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Democrat Photo by Rob Potter
TEAM B FINISHED in first place after defeating Team A in the league’s final game. In the front row, from left to right, are Brendan Walker, Brian Brown, Joshua Hernandez, Ben Kapito and Ryan Rosenblume. In the back row, from left to right, are Georgios Astras, Christian Hernandez, Sean Reuss, Richard Sorto, Elijah Dones and Elias Lugardo.
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Cheers Greet
Hoops Players
By Rob Potter
MONTICELLO — March 24, 2006 – There was plenty of hoops action Monday night in the Monticello Middle School gymnasium.
All four teams in the 2006 Monticello Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Youth Basketball League took to the court as family members and friends cheered them on from the bleachers.
The evening featured two semifinal games and the championship contest for the fifth- and sixth-graders who have been playing games at the middle school every Monday night since January.
In the first semifinal, Team A defeated Team D, 16-6. In the second semi, Team B topped Team C, 16-11.
In the title contest, Team B held a 14-10 lead at halftime. Team A tried to comeback in the second half, but Team B prevailed by a final score of 29-23.
The members of Team A included: Mistah Alli, Brandon Alvarez, Shaun Carbill, Elvin Harris, James Jenkins, Edwin Jones, Rex Raaci, William Reyes, A.J. Rodriguez and Lance Tate.
The members of Team B included: Georgios Astras, Brian Brown, Elijah Dones, Christian Hernandez, Joshua Hernandez, Ben Kapito, Elias Lugardo, Sean Reuss, Ryan Rosenblume, Richard Sorto and Brendan Walker.
The basketball program, which is sponsored by the Monticello PBA in conjunction with the Village of Monticello Parks and Recreation Department, has been held each winter for the past seven years.
“We had about 50 kids who participated this year,” said Betsy Conaty, who is the Director of the Monticello Parks and Recreation Department.
Each participant received a Junior NBA/Junior WNBA calendar that features pictures and words of advice from NBA and WNBA players. Some of the contemporary players featured in the calendar are Sue Bird, Becky Hammon, Lisa Leslie, Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Emeka Okafor, Shaquille O’Neal, Paul Pierce, Diana Taurasi and Tina Thompson. Some of the NBA legends whose words of wisdom are printed in the calendar’s pages include Clyde Drexler, George Gervin, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Bill Walton.
The adult volunteers who organized this year’s Monticello PBA League, officiated the games and ran the scoreboard included Dave Andrews, Mike Barnofsky, Conaty, Steve Kapito and Ron Moore.
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