. For Playaz Red Brandon Costner and Gerald Henderson lead the way but the late arrival of Andrew Pusar and the struggles with fatigue and illness of Javon Carter,who did a wonderful job as his team's only ball handler until the end of the game when the physical toll on him was just too great.

It was appropriate on a day where quick guards dominated that the team with the best pair of guards helped their team score 105 points in a win over the Ravens. Kyle Lowery and Sean Singletery were dominant scoring and setting up teammates. J.R. Smith and Shane Clarke scored in transition with their help and together they overcame a heroic effort by Brian Laing, who scored 43 points showing a full offensive arsenal and the effort and toughness that make him such a marvelous get for Seton Hall.

The tournament takes a week off in deference to recruits making midnight madness visits next week. Beginning Saturday the 25th at 12:00, there will be four teams, Bedford Y, Rock Steady, Playaz Club Gold and Mt. Vernon, ready to give everything they have for a win. It should make for some terrific basketball that should not be missed.'

10/13/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'The Bedford YMCA swept a pair of games this weekend to move into the Final Four of the IS 8 Tip-Off Tournament. Jamel White drilled 8 three-pointers, including a late pair that halted a  comeback bid by Real Scout and gave Bedford a 93-86 quarterfinal victory. Bedford led right from the start, as Eugene Lawrence scored 10 of his 11 points in the opening period to give his team a 24-14 advantage. RSB got within 46-39 by the half before White tallied 11 points in the third quarter to boost the margin to 72-57 entering the final session. White finished with a game-high 28 points to lead Bedford, which also got 19 points from Terrance Portis, 15 points from Ricky Smith, 11 points and solid playmaking from Levance Fields, and solid inside defense by Kurt Ogbewele and Dion Mozelle against the taller RSB forwards. Rick Cadell topped RSB with 22 points and Salvador Patricio added 20, 13 of which came during the fourth-quarter rally.

A day earlier, Bedford coasted over Rebel 89-52 as Smith (15) and Lawrence (12) led the way and all twelve Bedford players got in the scoring column.'

10/12/03 Two Saturdays from now Rock Steady will play today's SONDAY, Mt Vernon winner at noon and Bedford Y will face the Playaz Gold at 1:30 in the IS8 semis.  Bedford won today's first game 93 - 86 going wire to wire against Real Scout but it wasn't that easy.  Trailing 81 - 67 with 4:14 to go in the game Real Scout's  Salvador Patricio (20) came off the bench firing and hitting treys to bring them to within five with 2:45 still to play.  But Grady's senior guard Jamel White (pictured left with a game high 28 - Pete Edwards calls him 'the shooter') hit two treys of his own to ice the victory. Terrence Portis (19), Ricky Smith (15) and Xaverian point guard Lavance Fields (11) did the other scoring while Xaverian's 6-6 Dion Mozelle did an admirable job against notably taller opponents.

For Real Scout Ricky Cadell (22 and pictured right), Wes Matthews (12) and Weyimni Efejuku (10) helped on the perimeter but the Our Savior New American frontline of 6-7 Bougari Konate (11), 5-8 James Tchana (4) and 7-2 Kevin Mormin (1) failed to dominate inside.

Jawaan Carter (10) is the Playaz Red point guard.  The superb St Benedict sophomore is usually backed up by Nick Vier but Nick took an elbow in Saturday's win and couldn't make it today. That was the difference in the second game. Jawaan played his guts out (literally) but was worn down by Rock Steady's quick perimeter players - Dwight Gooding (12), Peedy Nelson (13) and Trevor Ireland (7) - while Vernon Goodridge (12) and Basil Leslie (12) were strong in the paint against the taller Playaz.  Brandon Costner (20) and Gerald Henderson (12) helped the TTP cause but off games from JR Inman (4) and Andrew Pusar (2) and an exhausted Carter ensured the 65 - 57 Rock Steady win.

Guard play was also the difference in the Playaz Gold, Raven match but this time it favored the Playaz.  Their guard duo of Virginia bound Sean Singletary (28 points and Cavalier fans will be very happy next season) and Kyle Lowrey (25) with JR Smith (22 points from the UNC bound senior who won't make Tarheel fans forget Michael - he'll remind them of him) and Shane Clark (getting 20 though John says he twisted his ankle yesterday and was his explosive self today) were enough to take the Ravens 105 - 94 despite a superhuman effort from Brian Laing (a playoff high 43 points, some from his improved perimeter game, but most vintage muscling it up). While Brian may not have the most reliable outside shot he is very clever with his dribble in traffic and relentless in attacking the basket. He is a joy to watch. Junior teammates Ricky Torres (16) and an improving Chris Bethel (12) added to the scoring but with their two big men 6-6 Gavin Grant and 6-8 Frank Elger still missing in action the outcome was inevitable - the Ravens are nevermore.

10/12/03 NY Hoops: Saturday Playoffs @ IS8.

10/12/03 John P Miciotta: 'The day at IS8 began with an apparent win for Starett City over the Ravens, but that result was reversed when Starett was found to have used an ineligible player Angelo Whitehead who is enrolled at a two year school T.C.I. Once again Pete Edwards and his staff acted quickly and decisively. But the irony of Starett, who waited until the playoffs to expose Shaun James in last fall's tourney using an ineligible player themselves this fall was not lost on anyone. Sadly the only ones hurt in this are the kids who are the right age, chose to play for Starett and played well. Canarsie freshman Tim Monzano, as well as Xaverian's Saiquan Stone and Brian McMikle reportedly had fine games and were on their way to fine tournaments only to have their efforts diminished by either the neglect or unchecked desire to win on the part of the adults who coached them.

After that first game Riverside's late arrival costs them the game, as they made up the penalty of a 16-0 first quarter deficit behind the inside work of Arturo Dubois and the outside shooting of Columbus' Elvys Lora. Real Scout got key contributions from Wes Matthews in the form of some key baskets and terrific defense, and Rick Cadell whose 17 points included six free throws in the closing minutes to ice the game. The former St. Ray's star who's now at Poughkipsee High penetrated to the basket and used his good strength to get the ball to the rim against heavy pressure, and he shot the ball with the confidence of a kid who has done lots of winning (at the frosh and jv level for St. Ray's of course).

The Playaz underclassmen team overwhelmed Woodmere who also brought underclassmen, and they held their own for the first period thanks to a senior Jonathan Ham who shot well both on the drive and from long range. His slight build will likely keep some schools away but D-II's and low majors should keep an eye on Ham this season. He's tough, smart and fearless and he went right at a team with good size and quickness and more than held his own. Tyrone Nash was also impressive with is ability to handle the ball with poise and make open shots. Dimitri RIzin is an undersized but tough inside player who is sound fundamentally and poised enough to score in traffic. He should also draw D-II looks

For the young Playaz JR Inman and Andrew Pusar got them started early and Nick Vier was solid pushing the ball up and finding teammates. The game also marked my first look in some time at Patterson Catholic's twin sophomore's Jerrell and Terrell Williams, who are both 6'7" with ultra long arms and quick and long first steps. At times a lack of strength kept them from finishing plays around the rim but they have good instincts and tremendous quickness and length. If they get stronger as they should, look out they will be major college prospects.

The Playaz senior group then battled LPAC. Despite the presence of some good size for the Playaz, this game was essentially a battle of the guards and in the end the Playaz pair of Sean Singletery and Kyle Lowery bested Jamaul Womack and Terrell Elliston. Lowery and Singletery both shoot the ball exceptionally well for point guards and eventually wore down a quick and smart LPAC team whose success in this tournament was punctuated by its upset over Panthers "A"

The final game I watched saw Bedford Y benefit from a first quarter lateness penalty against Rebel. Another pair of those "dependable Xaverian guards" Lavance Fields and Terrence Portis led the way for Bedford Y as they cruised to an easy win.'

10/11/03 Pete Edwards: 'NY Ravens will be playing the Player Club tomorrow. Starret City had a ringer in Angelo Whitehead. They're out.'

10/11/03 The first three IS8 games this morning were about handicapped losing teams as the Ravens, Riverside Church and Woodmere Academy lost to Starrett City, Real Scout and Playaz Red.  The Ravens played without their two tallest players, 6-8 Frank Elger and 6-6 Gavin Grant  Meanwhile all five Starrett City starters - Thomas Monzano (team high 16 points for the 6-3 Carnasie freshman forward), Saquon Stone (15 from the always dependable Xaverian guard), point guard Tim Weeks (12), and nine each from Angelo Whitehead and Brian McMickle - chipped in for the 79 - 71 win. Brian Laing (23), Ricky Torres (14) and Dante Chisolm (10) were best for the Ravens.

The Church arrived late for the second game and were penalized by beginning the game down 0 - 16 in the second quarter. They were tied at 74 with a minute left in the game but Ricky Cadell (17) hit six for six free throws to seal the 80 - 77 Real Scout win. The Church's point guard, Elvis Lora had 15 and center Arturo Dubois got a game high 24. But when 'turo fouled out with 58 seconds left that was too much of a handicap for the Church.

Many of the Woodmere Academy seniors took the SAT exam this morning and two of them never made it to the game against the Playaz Red (younger) team.  They still jumped off to a 22 - 13 first quarter lead before being overwhelmed by the Playaz talent, losing 71 - 55. Gerald Henderson (21), JR Inman (16) and Andrew Pusar (11) led the Playaz, while point guard Jonathan Han (20) and center Dmitri Razin (13) were high for Woodmere.

10/11/03 John P Miciotta: 'Mt. Vernon and SONDAY Express held off stubborn challengers to advance in the IS8 Tipoff Classic Playoffs tonight.

Game one saw Bob Cimino's Mt. Vernon squad ride their big three to a victory against a well balanced Panthers "B" team. Early in the second half Mt. Vernon's lead ballooned to 13 points behind hot outside shooting by senior Keith Benjamin and inside work by senior Dexter Gray and soph Jonothan Mitchell. Panthers "B" competed very well on the glass thanks to a pair of 6'7" juniors. Kaheem Seawright of Uniondale provided the main force inside for the Panthers "B" team and in doing show, demonstrated improved scoring ability to go with his typical hard work on the glass. His efforts were augmented by fellow 6'7" junior Dwight Burke, a Delaware native who, reportedly has transferred to and will play for Rice this season. He catches the ball well and can finish around the basket. He also looks like he's got a nice upside physically, with lots of room to fill out and get stronger. Marques Cox also had a fine game shooting the ball for the Panthers, but needed to take charge more in key situations. He's a heady point guard and made some excellent plays setting up Seawright and Burke for hoops in addition to his good shooting. But there were possessions down the stretch where he needed to make sure the ball was in his hands and he did not do that. Keep in mind though that he's just a junior so experience and maturity may help him be more assertive in the future. Heady play and good free throw shooting from Mt. Vernon point man Chris Lowe ultimately salted away the victory for them.

Game two saw NYC Finest race to an early 15 point lead, maintain a 13 point edge as the third quarter began before SONDAY settled down and eventually staged a winning rally. While Nicholas Jones, Brandon Lawley and Derek Williams provided much of the scoring, it was the unselfishness of Roberto Diaz' team that gave them the early advantage. Even Jones, who looked like he could score against any of SONDAY's guards. made the extra pass when that was the play to be made in addition to scoring with both the drive and with the jumper. The 6'2" senior from Hillcrest High in Queens also had a terrific game defensively getting in the passing lane for several steals. Derek Williams was solid and smart with the ball, allowing Jones to look for his shot more, while Lawley, a 6'7" senior from Jamaica High did some good work inside.

SONDAY's rally was propelled mainly by Brian Beckford who bounced back from a listless first half to bring his team back with terrific passing against Finest's pressure and improved activity inside. Juniors Niko Scott and Hakeem Gooding each came up with two key baskets during the decisive spurt and Chris Martin, whose early outside shooting kept SONDAY within striking distance made a tough drive that gave Artie Cox' team the lead for good.

As it always is come playoff time at IS8, the games were intense, fast paced and physical. Although the teams and players change the action is always terrific, and this year, without a dominant team, the competition may well be more exciting than ever.'

10/10/03 Brooklyn Scout: Bedford is playing Rebel Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Other IS8 2nd round games (round of 16) set thus far: Friday - 6:30 p.m. - Mount Vernon vs. Panthers B - 8:00 p.m. - SONDAY Express vs. NYC Finest .  Saturday - 9:30 a.m. - Starrett vs. Ravens, 11:00 a.m. - Riverside vs. Real Scout, -12:30 p.m. - Woodmere vs. Playaz Red, 2:00 p.m. - Playaz Gold vs. LPAC and - 5:00 p.m. - Rock Steady vs. CT Talent.'  

10/9/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'Bedford YMCA needed overtime to advance to the second round of the IS 8 Tip-Off Classic playoffs, pulling out a 92-89 win over Holy Cross. Bedford overcame a slow start to open a 45-32 halftime lead, before Holy Cross fought back behind Marvin Roberts (game-high 27 points) and Vernon Teel (21 points). The Knights pulled ahead in the final minutes and Bedford needed a put back by Levance Fields just before the regulation buzzer to force the extra session. Akeem Comas led the winners with 18 points while Jamel White added 16, Terrance Portis had 13 and Fields finished with 12.

In the first game, Riverside coasted past JYO 80-59 behind Herbie Allen (23 points), Desean Grant (19) and Arturo Dubois (15). Nick Flagg and Drew Gladisone topped JYO with 15 points each while Skyler Khaleel scored 12.'  

10/3/03  Twenty-four teams will make the playoffs with the eight division winners getting byes to the second round. The other sixteen will play first round games Monday (10/6) through Thursday (10/9) at 6:30 and 8:00.  There will be two second round games Friday evening, and six on Saturday from 9:30 to 5:00.  The quarterfinals will be Sunday (1012), game time starts 11:00 through 3:30.  The semifinals skip a weekend to Saturday, 10/25 at 12:00 and 1:30 with the final on Sunday, 10/26 at noon.

10/6/03 Kenny Pretlow: The eight IS8 division winners get byes to the second round.  They are Rock Steady, Playaz Club Red, LI Panthers B, Sonday Express, Real Scout, Rebel, Starrett City and Playaz Club Gold. This week's first round games are: Monday Conn. Talent vs Keep Your Dreams Alive,  Philly Ballers vs Woodmere Academy,  Tuesday Mount Vernon vs. Southside and Hungington vs NYC Finest, Wednesday Riverside vs JYO,  Thursday Bedford YMCA vs Holy Cross, Friday Ravens vs Amityville and LPAC vs LI Panthers A.'

10/6/03 John P Miciotta: 'In every IS8 tournament there is always a team or two that emerges to challenge the traditional powers. Invariably, they compensate for the lack of depth that those teams feature with quickness, hustle and unselfishness. They don't always win come playoff time but they manage to scare the big boys, and impress fans and scouts with terrific basketball.

Two of those teams played yesterday, the last day of the regular season, and while only Rock Steady emerged victorious with a terrific upset of Panthers "A" both teams served notice that opponents had better bring their "A" games with them for the playoffs which start this evening.

The day started late as a team scheduled for the 9:30 game did not arrive. After that the day kicked off with Southside playing Philly Ballers. The Philly team certainly can't be called a "traditional power" because it is just their second visit to IS8 but they are loaded like one. Led by the shooting of their terrific guard duo of 6'2" Antoine Brown and 6'3" Bilal Benn, the Philly team appeared to have the young Southside team on its heels. Their efforts were augmented by a talented post player 6'10" Kellan Lee, a Colorado native who currently preps at Philly Lutheran. His quickness off his feet and shot blocking created early problems for the Southside youngsters. The trio of sophomores who are arguably their best players, CK's Larry Davis and Rob Hampton along with West Hempstead's Shahee Martin all got "punched" as Pete Edwards says, by Lee who was waiting for them at the rim whenever they drove. Incidentally Lee will team up at Philly Lutheran with a pair of local players Vernon Goodridge (who we'll get to in a minute) and Stanley Branch to form perhaps the most athletic front line in prep basketball.

The lead swelled to as many as 15 points before Southside brought it back behind the play of Davis outside, and Martin around the basket. Davis really set a nice tone for his team with his unselfishness, and once he and his teammates settled down and started to make the extra pass, Lee's shot blocking became less of a factor and he sat with foul trouble midway through the second period.

Philly lead by 4 as the third quarter began and from there a seesaw battled took place with the teams trading leads numerous times. Martin showed such a complete game, playing with strength inside while still showing his terrific perimeter skill. Davis, who tired late in the game, was especially impressive because even when their wasn't a play to be made for an assist he often made the pass that led to the assist if you will displaying unusual poise and patience for a sophomore. At game's end the young Southsiders ran out of gas and the inside play of Lee and clutch shooting of Benn ruled the day for Philly. Both these teams will be tough to deal with this week in the playoffs.

While Southside could not hold on for the win, Rock Steady did pull off a huge upset in Sunday's second game defeating Panthers "A" That game, brings me to the aforementioned Mr. Goodridge. This summer I have written several times how he appears to be improving, gaining better control of his body, getting stronger running better and moving laterally better. Today, it bears repeating not only because his ability to control the paint was key in helping Rock Steady pull off a great upset, but because he did it against as athletic a front line as he's likely to see before college. For the Panthers, Joakim Noah, Antonio Pena and Dorrell Wright, a talented and long wing player prepping at South Kent (CT) and already committed to DePaul, started the game while Curtis Kelly and talented 6'8" junior Reid Whitman provided talented bench support. Goodridge moved with confidence, made himself a factor on both boards, ran the floor beautifully and stayed out of early foul trouble. The only weakness there seems to be left for him to work on is shooting the ball where I think the problem is that he rushes shots, and palms the ball to much and has difficulty shooting it softly. That said, his improved athleticism and aggressiveness warrant attention from high major programs. Hopefully he can have similar success getting his academics in order as he's had improving as a basketball player. If he does that, and is able to play in college, there's no telling what great things lay ahead for the former Erasmus High star.

Goodridge's control of the paint allowed guards Dwight Gorton and Peedie Nelson to make plays driving to the basket while forward Basil Leslie was a terror on the baseline getting position for rebounds as Goodridge drew attention and gave him room to operate. Lindsay Davenport provided some key plays late in the game that helped also, including a key corner jumper that began Rock Steady's final push from a six point fourth quarter deficit.

All four of these teams look ready for an exciting playoff run, in a tournament that appears more wide open than any at IS8 in recent memory. The only thing for certain this week on 167th Street and 108th Ave. is terrific, intensely competitive basketball.'

10/3/03  Garry Sims: 'Look for Sebastian Telfair (#1 player in the country) to play with Sonday Express in IS 8. He will team up in the backcourt Sundiata "Yada" Gaines (Molloy) and Chris Martin (Christ The King).'  

9/29/03 John P Miciotta: 'Today’s games at IS8 saw teams garner fairly easy wins, in what seemed to be the calm before the storm of the playoffs that begin after next weekend.  Three of the teams that played today looked like legitimate threats to take a tourney that appears to be much more wide open than in previous seasons.

Game one saw Southside jump out to an early lead and then hang on for a 68-63 win against Chaminade.  Christ the King’s sophomore point guard Larry Davis led the way with 20 points but was even more impressive with his ability to run the team and take care of the ball down the stretch.

In game 3 JYO played without star junior center Theo Davis.  And held their own around the  until the second quarter when reinforcements in the form of Vernon Goodridge arrived for Rock Steady.  His ability to roam and block shots, combined with great work around the basket from Basil Leslie helped Rock Steady control the paint, while Dwight Gooding and Peedy Nelson were Rock Steady’s duo outside and were very solid.

Games 4 and 5 respectively saw Mt. Vernon and Real Scout garner convincing wins and they each did so in very different ways.  Mt. Vernon used overwhelming quickness and rebounding to beat  Lawerence Woodmere Academy while Real Scout used a great shooting effort to defeat World Wide Entertainment handily, Dexter Gray and Keith Benjamin led the way for Mt. Vernon.  And Gray’s hustle and intensity helped keep his teammates focused.

For Real Scout  Rice’s Weyimni Efejuku was terrific but today his work was more that of a playmaker than the fine slasher he usually is.  He got in the lane and set up shooters Wes Matthews and Nick Hamilton Lopez for good open looks.  Wyandanch’s physical 6’6” forward Kenny Jones tried to keep his club in it but Real Scout’s shooting did not fail them and they hung on for the victory.

SONDAY, Mt. Vernon and JYO were all impressive today.  Despite the defeat JYO played well without him and showed that they will be a balanced team whether Davis is present or not.  That should make the Judges a co-favorite with Lincoln for the PSAL crown. Despite the win their were terrific individual performances, but at IS8 the regular season showcases good players while the playoffs will showcase great players as well as great team, and as the cream rises to the top, the action becomes more intense.

9/28/03  Nick Flagg (pictured right) got the open look at the basket today but JYO played without their star center, junior Theo Davis (he had a painful back, which dates back to ABCD camp) and Rock Steady was just that as they pulled away in the second half for a 77 - 67 win.  Basil Leslie (21). Dwight Gooding (11) and Peedy Nelson (10) led the scoring but the big difference was 6-9 center Vernon Godridge, who controlled the play in the paint.   Southside took Chaminade in the first game 68 - 63 and SONDAY Express led wire to wire against the Rockland Rockerts downing them 91 - 67.

9/21/03 It's Playaz weekend at IS8 as each of their teams - the Gold (wearing red?) and the Red (wearing black?) - played four times this weekend. The Gold team is the older group led by Dave McClure (nearest) and JR Smith (middle) while Juwan Carter (far right) is the point guard for a talented younger group.  They were ambushed by St Marys Gaels in the last  Saturday game 81 - 51 but won 80 - 69 vs LPAC yesterday and 81 - 73 against Riverside Church this morning. The Gold Playaz have won three games this weekend: 78 -70 over NYC Finest,   98 - 65 over FYA and a 76 - 73 defeat vs. Connect Select.

9/21/03 Rebel won today's first game easily against Chaminade 76 - 51. Clyde Chapman (18), Kyle McAlarney (17), John Gooden (17) and Kareem McQueen (15) over Chaminade's Tom Salogub (14), Mike Fisher (11), Ryan Gilmore (10) and Matt Hauser (10).

As noted earlier by their coach Tippy McTernan, Bedford YMCA topped Exodus 70 - 45 Saturday morning.  The Playaz Gold JR Smith (17), Sean Singletary (23) and Kyle Lowry 16) were best against Connect Talent, while JR Smith (26), Kyle Lowrey (19) and Shane Clark (19) led against FYA.  Connect's Craig Austere had 28, Anthony Brown 19 and Scott Draughn 13, while Sean Watson (24) and Max Menard (18) led for FYA.

Playaz Red took LPAC 80 - 69 in the first Saturday game 80 - 69, then lost to St Marys 81 - 51 to ensure that each team in the West division has lost at least once.  JR Inman (15), Gerald Henderson (13), Ryan Ayers (12) and Brandon Costner (12) topped LPAC's Brandon Holman (22), Rich Fields (15) and Jamaal Womack. But later John Ager (20), Tyson Johnson (22), Danny Green (12), Aleek Pauline (10) and Rashid Green (9) bested Ryan Ayers (12), JR Inman (10) and Juwan Carter (8).

Mt Vernon trounced Worldwide Entertainment 92 - 54 on Friday night depending on the usual suspects - Keith Benjamin (24),  Jon Mitchell (14),  Dexter Grey (8) and Shanty Robinson (8).  

In Friday's second game Riverside Church made their first appearence at IS8 losing to LPAC 79 - 76.  Nice balance for LPAC - Terrell Elliston and Jamaal Womack with 15 each, Luis Figeroa for 11 with 8 each from Rich Fields and Dominick Lewes. Elvis Lora (25), Jason Holmes (22) and Herb Allen (12) led for the Church.

NYC Finest took the Running Rebels Thursday night 64 - 60 despite a game high 29 point performance from RR's Bryan Geffen.  Finest's Derek Williams (19), Nick Jones (13) and George Peters (9) made the difference.

The Ravens played on Wednesday without Brian Laing, Gavin Grant, Frank Elger or Ricky Torres and still nipped Bedford 75 - 73 with Chris Bethel (game high 28), Devon Epps (16), Shawn Hilliard (13) and Joey Amelio (8). Now that's scary.  

In the second game Keep Your Dream Alive bombed the Willie Howie All Stars 77 - 38 behind Serge Clement (13), Ketrell Willis (12), Bryant Dunston (11) and Akeem Vanderhorst (9). Willie Howie's Dorian David had a game high 17 but got little help from his teammates.

The Ravens played their first IS8 game on Tuesday taking Holy Cross 65 - 53 led by Brian Laing (22), Wesley Wicks (13) and Chris Bethel (12).  Only Anthony Clarke got to double digits for the Knights with 17 while Vernon Teel and Mike Johnson each had 8.

In the second game Huntington edged Boys & Girls 59 - 58 as D'Andrea Brown (19), Arthur Robertson (12), Peter Lawal (10) and Dwayne Whitfield (9) bettered B & G's Carlos Collazo (19), Loverne Laney (9) and Tyrell Cruz (8).

9/21/03 Brooklyn Scout: 'The Bedford YMCA clinched a playoff spot in the IS 8 Tipoff Classic with a 72-46 victory over Exodus Saturday morning. Bedford jumped to a 24-8  advantage after the opening period, extended it to 43-22 at the half and maintained a big margin the rest of the way. Anthony Lessane led all scorers with 18 points for Bedford, getting scoring help from Akeem Comas (12 points) and Terrance Portis (11). Javon Parris topped Exodus with 16 points and Derrick Smith added 13.'

9/15/03 Coach Carlton Screen (FYA): 'We finally won a game in The IS8 Tipoff basketball tournament. It shows that if you work hard enough as a young player, and with good coaching, and listen you will develop into a goodplayer.  This is true.  Just ask Max Menard, Sean Watson, Karim McKenzie, Antoine Johnson, Juan Medina, and Roland Ampadu. All of these players are coming into school this marking period with an 80 or above GPA. They have all stayed with the program, knowing the program has always been there for them. I am very proud of all my players, they mean the world to me. I know their parents are proud of them also. Keep working hard.'

9/15/03  Sunday's games -- The Panthers A split two games losing to JYO, aka Cardozo, 92 -80 but coming back to take Metro Boston in the day's fourth game. The Boston club was being rocked by Rock Steady 21 - 5 after one in the third game, so I'm assuming they lost that one as well.  Per their coach, Billy Turnage Panthers B won the day;s last game against Bedford.

Max Menard led FYA with 20 points, 11 in the fourth quarter while Sean Watson (12), Antoine Johnson (10), Tyrone George (9) and Juan Medina (7) each chipped in for the victory. The Rebel's Bryan Geffen was held to 18; Ryan Eisner (14) and Vinny Falzone 13) were the only other significant scorers.

The Panthers A, JYO game was a regular season treat.  Scoring wise is matched JYO's backcourt of  Cameron Tyler (game high 31, hoisting from every angle as soon as he crossed halfcourt) and Nick Flagg (a solid, impressive 23) against the Panthers' frontcourt of Dorrell Wright (27 points on that many shots - great form, but he missed a bunch of 12 footers) and Joakhim Noah (21 points including 2 of 3 treys - they looked ugly, but they went in). The score was 83 - 80 with 1:12 to play when Nick with three and Cam with six put the game away at the foul line. Before that coup d'etat, JYO center, 6-9 Theo Davis' post defense was the difference.  He was almost single handedly matched against the Panthers college sized frontline of 6-10 Noah, 6-6 Wright, 6-7 Antonio Pena (9 points, but Tone  who can hit a stationary jumper, needs to work on his pull-up jumper - he committed a number of charges rather than taking the easy stop and pop shots) and 6-8 reserve Curtis Kelly (2 points after arriving late after halftime). Theo survived with four fouls, while he scored nine points, blocked double digit shots and grabbed double digit rebounds. Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio was in the gym downplaying Theo's effort, but with Nick, Skyler Khaleel (7), 6-5 junior Kevin Hannoway, Dwayne Johnson, Vic Morris and John Forbes (the last three are playing for Panthers B), the Judges look to be the pre-season favorites for a PSAL Garden party with Sebastian and Lincoln this spring.

The Philadelphia Ballers had transportation problems on Saturday forcing Pete Edwards to reschedule Saturday's third and fifth games for later in the season. Meanwhile, LPAC handled the Jamaica Spirit 51 - 41, the Panthers B trounced Exodus 72 - 37 and Connect Talent took NYC Finest 101 - 81. Connect Talent has just that as Lamont Ulner (25), Scott Draughn (23), Craig Austere (19) and Anthony Brown (18) each aided in the easy win.

In the season's lowest scoring game so far LPAC got just enough firepower from Jamal Womack (9), Terrell Elliston (9), Marquese Lam (8) and Richard Field (8) to take the Spirit despite a game high 10 from JS's Tyrone Olvin.

Vic Morris (21), Junior Mitchell (16) and Kaheem Seawright led the Pnthers' rout of Exodus.

On Friday night Real Scout upset Mount Vernon 91 - 87 in overtime and SONDAY Express debuted with a 96 - 86 win over Holy Cross.  The Knights got a 19 point effort from Joe Vines but he didn't get enough help from Vernon Teal (10), Kallil McDonagh (9), Joe Conner (9) and Mike Johnson (8) to offset SE's top five - Ahkeem Gooding (game high 28), Brian Beckford (24), Niko Scott (17), Rio Pitt (16) and Chris Martin (11).  Real Scout's Ricky Cadell (22), Adedkun Olawanreju (15), Weyimni Efejuku (16), Tyshawn Bierria (10) and Salvador Patricio (10) bested 17 point efforts from each of the Knights' terrific trio, Jon Mitchell, Dexter Grey and Keith Benjamin. Chris Lowe (11) and Shantay Robinson (10) helped but super freshman Mike Coburn was held to 4.

In Thursday's matchups the Shooting Stars downed World Wide Entertainment 82 - 69 and Huntington needed overtime to best Keep Your Dreams Alive 69 - 67.  Huntington's Arthur Roberts (16), DJ Fields (13), Peter Laurel (10) and Steve Harney (9) outlasted KYDA's Gary Graham (game high 20), Bryant Dunston (13) and Serge Clement (12). The Shooting Stars had an easier time of it against WWE, winning for the second time.  The Stars' attack was balanced with Richard Forbes (17), Joshua Frazier (14), Antwan Gibson (10), Shenel Joseph (10) and Darius Gabriel (9) each contributing.  WWE got good performances from Kevin Gholson (23), James St Robert (13), Brandon Nieves (12) and Clarence Alonzo (10) but it wasn't enough.

Brooklyn Scout has already summarized the Bedford YMCA 89 - 81 victory over Amityville on Wednesday.  AJ Price did play for his school team in that one, so he won't be playing for the Church.  In the evening's second game Starret City edged Boys & Girls 77 - 72 behind Malcolm Grant (32), Dereck Echols (13) and Saquon Stone (10).

Woodmere Academy topped World Wide Entertainment 83 - 69, Connect Talent bopped the Running Rebels 74 - 56 and NYC Finest stopped FYA 65 - 53 in the last three games on the first Sunday.  Woodmere got double digit scoring from four of its starters - Danny Bala (game high 23), Tyrone Nash (18), Chris Lorrea (14) and point guard Jonathan Han (12).  WWE's guards Nick Carter (19), Brendan Nieves (18) and Kevin Gholson (10) were unable to keep pace with Woodmere. If you look at the order of teams within each dividion, I think that Pete Edwards tends to rank them. If so, then Woodmere may be this season's sleeper. Three other teams in their division, including Mt Vernon,  have each lost at least once.

I don't know the Connect Talent (2 - 0) personnel but I'm told they're an impressive group. Anthony Brown (19), Lamont Ulner (15) and Craig Austere (14) overcame a game high 38 point effort by the Rebels' Bryan Geffen for the win.  Bryan is the senior point guard for St Francis Prep and he tells me Manhattan, Hofstra and Delaware are schools he's currently looking at for next year. No official visits scheduled.

Derek Williams (20), Nicholas Jones (12) and Brandon Lowley (11) were high for NYC Finest, while Sean Watson (20) and Ron Natoli (10) led for Coach Screen's team.  

9/15/03  At IS8 yesterday morning JYO with their Cardozo center Theo Davis (pictured nearest) upset the Panthers A and their big man Joakhim Noah (pictured appropriately in the middle) 92 - 80 scoring the game's last nine points on free throws. Earlier FYA with the brothers Menard (Max and Lejunes to the right) nipped the Running Rebels 62 - 58.

9/15/03  Coach Billy Turnage: 'At IS 8 this weekend Panther (B) went 2-0 beating Exodus on Saturday and Bedford YMCA on Sunday. In Saturday's contest we were lead in scoring by Victor Morris, Junior Mitchell, and Kahiem Seawright with 21, 16, and 12 points respectively. Other key contributions came from Dwayne Johnson who had his usual solid floor game with about 10-12 asst's and a ton of steals, Dwight Burke who had double figure rebounds and blocks, and Marques Cox who provided unlimited energy off of the bench. In Sundays contest we were lead in scoring by Junior Mitchell with 21, Victor Morris with 17, Kahiem Seawright with 14, and Dwight Burke with 12. Kahiem and Dwight also had double figure rebounds and quite a few blocks each. Jake Stevens, Lou Bradley, Marques Cox, John Forbes and Carlos Cadet all chipped in off the bench in Sunday's contest. The final score of Sunday's game was 89-68. Our next game is vs. Sonday Express on Friday Oct 3rd at 8pm.'

9/11/03 Brooklyn Scout: ''The Bedford YMCA began pool play in the IS 8 Tip-Off Classic Wednesday night with an 89-81 triumph over Amityville. Bedford moved in front 24-19 at the end of the first quarter and maintained the lead the rest of the way. Eugene Lawrence led a balanced scoring attack for Bedford with 22 points, followed by Wayne Turner and Levance Fields with 13 points apiece, while Kenny Hayes and Anthony Lessane each tallied 12. A.J. Price topped Amityville (0-2) with a game-high 26 points with Gary Stewart adding 15 points and P.J. Smith 14 in the losing effort.'

9/8/03 The Metro Boston, JYO game didn't happen, so five games were played on opening day this Saturday.  Rock Steady easily handled the B'ballers (primarily JFK, Bronx) 70 - 55 as Vernon Goodridge (20), Dwight Gorton (19), Basil Leslie (10) and Peedie Nelson (9) were high for Rock Steady.  Amaury Fermin topped the B'ballers with 19 but he was the only one to reach double digits for his team.

Keep Your Dream Alive edged Boys & Girls in the second contest 77 - 73, getting balanced scoring from Serge Clement (18 points total, 11 in the decisive fourth quarter) Willis Ketrell (13), Bryant Dunstan (13) Craig Davis (10) and Chris Williams (8).  Carlos Collazo (22), Jimmy Walker (16), Charles Eason (12) and Tyrell Cray (11) did well for B & G, but they needed on more player (Eugene Harvey, maybe?) to get past KYDA.

The Huntington Roadrunners then beat the Willie Howie All Stars 61 - 53 led by point guard DJ Fields (10 points, six made foul shots in the fourth quater). Arthur Robinson (14), DeAndre Brown (13) and Terrence Moore (8) each chipped in for Huntington.  Dorian David (game high 16), Terrence Fraser (15) and Fabian Figeroa (8) were best for Willie Howie.

Exit 9 nipped Southside 74 - 71 behind their foursome of Larry Davis (19), Kevin Huggins (16), Shahee Martin (13) and Robert Hampton (12). Southside's trio of Michael Johnson (game high 20), N Wilson (16) and K Calhoun (15) fell short in the fourth quarter.

LPAC took St Mary 67 - 56 in the day's final game as Richard Fields (20), Jamaal Womack (16), Luis Figeroa (7), Ed Berrios (6), Danny Mena (6) and Terrell Elliston (6) each contributed.  John Ager (25) was unable to do it alone for the Gaels as Tyson Johnson (9) and Danny Green (6) each had subpar performances.

9/7/03  In today's first two IS8 games the Panthers B easily took Amityville 93 - 77 and Shooting Stars overtook Real Scout 76 - 70.  The Panthers got double digit efforts from Junior Mitchell (game high 28), Kashiem Seawright (23), Vic Morris (20) and Marques Cox (10). Amityville was not playing with AJ Price (with Riverside's entry, I presume). All five strters - Mark Johnson (22),  Keith Burgess (14), Sam Duncan (12), PJ Smith (13) and Ramon Abello (12) - got to double digits but it wasn't enough.

9/6/03  Mideast 1. Starret City, 2. Huntington Roadrunners, 3. Boys & Girls, 4. Keep Your Dreams Alive, 5. Willie Howie Allstars

East   6. Panthers, 7. Rock Steady, 8. Jamaica Youth Organization,   9. Metro Boston,  10. B'ballers

Southeast  11. Philidelphia Ballers,  12. Rebel,  13. Southside, 14. Exit 9 Allstars, 15. Chaminade Flyers

Midwest 16. Players Club Gold,  17. Connect Talent,  18. Flatbush Youth Association, 19. NYC Finest, 20. Running Rebels

West  21. Riverside Church,  22. LPAC,  23. Players Club Red, 24. St. Marys, 25. Jamaica Spirit

Southwest 26. Mount Vernon, 27. Wide World Entertainment,  28. Real Scout,  29. Shooting Stars,  30. Woodmere Academy

North   31. SONDAY. Express, 32. New York Ravens, 33. Holy Cross,  34. Rockland Rockets

South  35. Bedford YMCA.  36. Panthers (B),  37. Amityville, 38. Exodus

Saturday and Sunday start times are 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 2:00, 3:30, 5:00 and (when required) 6:30.  Weeknight starts are 6:30 and 8:00.

 

IS8 Tip-off Classic, 2003 Regular Season

Day	Date	1	2	3	4	5	6		Day	Date	1	2	3	4	5
Sat	9/6	7-10	3-4	2-5	8-9	13-14	22-24		Sun	9/21	12-15	16-18	21-23	16-20	23-25
Sun	9/7	36-37	28-29	27-30	17-20	18-19	-		Wed	9/24	1-4	32-34	-	-	-
Wed	9/10	35-37	1-3	-	-	-	-		Thu	9/25	8-10	3-5	-	-	-
Thu	9/11	27-29	2-4	-	-	-	-		Fri	9/26	26-29	21-24	-	-	-
Fri	9/12	26-28	31-33	-	-	-	-		Sat	9/27	24-25	37-38	1-2	9-10	27-28
Sat	9/13	22-25	36-38	11-14	17-19	11-12	-		Sun	9/28	13-15	31-34	7-8	26-30	27-28
Sun	9/14	18-20	6-8	7-9	6-7	35-36	-		Wed	10/1	31-32	12-13	-	-	-
Tue	9/16	32-33	2-3	-	-	-	-		Thu	10/2	29-30	33-34	-	-	-
Wed	9/17	32-35	4-5	-	-	-	-		Fri	10/3	28-30	31-36	-	-	-
Thu	9/18	19-20	14-15	-	-	-	-		Sat	10/4	21-25	33-37	17-18	34-38	-
Fri	9/19	26-27	21-22	-	-	-	-		Sun	10/5	1-5	6-9	11-13	6-10	11-15
Sat	9/20	35-38	16-17	22-23	16-19	23-24	-		-	-	-	-	-	-	-

2. Huntington Roadrunners  DJ Fields, Arthur Robinson, DeAndre Brown, Terrence Moore, Dwayne Whitfield, Pete Laurel.

3. Boys & Girls  Carlos Collazo, Jimmy Walker, Charles Eason, Tyrell Cray,  Charles Duncan,  Kevin Anderson,  Jeff Outler,  Ricco Oliver,  Michael Thurgood.

4. Keep Your Dreams Alive - Serge Clement, Willis Ketrell, Bryant Dunstan, Craig Davis, Chris Williams, Nathaniel Williams, Scott Draughon,  Keith Hinnant,  Gary Graham, Richard Thomas, Lateef McTaw.

5. Willie Howie Allstars  Coach Willie Negron.  Dorian David, Terrence Fraser, Fabian Figeroa, Jessie Iyaley,  Kevin Woodside,  Jeff Parataj,  Anthony Passelarqua,  John Wade,  Austin Wallace,  Ryan Erum,  Jason Johnson.

East   6. Panthers A:  Coach Gary Charles. Joakhim Noah,  Antonio Pena,  Dorrell Wright,  Curtis Kelly,  Kashief Pratt,  Kevin Spann,  Edgar Sosa.

7. Rock Steady  Vernon Goodridge, Dwight Gorton, Basil Leslie, Peedie Nelson,  Jabari Edwards, Anderson Ablaze,  Lindsy Davenport, Angelo Whitehead.

8. Jamaica Youth Organization  Coach Wes Nelson. Theo Davis, Cameron Tyler,  Nick Flagg,  Skyler Khaleel,  Jamie Centaire,  Ryan Leak.

9. Metro Boston

10. B'ballers   Coach Johnnie Mathis. Amaury Fermin,  Omar Moodie,  Rashon Cook,  Devon Rhodes,  Emil Kiney,  Raymond Francis, Alberto Cuervo, Terrence Ben.

Southeast  11. Philidelphia Ballers

12. Rebel  coach Robert Boyd.  Clyde Chapman (18), Kyle McAlarney, John Gooden, Kareem McQueen.

13. Southside  Michael Johnson , N Wilson, K Calhoun,  A Dean,  M Urbina, D godwin, P Lopez, J Reyes.

14. Exit 9 Allstars  Larry Davis, Kevin Huggins, Shahee Martin, Robert Hampton, Devon Brown,  Maurice Charleton.

15. Chaminade Flyers - Tom Salogub, Mike Fisher, Ryan Gilmore, Matt Hauser.

Midwest 16. Players Club Gold - JR Smith,  Sean Singletary, Kyle Lowrey,  Shane Clark,  Dave McClure,  Chris Andrews.

17. Connect Talent Lamont Ulner , Scott Draughn, Craig Austere, Anthony Brown,  Henry Reyes,  Victor Jackson,  Geoff Barranger. 

18. Flatbush Youth Association  Coach Carlton Screen. Max Menard, Sean Watson, Antoine Johnson, Roland Ampadu, Juan Medina, Jamaal McCoy, Ron Natoli, Francisco Medina, Karim McKenzie, Lujens Menard, Trevon Hamlet, Timothy Irby

19. NYC Finest  Coach: Roberto E. Diaz, Asst. Coach: George Brister.  Nicholas Jones (Hillcrest HS), Derrick Gabriel (Far Rockaway HS), Brandon Lawley (Jamaica HS), Michael Glover (Monroe HS), Derek Williams (John Bowne HS), Jason Pauline (Hillcrest HS), George Peters (Flushing HS), Lonnell Jones (Hillcrest HS), Mamadou Hanne (Satellite HS), Elson Pickering (Frederick Douglass Academy HS), Branden Matthews (Franklin K. Lane HS) & Nayquann Mitchell (John Bowne HS)

20. Running Rebels - Coach Mitch Eisner.  Ryan Eisner,  Mike Marin,  Bryan Geffen,  Vinny Falzone.

West  21. Riverside Church - coach JR Rodriguez.  Herbie Allen,  Elvis Lora,  Jason Holmes,  Albert Forbes,  Goeff Rickz, Keniel Henry.

22. LPAC  Coach Rueben Taverez.  Richard Fields, Jamaal Womack, Luis Figeroa, Ed Berrios, Danny Mena, Terrell Elliston, Anthony Pimble, Dominick Lewis, David Cobbs,  Thomas Reid, Eliziel Padilla.

23. Players Club Red.  Coach Jimmy Salmon.  Juwan Carter, Ryan Ayers,  Brandon Costner,  JR Inman,  Gerald Henderson,  Andrew Pusar,  Wayne Ellington, Nick Vier.

24. St. Marys  John Ager, Tyson Johnson, Danny Green,  Rashad Green,  Brandon Mays, Tyrone Hanson,  Girard Fitts,  Aleek Pauline,  Devon Brown, Mike Reid.

25. Jamaica Spirit -  Will Egron,  Dane Johnson,  Tyrone Ovlin,  Joenelle Khan,  David Rhymes,  Reggie Lain,  Sarfraz Hussein.

Southwest 26. Mount Vernon.  Coach Bob Cimino.  Jon Mitchell, Dexter Grey , Keith Benjamin, Chris Lowe, Shantay Robinson, Mike Coburn, Mike Watson,  John Smith,  Cashmere Nail.

27. Wideworld Entertainment - Kevin Gholson, James St Robert, Brandon Nieves, Clarence Alonzo, Aubrey Porter,  Stephen Polk.

28. Real Scout  Coach Nathan Blue.  Salvador Patricio, Weyimni Efejuku, Mike King, Tyshawn Bierria, Adedkun Olawanreju, Rain Richart

29. Shooting Stars  - Darius Gabriel,  Antwan Gibson,  Yves Brevil,  Joshua Frazier,  Richard Forbes,  Jonathan Grinage,  John Garcia, Shenel Joseph.

30. Woodmere Academy - Danny Bala, Tyrone Nash, Chris Lorrea, Jonathan Han,  Sean Modesky,  PJ Rutter,  Mark Brand.

North   31. SONDAY. Express - Coach Artie Cox.  Niko Scott,  Ahkeem Gooding,  Rio Pitt,  Brian Bedford,  Chris Martin,  Adam Walker,  Nyan Boatang,  Eugene Harvey,  Chris Lowrey.

32. New York Ravens - Chris Bethel,  Brian Laing, Frank Elger,  Dante Chisolm,  Wesley Wicks,  Rich Jackson,  Sean Hilliard,  Devon Epps, Joe Amelio

33. Holy Cross - Coach Lloyd Desvigne. Mike Johnson,  Sean Crawford,  Vernon Teal,  Laurence Johnson,  Joe Conner,  Marvin Roberts,  Mohammed Lo,  Joe Vines,  Kallil McDonagh 

34. Rockland Rockets -

South  35. Bedford YMCA. Coach Tom (Tippy) McTernan.  Eugene Lawrence,  Wayne Turner, Levance Fields, Kenny Hayes, Anthony Lessane.

36. Panthers (B) Coach Billy Turnag.: Kashim Seawright,  Carlos Cadet,  Vic Morris,  Dwayne Johnson,  John Forbes,  Junior Mitchell, Marques Cox

37. Amityville AJ Price, Mark Johnson,  Keith Burgess,  Craig Stewart,  Raymond James, Sam Duncan,  PJ Smith,  Raymond Abello.

38. Exodus - Tyrone Williams,  Evan Pope,  Derrick Smith,  BJ Suchy,  Jason Heber.

7/28/03 Peter Edwards: 'The IS8 Tip-Off Classic 2003 will begin the 1st week of September. For more information contact Peter Edwards @ 917-692-9835 or 718-297-3951.'