HOOP DREAMS 8TH BOYS CHAMPIONS AGAIN!!!
Congratulations to our Boys 8th Grade team for their recent championship in the prestigious Memorial Jam On It Tournament in Reno over the Memorial Day Weekend! From the dramatic game winning floater as time expired by Isaiah Wright over the Sacramento Spirit coached by former NBA player Bobby Jackson, to the barrage of 3's in the final game to secure the title, each of the Dreamers played unselfishly at both ends of the floor giving of themselves to make their teammates better to bring home the gold.
Overall, each player contributed in a large way to lead to this terrific achievement and a memorable weekend! Well done Dreamers!!!
7th Grade Girls: Jam on It/Memorial Day Reno CHAMPIONS!
The 7th Grade Hoop Dreamers came into this season with several goals...compete well in Spokane, DONE. Qualify for Nationals, DONE. Win a championship in Reno....DONE! The ladies started down the path to #1 facing Sportstrong. After a close first half, the Dreamer's tough defense led them to their first victory for the weekend. The ladies matched up against the Bulldawgs in their second game. A great team effort brought a 47-23 victory. Sunday's only game for the HD 7th grade girls was against the Sting Blue. Suffocating defense and great offensive execution led them to a 59 point victory. Scoring was led by Danielle Jardine with 16, followed by Destiny Slocum with 12.
The Championship game put the girls up against a team that had something to prove. The California Ballaz fell to the HD 7th grade team last year in Reno, and they did everything they could to turn things around this year. The Dreamers were out sized, but not out matched. After a 2 hour game, the ladies walked away with a 54-45 point win for the championship! Scoring was led by Ebony Norman (pictured with Sham, Jon and Dave) with 13 points. Great team defense, hustle, and stamina played a big role in the win. All of those drills and suicides really pay off! Coaches Sham, David, and Jon were proud of the girls and want to thank the parents for their continued support. The team will head to Oregon City in June to take part in the End of the Trail tourney to finish up their season. 8th Grade Boys Idaho Prep Champions
The 8th Grade Boys team won the Idaho Prep Championship! They went 4-0 in the tournament that included a hard fought Championship game with a good Utah Pump-n-Run squad. As this was this groups last tournament of the season, I was graciously proud of how the boys fought throughout the tournament and season. They were tough, hard nosed and stuck together through adversity all year. I will miss all you guys and "Thanks" for the great year. You should be proud of what you accomplished this year! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!! 7th Grade Hoop Dreams Girls win the Inland Empire Championship
4/24-4/25, 2010
Coach Shambric Williams and his ladies had something to prove. They've never played up to their potential in Spokane....that has all changed. The ladies started off their pool play facing Monster Energy. Monster didn't know what hit them when Hoop Dreams took a 48-24 victory. The Spokane Stars were next. The entire team contributed to this hard fought win, 42-37.
After winning the pool, the Hoop Dreamers faced the Dawgs 2015 in the semi-finals on Sunday. The girls came out playing tough defense that shut down the Dawgs, winning 40-18. Finally, confidence, hustle and a full team effort helped the girls take the championship over the West Valley Elite, 35-16. This win qualifies the 7th Grade Hoop Dreamers for the National tourney in July.
Coach Sham, Dave and Jon were all pleased with the girls effort and play. This is a great way to start our travels. The ladies will head to Yakima in 2 weeks.
5th Grade Girls in Spokane
The 5th grade girls have been getting better and better each tournament. Spokane was our 2nd tournament, and there were some good teams. The girls went 1-4 winning only one game, but the games that were lost were only lost by 8 points or less.
8th Boys win the JV championship in the Idaho Prep Tournament!
Congratulations to the Hoop Dreams 8th Boys for winning the JV championship in the Idaho Prep Tournament! The team went 4-0 including a hard fought, intense match up against Boise Flite in the semi-finals. Each player contributed throughout the weekend as the Dreamers showed great toughness competing and succeeding against older players. Well done Dreamers!
Next up is the Inland Empire Championships April 16-18 in Spokane...Good luck Dreamers!
Idaho Falls March Madness Tourney Champions
4th Grade Boys Premier
3-0
The 4th grade boys went to the Idaho Falls March Madness Tournament and played impressively! They over matched most of the teams and played very well all weekend. The first game was against Shelley Jazz and HD came out hungry putting the pressure on the whole game. They won 69 to 6 - very impressive for the first game. The second game was against a fiesty group from Pocatello (Pocatello Black Knights) which HD won in a convincing fashion as well. In the Championship, the 4th grade group had a chance to avenge a loss of the only team that beat the 4th grade Development group this weekend from Madison. It was a hard fought contest which HD pulled out and won by 11 points winning their first Championship of the season. We are very proud of this group for continuing to get better every time they hit the floor. I am very excited to see them in Reno! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Idaho Falls March Madness Tourney Consolation Champions
4th Grade Boys Development Team
2-1
The 4th grade Development team went to the Idaho Falls tournament which was their first tournament of the season. They were very impressive the whole weekend. After a nervous start against a tough Madison Williams team the 4th grade development team got better while the game went on but ended up losing their first game. After gaining some confidence during that first game they played the Butte Pirates their second game out. Being coached up by assistant coach Mark Lightner the boys went on to win their first game in a convincing fashion. Now their energy and confidence is high and they were ready to play in the Consolation Championship. They played a Madison Seipert Painting team that was ready to battle. The Development team came out like gang busters and kept up their energy and confidence to win the Consolation Championship in convincing fashion. We couldn't be more proud of a group of kids that did so well in their first tournament. This will give them confidence and the experience that will carry them into next year. Now they are hungry for more! Congrats boys you deserve it!
Idaho Prep Tourney - 7th Grade Girls
The Hoop Dreams 7th Grade Girls had a successful weekend at the Idaho Prep tourney March 26th - 27th. The ladies started off by playing a Frosh team out of Aberdeen, WA. A complete team effort produced a 75-11 win. Next, they faced a Burley team that came out strong, but tough defense and strong post play produced a second victory 50-37. Scoring was lead by Dominique Williams with 14 points. Team 208 came out fighting in the third game, and so did the Dreamers.
The ladies "Never Quit" attitude took them to a third victory 47-43. Finally, the 4th and final victory came thanks to hustle, hard work and suffocating defense. The Dreamers finished with a 53-26 victory over the Idaho Flash. The coaches were proud of the girl's effort and hustle throughout the weekend.
Idaho Prep Tournament - 5th Grade Boys
The 5th grade Blue Team claimed another championship in the 5th grade division of the Idaho Prep Tournament going 3 -1 overall. The Blue Team started off with a thrilling victory over the Borah Lions when Justin Saunders went the full length of the floor in the final 6 seconds to score the winning bucket. On the second day, the team avenged an earlier loss against a good Salt Lake Metro team and then went on to beat the Lions again to secure the championship.
The Black Team, again competing in the 6th grade division, started off with a solid win against Kuna before falling to a tall Salt Lake Metro team. However, the Black team still earned a birth to the semi-finals where they were able to hold off the Idaho Slam, earning a rematch with Metro in the Championship. In a much more competitive game, Metro pulled away late to secure the win while the Black team finished 2nd in as many tournaments.
It was a great weekend of basketball for the 5th grade boys, both teams showed tremendous improvement heading towards the Inland Empire Championships in April.
Crash the Boards - 5th Grade Boys
The 5th grade Blue Team opened the tournament with a close loss to their first 6th grade opponent of the season, Vallivue. The experience prepared them for the 5th grade bracket in which they went 3-0, including a championship win over Mtn. Home.
The 5th grade Black Team played up in the 6th grade division and went 3-0 in pool play, including an intense 15 point come-from-behind win over Kuna. However, in the championship game, Kuna hit a 3 point basket at the buzzer to hand the black team their first loss of the tournament and 2nd place.
5th Grade Boys Gym Rats Portland Tournament
The 5th grade boys teams had a great experience in the Portland tournament finishing with a 3-3 record and bringing home the Championship Trophy of the Silver Division. Some of the boys were making their third appearance in this tournament, and all can attest that the Hoop Dreamers from Idaho are indeed closing the gap on other teams from around the West.
Our first game had us up against one of the most recognizable youth club teams in the West; Seattle Rotary. Our boys held tough for 3/4 of the game, drawing within 3 with just over 8 minutes to go, but the depth and experience of the Rotary team could not be overcome and we eventually lost game #1. Our second game was against Pure Advantage from Vancouver, Wa. After a 10-0 run to start the game, the tired legs from the Rotary game began to take it's toll on the boys as we eventually lost in the final seconds by a single bucket. Game #3 was against the power club from Portland, Team Concept. Again, our boys battled, pulling within 2 points late in the second half only to fall, drawing our record to 0-3.
HD could have easily hung their heads and mailed it in early but the boys had different plans. Game #4 started Saturday afternoon against the Boise Team. The boys finally found their confidence and played with the aggressive nature that the team is accustomed to. We got our first win of the tournament pulling out a 35 point victory. This win propelled us into the Silver bracket and the opportunity to play for the Trophy. To bring it home, we had to get past the Northwest Panthers from Tacoma. The momentum from the Boise game carried over as the HD boys dominated every aspect of the game putting a 40+ point victory on the board.
The Championship was now in site, but to bring the trophy home, HD had the get past Pure Advantage. The game was tight the entire way with the fatigue of the tournament affecting both teams. Pure Advantage took an 8 point lead with only 3 minutes to go, but the HD boys would not quit. Amazing defense, and Del Jackson's three point shot with 20 seconds to go sealed the victory for Hoop Dreams. The boys could not have been happier as they lifted the trophy above their heads on Monday afternoon. The smiles in that picture made the long trip, all worth while.
The talent is incredible in this tournament. We could not have been prouder of the boys and how they competed, how they improved, and how they handled themselves on this long road trip.
Congratulations to: Jaydon Clark, Ethan Christensen, Jacob Erickson, Brooks King, Hodges Bailey, Del Jackson, Koby Terashima, and Karl Zanot.
8th Grade Girls: Skyhawk Classic Portland
Congratulations to the Hoop Dreams 8th grade girls who finished 3-1 and in 2nd Place at the Skyhawk Classic held at Southridge High School over President’s Day Weekend. The team faced Westview in their first game and after jumping out to a 22-8 halftime lead the team went on to win 44 to 21. In their second game the Hoop Dreams girls ran into Clutch Players a Club team out of the Beaverton area. Starting slow the team went into half time down 19-18, but stepped up the effort and defense in the second half to outscore Clutch Players 23 to 8 on their way to a 41 to 27 victory.
On Sunday the team faced Southridge, one of the premier High School girls programs in the Northwest, and Team Concept, one of the top Club teams in Oregon. Team Concept proved to be the most athletic team this class of girls has faced, but the girls really stepped up their team man to man defense and were able to really frustrate a Concept team that was able to score at will and average over 50 points a game in their 3 other games of the tournament. In a very intense battle the Hoop Dreams girls lead most of the first half before being down 19 to 18 at halftime. The defense effort continued throughout the second half but a Hoop Dreams scoring drought coupled with several contested jump shots and free throws down the stretch for Team Concept resulted in a 36 to 24 loss for our girls. This game showed how far the 8th grade girls have come over the past year and will be a good experience for the girls down the road. Coming off the emotional fatigue and let down of the tough loss to Team Concept the girls faced Southridge in their final game for 2nd place and were down 4 points at the end of the first half. Pulling themselves together at half time they picked up their level of play in the second half and cruised to a 36 to 24 victory, shutting down Southridge in the second half while outscoring them 24 to 8.
Leading the team on the weekend both offensively and defensively was Kayla Haley. Kayla not only lead the team in scoring, while shooting over 50% from the field for the weekend, she was also an active, vocal leader on the defensive end. Her intensity really sparked the team in their battle versus Team Concept.
This was a great experience for the girls and really opened their eyes as to how far they have come and the potential of where they can go as a Team. A potential rematch with Team Concept down the road should be a good motivator for the girls as we move forward into the heart of our season.
3rd Grade Boys: Gym Rats Presidents Day Tourney
The Hoop Dreams 3rd Grade Boys team ventured out on their very first expedition to accomplish all their dreams! The Gym Rats Presidents Day Tourney in Portland, OR was sure to give our lil guys an eye opening experience that they would remember for a long time, and thats exactly what we got! The trip began with a team function that included dinner and a practice at Club Sport.. The families had a terrific time getting to know each other over dinner and practice in preparation for the next days games.
The boys finished 0-4 against 4 very good and overmatched teams including the eventual champions and runners-up. The boys played extremely hard and well for 4 games and even though they never came out ahead on the scoreboard they never let that affect their passion to play the best they could. The boys improved in so many areas over the weekend that I am positive the next tourney will bring much different results.
This was a great experience for our boys to realize how much work we have to do in order to compete with the rest of the nation! Great job lil guys and keep dreaming and working!
6th Grade Boys: Gym Rats Presidents Day Tourney
The Hoop Dreams 6th Grade Boys finished 3-3 and 2nd place in the Silver Bracket of the very prestigious Gym Rats Presidents Day Tourney. Right out of the gate the Dreamers first game pitted them against Seattle Rotary Black. Rotary, a very big, athletic, & skilled team is arguably the best 6th grade team in the NW and on the west coast. The last time the Dreamers faced Rotary 2 years ago they were handed a 30+ pt thrashing! The Dreamers battled the eventual tourney runners-up all the way to the finish but came up short losing by 9. Playing in arguably the toughest pool in the 6th grade division the next two games in pool play garnered totally opposite results.
In the second game vs. Just ICE the Dreamers played excellent, executing incredibly well while playing at an extremely fast pace which led to a 30+ win. The next game the Dreamers were faced once again with a rematch against a very dominate team in Tarheel Nation from LA. In their previous matchup two years ago, The Dreamers lost by 30+ pts. Tarheel Nation came out playing a very physical game, pushing the tempo on the Dreamers. The Dreamers did a great job keeping their composure and executing their offense which resulted in numerous free throw attempts for the Dreamers. The Dreamers were not able to convert many of their FT attempts which led to a 7 pt loss.
With two losses in pool play, the Dreamers could only advance to the Silver bracket. After 2 20+ wins vs. Seattle Rotary Blue and Beaverton Beavers in the opening round games, the Dreamers advanced to the Championship game. The stage was set for a rematch of last June's Rose City Classic Championship game. The Dreamers faced Intensity from Tacoma, Wa and played a very hard fought game that led to an Intensity win by 12. This year's game was tight the whole game. A very physical, fast, & competitive game, both teams made play after play to give their teams a chance to win. In the end Intensity came out with a 1pt win.
No doubt this was another great experience for our boys and I am sure one they will remember and use as fuel to keep the fire in their HOOP DREAM burning!
7th Grade Boys Win Meridian Shootout
In preparation for the Portland tournament over Presidents’ Day weekend the 7th grade boys won the 7th annual Meridian Shootout. The boys defeated the Boise Braves in the championship game of the tournament. The boys played tremendous team man to man defense and displayed their offensive skills sharing the basketball and limiting turnovers. The boys went 4-0 in the tournament.
7th Grade Boys Win Portland Silver Bracket Championship
The 7th grade Hoop Dream boys finished the Portland tournament on an excellent note winning four games in a row to finish the tournament. The boys defeated the NW Panthers, Tarheel Nation, the Saints (San Jose), and Elite (Gresham, OR) on their way to winning the championship.
The boys showed a tremendous amount of dedication and continual improvement as the weekend progressed. The boys will get back to work gearing up for the Idaho Prep tournaments in March and April and the Inland Empire Regional Championships in Spokane. We’re looking forward to our upcoming tournaments as we strive to get better. 4th grade Developmental Team at the Meridian Tournament
The 4th grade Development Team played in the Hoop Dreams Jamboree and asserted themselves very well. They have grown over the pass couple of months and gotten better each practice. They played 2 games and won both due to great effort, teamwork and defense. Keep up the great work guys! 7th Grade Girls Take 2nd Place in the Clash at the Border Tournament
The 7th Grade girls took home a 2nd place medal from the Clash at the Border tournament in Pendleton, Oregon Jan 16-17, 2010. The team played in the 8th grade division and entered into the championship game undefeated. The girls played a great game against the Walla Walla Lady Rebels in the Championship. They out-rebounded their opponents 35 to 21 and played great defense. After 4 quarters, the score was tied at 36-36. Ebony Norman scored on an inside post play, putting the Dreamers in the lead with seconds to go. The Lady Rebels threw up a desperation 3 point shot at the buzzer....and the ball found the hoop. The girls walked out as the second place team, but played like Champions.
Meridian Tournament
The 4th grade boys played in the 4th/5th grade division to help them prepare for Portland. Playing tenacious defense and showing excellent team work, the team ended up winning their first 2 games against a 5th grade AAU team and a 4th grade team. On Saturday, they had the first game of the day against a tough Twin Falls 4th grade team but pulled it out and won by 11 points. The 4th game and the Championship game ended up being against the same team, which was a good 5th grade Borah AAU team. The 4th game was a battle of wills. The boys at one point were down by 18 points but roared back to tie the game. Unfortunately, they were not able to pull it out but showed the toughness, hard work and teamwork that all HD teams are taught. The Championship game to no surprise was another battle! The score was close the whole game and tied with :45 seconds to play. The boys did not pull it out, but played a 5th grade Borah AAU team to the end and lost by 2 points. We couldn't be more prouder of a bunch of hardworking kids! You guys are better prepared for Portland then last year and we are confident you will battle those teams until the end! Congrats! (T,H,T)!
HOOP DREAMS 8TH GRADE BOYS EXCEL IN SEATTLE
Congratulations to the Hoop Dreams Boys 8th Grade team for their 2nd Place finish in last weekend's three day Martin Luther King Tournament in Seattle! Most impressive was our semi-final match up with traditional power Seattle Rotary which proudly boasts nine active NBA players. In a game that featured high intensity and big play after big play, Hoop Dreams execution down the stretch proved to be the difference in the narrow win to reach the championship game on Monday. Although we came up short in the title game, we finished 4-1 for the tourney and took yet another step towards achieving our Hoop Dreams! Well done once again Dreamers!!!
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