July 17, 2023
By Morgan Wenger
Tournament Director

The Junior Division featured some intense nailbiters in pool play. Wooster BMW found themselves involved in both of them. The first tight contest came in their second game against the Jackson Bears. This game went back and forth throughout, with neither team able to pull away from the other. In the end, Jackson was able to scratch out a 30-28 victory. JJ Rohr led the winners with 14 points, while Hudson Brightbill contributed nine points. Blake Terakedis was a one-man wrecking crew for Wooster. Terakedis scored from all over the floor while amassing a game high 15 points. Will Snowbarger fired in two three pointers as part of his eight-point effort for Wooster as well.

Perhaps drained from the intensity of their previous game, Jackson was quickly dispatched by a talented Vikes team 30-14 in the next round. Wooster BMW, on the other hand, found themselves right back in the fray against Crossover Crew. In another back-and-forth affair that saw many lead changes, Neveah Brown made the biggest plays down the stretch to lead her Crossover Crew team to a hard fought 30-25 win. Brown drained two shots from behind the arc and converted several tough drives through contact as part of her total. Mia Page and Layla Phaphouvaninh scored eight and six points, respectively, for Crossover Crew. Blake Terakedis scored 12 points for Wooster in a losing cause, while Marshall Correll added eight points in support.

The Vikes' Alex Lakota drives against Jordy and JJ Rohr of the Jackson Bears

The Vikes earned the top seed in the bracket and rolled to the finals after a 30-12 dismantling of Wooster BMW in the semifinal round. Zack Porter (14 points) and Alex Lakota (12 points) led the way for the Vikes, while Blake Terakedis tossed in nine for Wooster BMW. The other semifinal game saw a fierce battle ensue between Crossover Crew and the Jackson Bears. Jackson had defeated Crossover Crew 30-9 in the first game of pool play, but Crossover Crew had other ideas this time around. In a knockdown, drag out defensive battle, Jackson was able to hold off Crossover Crew by a 19-16 count. Jordy Rohr did most of the damage for Jackson in this game as he scored 10 of his team’s 19 points. Layla Phaphouvaninh scored from inside the arc and from long range as part of her 12 points to lead Crossover Crew in defeat.

This gave the Jackson Bears an opportunity to avenge their 30-14 pool play drubbing at the hands of the Vikes in the championship game. This game had a different vibe from the start. Jackson was ready to compete with the top seeded Vikes this time around. Nobody embodied this sentiment more than Hudson Brightbill. Brightbill had been solid all day long, but he exploded for 14 points in the championship game to keep Jackson within reach of the talented Vikes trio. In the end, Drew Potashnik (14 points) and Alex Lakota (14 points) were too much to handle. The Vikes completed their undefeated day with a 30-24 victory over the Jackson Bears. In throwback fashion, the Vikes went undefeated in the tournament while only having three players on their roster and without making a three-point shot. The champions were stout defensively and moved the ball well on offense while assaulting the basket for their points.

Vikes (Zack Porter, Alex Lakota, and Drew Potashnik)

Dawg Days Home