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!!!

5th grade boys in Pendelton

The 5th grade boys played great in the Pendelton tournament.  The Black team finished 3-1 with the only loss coming to the Hoop Dreams 6th grade team.  The Blue team finished 2-2, a good showing for the boys first road trip.  The free food at the hotel and indoor pool certainly was a treat for everyone!

The boys, parents and coaches were all very happy with the improvement that has been made so far this season.

5th Grade Black Team at The Bryan Dunn Tournament

The 5th Grade Black played up in the 6th grade division of the Bryan Dunn. Our first game was an overtime loss to The Idaho Slam, but the boys brushed off the rough start and proceeded to run off 3 straight blow out wins to work their way back to the Championship game against the undefeated Slam team.

The outcome of this re-match was a different story as Hoop Dreams led from the opening possession. The Slam closed the gap to 8 points down the stretch, but HD keep their composure and closed with a 12 point Championship victory.

Congratulations to Jacob Erickson, Brooks King, Del Jackson, Jaydon Clark, Karl Zanot, Hodges Bailey, Koby Terashima, and Ethan Christensen.

8th Grade Boys Win the 9th Annual Bryan Dunn Memorial Championship

Congratulations to the Boys 8th Grade Hoop Dreams Team for winning the championship in the 9th Annual Bryan Dunn Memorial Championship! The team went 5-0 winning the title game over Twin Falls 68-38. Throughout most of the weekend, we played suffocating, tenacious pressure defense while using the court time to fine tune our offensive sets in the half court. Next up for the 8th grade boys is the Martin Luther King Tournament in Seattle in mid-January.

Well done Dreamers!!!

Crash the Boards Tournament

Coach Williams and his teams got off to a good start in the Crash the Boards tourney in December. The 7th grade Travel Team, playing in the 8th grade division, won their first 2 games, before meeting up with CC Elite. This brought them a good challange and gave them something to really strive for. They faced the CC Elite twice, back to back. The girls didn't find the victory, but they played great and gave the Elite some great competition. Injuries didn't help their fight, but the team did very well working together with players that are new to each other.

The Developmental team, playing in the 7th grade division, won their first game without too much trouble, but found their first game Saturday morning to be more of a struggle. Their final game put the Hoop Dream 6th grade and the Hoop Dream 7th grade Developnemtal team head to head for the second place medals. Hoop Dreams 7th graders took the honors. Some of the girls played with both the travel team, and the developmental team, and their stamina and fitness shone through. I guess all of those suicides proved to be worth it! Coach Williams and Coach Ianniciello were proud of the girls and their efforts.