BUCS Win End Of Season Hoops Tournament

By John Singleton

The Pasadena Bucs recently defeated the Harundale Hornets to win the Harundale End-of-Season ‘B’ Tournament at Corkran Middle School.

“This was a great way to end the season, but only tells part of the story,” began Head Coach Jim Cassidy. “This team worked hard in practice all year long and played in two leagues. We’ve learned to win, but also how to lose without losing our competitive spirit. Our kids know we push them to get better, but they also know to be the best you have to beat the best.”

In the championship game, the Bucs scored 42 points and Harundale 28, but the final score did not capture the level of competition displayed by two teams that have a long and memorable rivalry.

On offense, the Bucs were led by newcomers Nick Brandenburg and Justin Zakens. When it came to floor leadership, Austin Evans and Nick Quigley made good decisions and distributed the ball effectively, while Patrick Goralski and Jake Kelley were credited with a number of ferocious blocks. Jack Cassidy, Drew Hunt and Ryan Stancavage displayed all-around floor games hitting key buckets, snatching critical rebounds, and slicing through Harundale’s press with deft ball handling.

“We had the benefit of having a core group of these kids together for several years,” added Assistant Coach Dave Hunt. “This year we added Brandenburg, Kelley and Quigley, who brought size, defensive skills, scoring and ball handling to a team that already had talent.”

To reach the championship game, the Bucs defeated a formidable challenger in the first round - Coach Kelly Keys’ Broadneck Bays. The game turned out to be one of the toughest in the squad’s road to glory. The final score, 39-37, indicated how evenly matched these two talented teams were and how valiantly they battled to move to the next round.

Two nights later, the Bucs faced Lake Shore in a battle for local bragging rights. The tough defensive battle ended, 29-26, and, even though the Bucs prevailed, the close score showed just how even the two teams are in terms of talent.

“Both wins were the result of a team effort all the way,” said Coach Hunt. “Our game against Broadneck went to overtime and the game against Lake Shore went down to the wire. We needed every player on the roster.”

Despite the massive remodeling project at Northeast High School, which put the squeeze on the Bucs practice facilities this season, the entire Bucs squad was grateful to the organization, including Dan Hill, for support throughout the season.

“Dan Hill, with support from Dave DeGreenia, does a great job juggling limited resources for practice time. We’re very grateful for the support we get from the Bucs organization,” concluded Cassidy.