Hot teams open basketball playoffs with upset victories
by Kevin Cassidy
Islander Correspondent
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| Josh Zawistoski drives past Burke McCampbell-Hill during Division II all-star game action at the Center. |
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| Logan Reiber looks for operating room while Burke McCampbell-Hill and Cameron Brauner defend during all-star basketball action at the Center. |
The regular season of the Anna Maria Island Community Center youth basketball league has come to an end and division playoffs are under way. And a couple of hot teams scored upset victories in the opening round of the playoffs in Divisions I and II.
Division I Island Family Physicians closed the regular season with a 38-24 win over Fronius on Feb. 9 and an exciting 47-46 victory over No. 1 seed Dips on Feb. 10. Island Family Physicians, which finished the season in last place with a 4-8 record, came into its playoff game to face Fronius, a team full of confidence. But the Physicians parlayed the game into a 46-18 thumping of the No. 2 seeded team.
The Family Physicians opened the game with a 15-2 scoring run fueled by six points from Zach Guerin and four points from Mallory Kosfeld, and they never looked back. The second half was more of the same. Lee Bergeron poured in 13 of his game-high 15 points as IFP won going away. Daniel Pimental added 11 points for IFP, which also received 10 points from Kosfeld, six from Guerin and four points from Kayla Armer in the playoff victory.
Chris Galati paced Fronius with eight points, while Savannah Schield added six points. Nicole Knies and Jefferson Bachler completed the Fronius scoring with two points each in the season-ending loss.
Island Family Physicians now turns its attention to Dips Ice Cream for the Division I championship game on Feb. 17.
Division I held its all-star game with colors for team names on Feb. 14 and Lime took on Carolina Blue, recording a 38-24 victory. Daniel Pimental paced the Lime team with 18 points, while Max Miller added nine points. Savannah Schield and Denver Hardy each scored four points, while Mallory Kosfeld finished with three points.
Blue received six points apiece from Jerry Meyer and Helio Gomez, while Justin Gargett finished with four points. Isaiah Beaton, Zach Guerin and Johnny Mattay each scored two points to complete the scoring in the loss.
Division II E-Training Solutions was 1-6 and languishing in last place in the standings on Jan. 28, but finished the regular season by winning five straight games to earn the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. E-Training continued its improved play in the opening round of the playoffs on Feb. 14 with a 15-5 victory over Longboat Observer. Blaine Jenefsky scored seven points and Logan Reiber added six points to lead E-T, which also received two points from Bryce Smith in the victory.
Joey Salinas led the Observers with three points, while Chase Lewis added two in the season-ending loss.
The Division II all-star game on Feb. 14 saw Blue edge Green 17-16 behind seven points from Blaine Jenefsky and six points from Joey Salinas. Josh Zawistoski added four points for Blue in the victory.
Cameron Brauner and Jake Parsons each scored four points to lead Green, which also received three points from Burke McCampbell-Hill. Alexia Yavalar and Jacque-Lynn Armer finished with two points, while Mikayla Kane added one point in the loss.
The Division III regular season ended in predictable fashion as No. 1 seed Ross Built easily defeated third-seed Air & Energy 16-6 on Feb. 11, while second-seed Jessie’s Island Store raced past fourth-seed Coastal Orthopedic 21-7 on Feb. 9. The first-round playoff game on Feb. 14 offered no surprises either, as Jessie’s edged A&E 18-14 to advance to the finals. Seth Walter scored seven points and Mickey Koczetsut scored five points to lead Jessie’s. Jean Paul-Russo added four points and Brandon Mills finished with two points in the victory.
Michael Latimer scored six points to lead A&E, which also received four points apiece from Benjamin Calhoun and Tyler Yavalar in the loss.
The Premier Division opening playoff round also offered no surprises. The top two seeds easily held serve and will meet in the finals on Feb. 16.
Top-seeded Rotten Ralph’s opened the Feb. 14 playoff game with a 13-4 scoring run before holding on for a 40-34 victory over fourth-seeded Island Real Estate. Matt Bauer led the way with 21 points, while Daniel Janisch added 11 points. Chandler Hardy chipped in four points, while Christian Hightower and Blake Rivers finished with two points apiece in the victory.
Joe Karasiewicz scored 11 points and Celia Ware added eight points to lead IRE, which also received five points from Chris Pate. Forest Schield and Trevor Bystrom each scored four points and Julian Botero added two to round out the IRE scoring.
The second semifinal game of the day saw second-seed A Paradise Realty race past third-seed Bradenton Prep 51-32 behind a game-high 24 points from Kyle Aritt. Aritt had plenty of support, receiving 13 points from Kyle Seawall and 10 points from Troy Koszewski. Patrick Edwards completed the Paradise scoring with four points in the victory.
Ed Brown scored 24 points to match Aritt’s total, but received little offensive help as the next highest scorer, Robert Gaugenti, who finished with five points. Devin Coulter and Lucky McDonald each finished with two points in the loss.
Premier Division’s all-star game on Feb. 14 saw Lime defeat Blue 46-37 behind a balanced scoring attack led by13 points from Forest Schield and eight points from Troy Koszewski. Matt Bauer, Chris Pate and Kyle Seawall each added six points, while Chandler Hardy finished with three points in the win.
Kyle Aritt led Blue with 10 points, while Joe Karasiewicz added six points. Julian Botero, Daniel Janisch and Erin Dolan each scored four points for Blue in the loss.
Key Royale golf news
The Key Royal Club men played a nine-hole, two-best-balls-of-partners game Feb. 9. The team of Gordon McKinna, Jim Finn, Jerry Brown and Peter Proxy matched the 55 carded by Tom O’Brien, Joe Dickinson, Al Kaiser and Paul Proxy to finish in a tie for first place. Second place also produced a tie between the teams of Ed Havlik, Jim Auch, Earl Richie and Al Morgan and Dick Rowse, Hugh Holmes, Art Doudera and Dick Eichorn. Both teams carded 56s.
The men played an 18-hole, better-ball-of-partners game on Feb. 11 and the team of Earl Huntzinger and Ed Havlik came out on top with a 6-under-par 56. They edged second-place finishers Bob Kral and Hal Sears by one stroke, while Ernie Hauser and Bob Landgren finished in third place with a 58. Bill Gallagher and Don LaTorre, Bob Elliott and Jim Thorton, and Tom Lewis and Chuck Boes each carded 60s to tie for fourth place.
The women and the men teamed up for a “throw-out-the-worst-hole” match on Feb. 13. The team of Jane Winegarden, Tom Warda, Jim Finn and Paulette Proxy carded an 87 to edge second-place finishers Rose Slomba, Pam Alvord, Jerry Brown and Peter Proxy by one stroke. Earl Huntzinger had a chipin on number two to salvage his round.
Horseshoe news
Four teams emerged from pool play during the Feb. 14 horseshoe competition at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. The first semifinal game saw Sam Samuels and John Crawford defeat the team of Ron Pepka and Leo Hutton 21-18. The second semifinal game had Norm Good and Al Norman slip past Tom Skoloda and Mike Lovey 23-18. The finals saw Good- Norman roll past Samuels-Crawford 23-7.
Three teams managed undefeated pool play records on Feb. 11. Gene Bobeldyke and Jim Durrough spanked Sam Samuels and Jim Rush 21-8 to advance to the finals where they defeated Bob Regan and Rod Bussey 23-17.
Play gets under way at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection. There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.
AMICC Basketball League final standings
Premier Division
Team Wins Losses
Rotten Ralph’s 8 4
A Paradise 7 5
Bradenton Prep 5 7
IRE4 8
Division I
Dips8 4
Fronius 6 6
IFP 4 8
Division II
Sand Dollar 11 1
Observer 6 6
E-Training 6 6
Panoramic 3 9
Division III
Ross Built10 2
Jessie’s 9 3
A&E 3 9
Coastal 2 10 |