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Basketball races tightening up

Patrick Edwards drives around Rainia Lardas during the Premier Division championship game at the Anna Maria Island Community Center. islander Photo: Kevin Cassidy

The Anna Maria Island Community Center spring youth basketball season came to a close June 12 with championship games in Division II, Division III and the Premier Division.

The Center gave season-ending, individual awards June 7 for female and male most-valuable players, defensive MVP and sportsmanship.

Thomas Pears earned the sportsmanship award in the Premier Division, while Brandon Gengler is the defensive MVP. Premier MVPs are Rainia Lardas and Kyle Aritt.

Division I sportsmanship winner is Alexia Yavalar and Lauren Sapienza took home the defensive MVP award. Mikayla Kane and Jake Parsons are Division I MVPs.

Ethan Bertrand captured the sportsmanship award for Division II. Moriah Goode took home both the defensive MVP award and the female MVP award. Cameron Brauner earned male MVP.

Division III sportsmanship winner is Maya Sapienza, while Joey Stewart took home the defensive MVP award. Brooke Capparelli and Dylan Joseph are Division III MVPs.

The Gathering Place rolled to a 41-25 victory over Rotten Ralph’s June 12 to take the Premier Division title. Ralph’s had a cold shooting hand and could not keep Kyle Aritt, Chandler Hardy and Jerry Mayer off the boards as they routinely earned second and third shots thanks to some relentless offensive rebounding.

Aritt led the way with 13 points, while Hardy finished with 8 points. Wyatt Hoffman and Mayer both finished with 7 points for The Gathering Place, which also received 4 points from Patrick Edwards and 2 points from Helio Gomez in the victory. Other members of Gathering Place are Denver Hardy, Daniel Doyle and Sheldon Phillips.

Rotten Ralph’s was led by J.T. Goode’s 11 points and Forrest Schield, who finished with 7 points. Daniel Janisch and Blake Rivers added 2 points each, while Brandon Gengler finished with 1 point in the loss.

The Gathering Place advanced to the championship game thanks to a 58-38 romp over Tortilla Bay Club June 10. Kyle Aritt led all scorers with 22 points and Patrick Edwards added 11. Jerry Mayer, Wyatt Hoffman and Chandler Hardy scored 6 points apiece, while Helio Gomez added 5 points in the victory.

Tortilla Bay Club was led by Christian Hightower’s 11 points and 9 points from Kyle Parsons. Daniel Pimental added 8 points, while Travis Belsito and Thomas Pears finished with 6 and 4 points respectively.

Walter & Associates rolled to a 19-6 victory over Ross Built in the Division II championship game as Moriah Goode showed why she won both league and defensive MVP. Goode scored a game-high 16 points, most of them coming on offensive rebound put-backs. Her biggest impact on the game came on defense as she blocked, altered or denied shot after shot from Ross Built. Ross trailed 17-0 before Jake Ross connected on a bank shot from the foul line late in the second half.

Seth Walter scored 3 points to complete the scoring for Walter & Associates in the victory. Other team members are Jordan Cooley, Zachariah Goode, Madison Gunn, Lexi Selleck and Jack Walter.

Ross Built was led by Jake Ross’ 4 points and brother Andrew’s 2 points in the loss.

Walter & Associates advanced to the Division II championship game by squeaking past Beach to Bay Construction 25-23 June 11. Moriah Goode dominated, scoring 20 points to lead all scorers, while Seth Walter added 5 points.

Cameron Brauner led Beach to Bay with 14 points, while Michael Latimer added 9 points in the loss.

Ross Built moved on to the championship game on the strength of a 15-12 victory over Anna Maria Oyster Bar June 10. Jake Ross led the way with 10 points, while Andrew Ross added 4 points. Luke Valadie completed the Ross Built scoring with one point.

Reese Helvey scored 6 points to lead Anna Maria Oyster Bar, which also received 5 points from Bradley Duffman and 1 point from Tyler Yavalar in the loss.

Beach to Bay Construction defeated Bob Vita Lawn Service 23-14 June 10 in Division II playoff action behind 11 points from Cameron Brauner. Michael Latimer added 4 points, while Edward Cullinan, George Lardas, Matt DeNigris-Menger and Dayton Modderman each scored 2 points.

Bob Vita Lawn Service was led by Adam Clark’s 6 points and 3 points apiece from Gavin Sentman and Mikey Ellsworth. Sarah Quattromani scored 2 points to complete the scoring for Vita.

Connie’s Landscaping jumped out to a 8-4 lead in the first half, then held on for an exciting 14-12 victory over the Sandbar in the Division III championship game.

Connie’s extended its lead to 14-6 in the third quarter as Clayton Wilkinson scored 4 points and Dylan Joseph added 2, but the Sandbar staged a furious fourth-quarter rally behind 4 points from Brooke Capparelli and 2 points from Joe Rogers.

Joseph and Wilkinson led Connie’s Landscaping with 6 points apiece, while Truman Carlson finished with 2 points. Other members of Connie’s Landscaping are Luciano Marconi, Leo Rose, Anni Walter and Tori Walter.

Capparelli led the Sandbar with 8 points, while Josh Class and Rogers each finished with 2 points in the loss.

Horseshoe news

Debbie Rhodes and Sam Samuels were the only team to earn three preliminary round victories June 12 and were the day’s outright winners in horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Second place went to Steve Grossman, who walked past Hank Huyghe and Tim Sofran by a 21-13 score.

Two teams emerged from pool play during June 9 horseshoe action. Tim Sofran and Norm Good rolled past John Johnson and Doug Vox 21-17 to earn the day’s bragging rights. Good was on fire, ending two games with “six packs” — double ringers —ending the championship game with 4 points on his final throws.

Key Royale golf news

Members of the Key Royale Club played a nine-hole, best-ball-of-foursome coed match June 11. The team of Jane Winegarden, Earl Huntzinger Matt Behan and Paulette Proxy combined for an 8-under-par 24 to take first place. Second place went to the team of Frankie Smith-Williams, Don Ledford, Jerry Brown and Patricia Proxy with a score of 26.

The men of the Key Royale Club played an 18-hole, better-ball-of-partners game June 9. First place went to the team of Don Ledford and Bob Jorgeson, who combined to card a 10-under-par 54. Bob Kral and Vince Mercadante matched the 58 turned in by Bob Dickinson and Carl Voyles to finish in a tie for second place.

The women played a nine-hole, individual-low-net game June 8. In Flight A, Diane Miller’s 1-under 31 earned her first place by a shot over Joyce Brown. Flight B winners Kris Lanka and Erma McMullen also carded a 1-under-par 31. Jane Winegarden was alone in second place in Flight B with an even-par 32, while Terry Westby took third place with a 33.