YOUR AD HERE »

Incline eighth-grade boys’ basketball team captures consolation bracket championship

Special to the Bonanza
The eighth-grade boys’ team poses with their consolation championship trophies on Saturday, Dec. 2.
Courtesy photo |

The Lake Tahoe School (LTS) Bobcats finished off a solid 2017 basketball season with an impressive showing at the Tah-Neva boys’ basketball championships.

Both teams from LTS — the seventh-grade team at 9-5 overall and the eighth-grade squad at 14-2 overall — qualified for the tournament hosted at Incline High School on Saturday, Dec. 2.

The eighth-grade Bobcats would be knocked into the consolation bracket by eventual runners-up South Tahoe Middle School, but rallied by defeating North Tahoe Middle School in the consolation semifinal.



The eighth-grade boys’ team would then cap off the year by defeating Alder Creek Middle School to earn the title of Consolation Champions.

Jack Ludviksen proved unstoppable during the consolation championship, leading his team with 15 points and six rebounds. Brody Thralls was equally impressive with 11 points and 11 rebounds.



The entire team contributed throughout the day; Nicholas Patrick, Kade Martinez, and Ben Rock keyed the offense with great outside shooting, Trey Casini and Dean Cafferata-Jenkins provided much needed defense and rebounding, while Shane Green, Zachary Wallpe, Lukas Burton, and Jack Laurie made valuable contributions off the bench.

“We are extremely proud of the boys,” said Assistant Coach Kris Nugent. “They had the most successful season in our school’s history at 14-2, they won our division to qualify for the tournament, and went undefeated in league play — truly a season for the ages. I wish these boys all the best as they move on to high school next year.”

Seventh-graders

The seventh-grade boys’ team exceeded all expectations with a solid season and a spot at the championship tournament.

“We had a young and inexperienced team, but they never stopped playing hard and deserve a great deal of praise for their effort,” said Assistant Coach Jon Cooper.

“We started two fifth-grade boys all year, yet we still finished second in league play and fought gallantly at championships.”

The LTS seventh-grade boys had a tough assignment with their opening game against South Tahoe, but won by a final score of 54-36.

In the consolation semifinal, the boys held a slight lead entering the fourth quarter against a much bigger Carson Middle School team, but were unable to hold on late and lost.

Harry Fung had an amazing season for the Lake Tahoe School Bobcats, averaging 17 points per game and 18 rebounds per game. Tommy Williams was excellent at point guard all year, leading the team with his passing. Lincoln Fung, Luc Casini, and Keenan Artle provided key scoring, while Sean Kirkland and Quinn Cafferata-Jenkins were tenacious on defense.

The LTS bench contributed all year long and were invaluable, with Ridge Gerken, Gavin Weber, Turner Alston, Aiden Hanak, Noah and Jake Keil, Max Weiss, and Josh Ludviksen, all playing hard when entering each game.

Boys’ Varsity High School Head Coach Tim Kelly was ecstatic with the performance and results from the tournament, “It was a great season for the Bobcats. The future is bright for basketball in Incline Village.”


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.