Final Varsity Game vs Faith Christian Lions
As we walked into the gym of Faith Christian, the Churchie boys were excited to play their final game in the United States and cap this amazing experience. We were treated wonderfully by our hosts, served a traditional Tex-Mex lunch when we arrived. Despite the the hour or so we spent getting to know the opposing team, when we took the court at 4pm we knew we couldn't be friendly during the game. However we didn't start the game too well, falling down 11-3 as they showcased their 3 point shooting in the first half. We fought back, and the fast paced style took us back to our GPS Premiership winning ways, playing into our hands as we took a slim lead into half time. We saved our best for last, as in the second half we started playing like we know we can. No one could stay in front of our guards, which was creating opportunities for our bigs and shots for our outside shooters. Will as usual stood out being 1 assist from a triple double, Darryl providing great defense and outside shooting and Jason spotting up in his usual corner three position. Jeremy was as consistent and tough as usual, Benee got his tour high scoring 10 points as he played really well. Jordan provided great energy and hustle off the bench as did Ethan who showed great toughness. Captain Sam had a great game, with great defense and rebounding. Congrats to Jason and Sam who played their final game in the blue and grey. It was a great way to finish the tour in front of a big crowd and an awesome way to cap an amazing tour we will never forget.
Many thanks to Mr Goodrick for organizing this fantastic tour.
The team spend today playing paintball and shopping before flying out.
Xavier
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Friday, 20 December 2013
Junior Varsity vs Grapevine Faith High School Match Report:
The mood in the locker room before hand was energetic and somber. A strange combination but everyone was pumped to get a W but it was also our last game of the tour. After such brilliant experiences, everyone was keen to come out and wrap up our tour in style with an excellent game.
Tommy Grant breasted again with 22 points and 11 rebounds. His inside presence has been critical the entirety of the tour and this game was no different. Zac Laird came up with an amazing 6 steals and made great decisions with the ball all game; his lock down defense on #32 who was lighting up the 3's was also absolutely superb. Boston Freestone had 6 offensive rebounds in this game but his total for all the games played would be in the high 30's that's how good boston has been on the O boards. His work down low and defensively tonight, blocking several shots, has been an integral part of our success. Patty Gibney played hard as usual, coming up with 5 steals and 9 rebounds, complimented by his 4 points which does not reflect his impact tonight or this whole tour. Unfortunately, Patty also had another very good block where he smashed another layup attempt into the backboard. This is bad because we all know that Patty will press hard for his 2 blocks to be the highlights of the tour. Anthony White played strong, tough and passive as always tonight, locking down on defense and digging deep. He Initiated the half court offense excellently as always and his smart plays have been crucial this whole tour. Andrew Adams saved his best game for last by making some equisite plays in the half court offense and staying calm whenever the play broke down. His on ball defense has also been consistently awesome and tonight was no exception. Dylan Evans ran the lanes hard and was vocal on defense which has been terrific this tour. Nick Davis brought lights out shooting and chipped in some great patches of defense. Being our stretch 4 man, Nick has been an outside threat this whole tour and he has played well for us. Last but not least, KB. KB was easily best on court tonight because of his 100% effort but also his excellent defensive work to steal several passes and his offensive class tonight with a big 8 points off the bench on 4-5 shooting. This might not seem like a lot of points but each basket was made off a silky smooth play I assure you.
We ended up winning the game 50-38 but it was hard fought until the end as we had to scrap in the last few minutes of the game. We played hard together and we executed in a way that we were happy with as a team which was one of our main goals on this tour.
Karl has been absolutely magnificent all tour long and we have all been very fortunate to play under Karl for this trip. His guidance and his basketball information that he brings to the table has been invaluable for us and we cannot thank him enough. Mitch was our main assistant for the first leg of the tour until Chewie stepped in and provided an equally terrific job to us with both of them offering us their basketball insight which we were able to always utilize.
This tour has been a pleasure to be on and on behalf of the team, I would like to thank Karl, Mitch and Chewie for all they did for us. It was great fun to be over here playing these American teams but we wouldn't have got here without the parents so thank you to all reading this back home.
It's been great fun for me when I've written these reports and I hope everyone back home enjoyed them.
For the last time:
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
The mood in the locker room before hand was energetic and somber. A strange combination but everyone was pumped to get a W but it was also our last game of the tour. After such brilliant experiences, everyone was keen to come out and wrap up our tour in style with an excellent game.
Tommy Grant breasted again with 22 points and 11 rebounds. His inside presence has been critical the entirety of the tour and this game was no different. Zac Laird came up with an amazing 6 steals and made great decisions with the ball all game; his lock down defense on #32 who was lighting up the 3's was also absolutely superb. Boston Freestone had 6 offensive rebounds in this game but his total for all the games played would be in the high 30's that's how good boston has been on the O boards. His work down low and defensively tonight, blocking several shots, has been an integral part of our success. Patty Gibney played hard as usual, coming up with 5 steals and 9 rebounds, complimented by his 4 points which does not reflect his impact tonight or this whole tour. Unfortunately, Patty also had another very good block where he smashed another layup attempt into the backboard. This is bad because we all know that Patty will press hard for his 2 blocks to be the highlights of the tour. Anthony White played strong, tough and passive as always tonight, locking down on defense and digging deep. He Initiated the half court offense excellently as always and his smart plays have been crucial this whole tour. Andrew Adams saved his best game for last by making some equisite plays in the half court offense and staying calm whenever the play broke down. His on ball defense has also been consistently awesome and tonight was no exception. Dylan Evans ran the lanes hard and was vocal on defense which has been terrific this tour. Nick Davis brought lights out shooting and chipped in some great patches of defense. Being our stretch 4 man, Nick has been an outside threat this whole tour and he has played well for us. Last but not least, KB. KB was easily best on court tonight because of his 100% effort but also his excellent defensive work to steal several passes and his offensive class tonight with a big 8 points off the bench on 4-5 shooting. This might not seem like a lot of points but each basket was made off a silky smooth play I assure you.
We ended up winning the game 50-38 but it was hard fought until the end as we had to scrap in the last few minutes of the game. We played hard together and we executed in a way that we were happy with as a team which was one of our main goals on this tour.
Karl has been absolutely magnificent all tour long and we have all been very fortunate to play under Karl for this trip. His guidance and his basketball information that he brings to the table has been invaluable for us and we cannot thank him enough. Mitch was our main assistant for the first leg of the tour until Chewie stepped in and provided an equally terrific job to us with both of them offering us their basketball insight which we were able to always utilize.
This tour has been a pleasure to be on and on behalf of the team, I would like to thank Karl, Mitch and Chewie for all they did for us. It was great fun to be over here playing these American teams but we wouldn't have got here without the parents so thank you to all reading this back home.
It's been great fun for me when I've written these reports and I hope everyone back home enjoyed them.
For the last time:
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
Dallas
Dallas Review
We flew in to Texas Monday morning , pushing aside the fatigue of a 5:15 wake up to play Gods Academy in the afternoon. Both JV and Varsity won their games despite the long day of travel showing the performances. We put aside our tough performances, to really enjoy our day off. We hit up Cowboy Stadium, impressed by the sheer size of the arena, as well as the awesome technology apart of the stadium. In the evening we headed to the Dallas Stars ice hockey game, highlighted by fights that captivated the boys. Wednesday we took a trip into American history, as we visited the Grassy Knoll and the JFK museum. We then caught the bus to St Marks where we participated in a shoot around in preparation for our games. The JV team then played, losing a tough one. The Varsity then took the court, where we experienced our best game of the tour, shooting as a team above 60%. Darryl McDowell-White was in particular hot from outside, knocking down 7 there's for a total of 28 points. William provided the statement with an And-1 alley-oop jam in the final minute. When we thought the day couldn't get better, we were treated to behind the scenes look at the Dallas Mavericks. Thanks to some handy connections we were able to go inside their locker room, look at their training facility and shoot around on their training courts. We were then guided to a box suite for their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. We had a box to ourselves and it was an experience of a lifetime. We then made our way back to St Marks, where we met our billets and were taken to their homes.
Xavier
We flew in to Texas Monday morning , pushing aside the fatigue of a 5:15 wake up to play Gods Academy in the afternoon. Both JV and Varsity won their games despite the long day of travel showing the performances. We put aside our tough performances, to really enjoy our day off. We hit up Cowboy Stadium, impressed by the sheer size of the arena, as well as the awesome technology apart of the stadium. In the evening we headed to the Dallas Stars ice hockey game, highlighted by fights that captivated the boys. Wednesday we took a trip into American history, as we visited the Grassy Knoll and the JFK museum. We then caught the bus to St Marks where we participated in a shoot around in preparation for our games. The JV team then played, losing a tough one. The Varsity then took the court, where we experienced our best game of the tour, shooting as a team above 60%. Darryl McDowell-White was in particular hot from outside, knocking down 7 there's for a total of 28 points. William provided the statement with an And-1 alley-oop jam in the final minute. When we thought the day couldn't get better, we were treated to behind the scenes look at the Dallas Mavericks. Thanks to some handy connections we were able to go inside their locker room, look at their training facility and shoot around on their training courts. We were then guided to a box suite for their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. We had a box to ourselves and it was an experience of a lifetime. We then made our way back to St Marks, where we met our billets and were taken to their homes.
Xavier
Monday, 16 December 2013
REPOST - Tour photo link
Please click on the link below to see a small selection of the photos Karl has taken on the trip so far.
Tour photos link – View Album - "This will be the tour photography post site for the parents. It is private and password protected. Password: vikings2013
Tour photos link – View Album - "This will be the tour photography post site for the parents. It is private and password protected. Password: vikings2013
Friday, 13 December 2013
The tour of the Strip and Recap of today
Yesterday after our tough games against Bishop Gorman, the Churchie boys headed to the infamous Strip for a night tour. The weird and wonderful people opened our eyes to the wonder of the party centre of the world. The shops were on another level also, with MnM stores consisting of 4 levels. Our tour continued to the Bellagio, where we were met by a 'magician', who Sam Mayer continuously to refute his legitimacy. Our night ended when we watched the water show at the Bellagio.
Today we were treated to a morning of retail therapy as fatigue was beginning to overtake the group. The boys all had a great time at the Outlet Mall, the main attractions being the Nike store and Ralph Lauren. In the afternoon we hit the Go Cart track, as Goodrick lived up to smack talk and roared along the track. It was a great day for all, and it was capped of as some attended Jay-Z's concert.
Yesterday after our tough games against Bishop Gorman, the Churchie boys headed to the infamous Strip for a night tour. The weird and wonderful people opened our eyes to the wonder of the party centre of the world. The shops were on another level also, with MnM stores consisting of 4 levels. Our tour continued to the Bellagio, where we were met by a 'magician', who Sam Mayer continuously to refute his legitimacy. Our night ended when we watched the water show at the Bellagio.
Today we were treated to a morning of retail therapy as fatigue was beginning to overtake the group. The boys all had a great time at the Outlet Mall, the main attractions being the Nike store and Ralph Lauren. In the afternoon we hit the Go Cart track, as Goodrick lived up to smack talk and roared along the track. It was a great day for all, and it was capped of as some attended Jay-Z's concert.
Junior Varsity vs Bishop Gorman Freshman/Sophomore Match Report:
Coming off a tough loss to a fellow Australian team at the Impact Clinic on Tuesday, the team was pumped up for a strong outing on our part in terms of effort and execution on the court.
We started out very strong defensively, holding Bishop Gorman to 5 points for the first 6 minutes of the game. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make this opportunity count on the offensive end as a few fumbles and errant passes kept us behind Bishop Gorman for the rest of the first half. We found ourselves down by 24 at half time.
Our 2nd half was considerably better as we tightened the screws even further defensively and started to get out into our transition game and finish in the half court offense. Tommy Grant continued his brilliant form with his dominance in the paint being a crucial factor in our comeback. Boston swatted numerous field goal attempts by Bishop Gorman and pulled down strong offensive rebounds that allowed us second chance points. Zac Laird played the passing lanes well and constantly denied Bishop Gorman easy shot attempts. Patty Gibney played very well especially in the first half when we were struggling by intercepting several passes and finishing on the fastbreak. Unfortunately, Patty also had possibly the biggest block of the tour by smashing an open layup into the backboard during the last quarter. I say this is a bad thing because he is still talking of how brilliant it was. That won't end soon I'm sure. Anthony White was a menace defensively and initiated the half court offense very well. Andrew Adams also contained the ball carrier extremely well and came up with several steals that started the break. Dylan Evans ran the lanes well and had a highlight reel play when he pump faked out a defender and sunk the mid range basket. KB pulled down big defensive rebounds and busted out himself, running the break brilliantly and finishing with some equisite passes for open teammates. Nick Davis was awesome filling the water bottle as he missed this game with a banged up toe.
Despite our first half, the team knuckled down in the 2nd half and brought it back to an 8 point game at one point. However, we weren't able to win this game, going down by 20 points in the end. The team played absolutely awesome in the 2nd half and everyone's commitment and faith in out system was evidenced by our comeback. Even though we didn't win, we were extremely happy with the spirit in which we played and the tenacity and fight which we showed and this is what we will take into out next game.
Final score: Bishop Gorman def Churchie 62-42
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
Coming off a tough loss to a fellow Australian team at the Impact Clinic on Tuesday, the team was pumped up for a strong outing on our part in terms of effort and execution on the court.
We started out very strong defensively, holding Bishop Gorman to 5 points for the first 6 minutes of the game. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make this opportunity count on the offensive end as a few fumbles and errant passes kept us behind Bishop Gorman for the rest of the first half. We found ourselves down by 24 at half time.
Our 2nd half was considerably better as we tightened the screws even further defensively and started to get out into our transition game and finish in the half court offense. Tommy Grant continued his brilliant form with his dominance in the paint being a crucial factor in our comeback. Boston swatted numerous field goal attempts by Bishop Gorman and pulled down strong offensive rebounds that allowed us second chance points. Zac Laird played the passing lanes well and constantly denied Bishop Gorman easy shot attempts. Patty Gibney played very well especially in the first half when we were struggling by intercepting several passes and finishing on the fastbreak. Unfortunately, Patty also had possibly the biggest block of the tour by smashing an open layup into the backboard during the last quarter. I say this is a bad thing because he is still talking of how brilliant it was. That won't end soon I'm sure. Anthony White was a menace defensively and initiated the half court offense very well. Andrew Adams also contained the ball carrier extremely well and came up with several steals that started the break. Dylan Evans ran the lanes well and had a highlight reel play when he pump faked out a defender and sunk the mid range basket. KB pulled down big defensive rebounds and busted out himself, running the break brilliantly and finishing with some equisite passes for open teammates. Nick Davis was awesome filling the water bottle as he missed this game with a banged up toe.
Despite our first half, the team knuckled down in the 2nd half and brought it back to an 8 point game at one point. However, we weren't able to win this game, going down by 20 points in the end. The team played absolutely awesome in the 2nd half and everyone's commitment and faith in out system was evidenced by our comeback. Even though we didn't win, we were extremely happy with the spirit in which we played and the tenacity and fight which we showed and this is what we will take into out next game.
Final score: Bishop Gorman def Churchie 62-42
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
Thursday, 12 December 2013
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Disneyland Recap:
We woke up relatively early and had a buffet breakfast at the hills hotel. As soon as we were done we were off to the happiest place on earth. Note to any families who have never been to Disneyland - wear your most comfortable shoes because it is a 2km walk from the car park just to the entrance of the theme parks!!
We had a walk though downtown Disney, admiring the huge stores and the infamous ESPN Zone. We got to the entrance where Goodrick manfully stood in the never ending line for our tickets for over an hour and we split up into our groups. We were off into the jam packed Disneyland on a Sunday in the winter where the lines were killers and the Star Wars store was incredible. We met back up at 2:30 and switched to California Adventure Park where the rides were crazier and the lines, unbelievably, longer. The Hollywood Tower proved to be a thrill as it gave Dreamworld's Tower of Terror a run for it's money as an epic sudden drop. California Screamin' dazzled us with it's enormity and as per reports given to me - was the best ride of the day.
We met at 7 to end a long but very worthwhile day and had a solid meal of greasy burgers before we checked into the hilton near the airport for our early flight to Las Vegas.
Benny Krieger
We woke up relatively early and had a buffet breakfast at the hills hotel. As soon as we were done we were off to the happiest place on earth. Note to any families who have never been to Disneyland - wear your most comfortable shoes because it is a 2km walk from the car park just to the entrance of the theme parks!!
We had a walk though downtown Disney, admiring the huge stores and the infamous ESPN Zone. We got to the entrance where Goodrick manfully stood in the never ending line for our tickets for over an hour and we split up into our groups. We were off into the jam packed Disneyland on a Sunday in the winter where the lines were killers and the Star Wars store was incredible. We met back up at 2:30 and switched to California Adventure Park where the rides were crazier and the lines, unbelievably, longer. The Hollywood Tower proved to be a thrill as it gave Dreamworld's Tower of Terror a run for it's money as an epic sudden drop. California Screamin' dazzled us with it's enormity and as per reports given to me - was the best ride of the day.
We met at 7 to end a long but very worthwhile day and had a solid meal of greasy burgers before we checked into the hilton near the airport for our early flight to Las Vegas.
Benny Krieger
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Vegas day 2
Recap of Varsity Games- Las Vegas
As you saw from Ben's post earlier, the boys were astonished and excited by the vibe stemming from Las Vegas, especially the infamous Strip. Nonetheless we're straight into game mode, playing one of Impact's best teams, with many of their boys 2-3 years older than the Churchie boys. It was a fast and furious start, as Churchie hang with the sharpshooting Impact team thanks to the use of youth exuberance beating them down the floor in transition. However by the end of the first half, the frenetic pace caught up to the exhausted touring team thanks to out early start. The Impact team had the momentum going into the second half. However the in the second field the boys got their second wind, as we continued to push the pace, and our high speed play and high flying jams wowed the crowd, and showed that us Aussie boys had some game. We can hold our heads up high despite the loss (15 points), and can look forward to the rest our games in Vegas.
Our second game in Vegas was very similar to the first, high speed and explosive offence. Our opponent was another version of the team we played yesterday, boys a couple years older than us. However in the second game of back to back games in the last couple days, the exhaustion from playing so many games, and the lingering sickness hanging around the group, showed as we struggled for energy in the second half. That was until the last few minutes when we got within three with 6 seconds to play.
As you saw from Ben's post earlier, the boys were astonished and excited by the vibe stemming from Las Vegas, especially the infamous Strip. Nonetheless we're straight into game mode, playing one of Impact's best teams, with many of their boys 2-3 years older than the Churchie boys. It was a fast and furious start, as Churchie hang with the sharpshooting Impact team thanks to the use of youth exuberance beating them down the floor in transition. However by the end of the first half, the frenetic pace caught up to the exhausted touring team thanks to out early start. The Impact team had the momentum going into the second half. However the in the second field the boys got their second wind, as we continued to push the pace, and our high speed play and high flying jams wowed the crowd, and showed that us Aussie boys had some game. We can hold our heads up high despite the loss (15 points), and can look forward to the rest our games in Vegas.
Our second game in Vegas was very similar to the first, high speed and explosive offence. Our opponent was another version of the team we played yesterday, boys a couple years older than us. However in the second game of back to back games in the last couple days, the exhaustion from playing so many games, and the lingering sickness hanging around the group, showed as we struggled for energy in the second half. That was until the last few minutes when we got within three with 6 seconds to play.
After spending an action packed day in Disneyland, we drove to the Hilton near the airport where we spent the night. We were up early yesterday for the quick flight in land to Las Vegas. We lost Davis' luggage but it eventually showed up. We stepped out of the terminal and the slot machines were already in front of us!! On our way to The Orleans Hotel (out accommodation for the week), we saw the infamous MGM Grand, Bellagio and New York New York hotels along the strip. Our hotel was a lot bigger than anything we've ever seen and we were blown away by it's enormity and presence in the city.
The varsity team had a game yesterday afternoon and Xavier can give you that match report. We had a buffet dinner and then were straight to bed. This morning we had a sleep in and a 9am breakfast. The JV team had a game against a Victorian team from Australia where we lost in a bad game for all. Watch out for my match report soon. After a genuine pool session we had a quick lunch and were off to watch the varsity game. I'll let Xavier fill you in. Tonight we've got a rest night and we've had a solid dinner to top off a good day. We have a busy day tomorrow.
Greetings to all back home in Australia from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Benny Krieger
The varsity team had a game yesterday afternoon and Xavier can give you that match report. We had a buffet dinner and then were straight to bed. This morning we had a sleep in and a 9am breakfast. The JV team had a game against a Victorian team from Australia where we lost in a bad game for all. Watch out for my match report soon. After a genuine pool session we had a quick lunch and were off to watch the varsity game. I'll let Xavier fill you in. Tonight we've got a rest night and we've had a solid dinner to top off a good day. We have a busy day tomorrow.
Greetings to all back home in Australia from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Benny Krieger
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Friday Review for Varisity
Varsity Day Review
Friday was an action packed day here in Los Angeles as our while schedule was full from dawn to dusk. We began with an early start, waking up at six o'clock that was meet with grunts and mumbling as we prepared for our training session with NAIA division 1 school Concordia Irvine. We were met with an intense skills session, incorporating teamwork and personal skills aspects into the drills, highlighted by the 'relaying' technique Concordia use, which requires everyone to relay the message to the rest of the team. The session really hammered into us the importance of focusing on detail and ensuring the intensity is high the whole time. After we showered and got changed we were given a taste of the college lifestyle, treated to an entertaining chapel service, and lunch at their awesome cafeteria. We were free to sit amongst the students and many of the boys enjoyed chatting to the students about college life. However the most eye-opening aspect of our tour was watching the training session of the Concordia team, which really displayed how hard you have to play, and how dedicated you have to be to play at the next level. We then boarded the bus and headed to the hotel to get ready for our game.
The game against Trubuco Hills was a back and forward affair as both teams experienced big runs. The first half was tight as Churchie ran hard after 2 days off. The second half began poorly for Churchie, as we went from 4 down to 16 down in 7 minutes as Trubuco Hills took the momentum. However Churchie mounted a furious comeback led by the White Brothers, and we got it back to 4. Nonetheless the comeback tired the boys out and couldn't get the lead back. The boys should be proud about their effort, which was as close to the perfect 10 we strive for before each game.
We put the lose behind us, and headed to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. The food was delicious, but the entertainment between Benee and William, and the waitress provided the entertainment for the meal.
After dinner we headed to the Mater Dei vs host team Mission Viejo, which blew away the team. The stadium was packed, the crowd was insane and the player responded with great play. The evening was capped off with the attention we received from American girls, Benee exhibiting his trademark 'game' with the ladies. However Benee was outgamed by William, who was like a magnet for the girls, who were drawn in by his Aussie accent and supposed 'cuteness' he possessed. Will soon lost count of how many kisses on the cheek he received and the amount of girls on his arms.
Xavier
Friday was an action packed day here in Los Angeles as our while schedule was full from dawn to dusk. We began with an early start, waking up at six o'clock that was meet with grunts and mumbling as we prepared for our training session with NAIA division 1 school Concordia Irvine. We were met with an intense skills session, incorporating teamwork and personal skills aspects into the drills, highlighted by the 'relaying' technique Concordia use, which requires everyone to relay the message to the rest of the team. The session really hammered into us the importance of focusing on detail and ensuring the intensity is high the whole time. After we showered and got changed we were given a taste of the college lifestyle, treated to an entertaining chapel service, and lunch at their awesome cafeteria. We were free to sit amongst the students and many of the boys enjoyed chatting to the students about college life. However the most eye-opening aspect of our tour was watching the training session of the Concordia team, which really displayed how hard you have to play, and how dedicated you have to be to play at the next level. We then boarded the bus and headed to the hotel to get ready for our game.
The game against Trubuco Hills was a back and forward affair as both teams experienced big runs. The first half was tight as Churchie ran hard after 2 days off. The second half began poorly for Churchie, as we went from 4 down to 16 down in 7 minutes as Trubuco Hills took the momentum. However Churchie mounted a furious comeback led by the White Brothers, and we got it back to 4. Nonetheless the comeback tired the boys out and couldn't get the lead back. The boys should be proud about their effort, which was as close to the perfect 10 we strive for before each game.
We put the lose behind us, and headed to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. The food was delicious, but the entertainment between Benee and William, and the waitress provided the entertainment for the meal.
After dinner we headed to the Mater Dei vs host team Mission Viejo, which blew away the team. The stadium was packed, the crowd was insane and the player responded with great play. The evening was capped off with the attention we received from American girls, Benee exhibiting his trademark 'game' with the ladies. However Benee was outgamed by William, who was like a magnet for the girls, who were drawn in by his Aussie accent and supposed 'cuteness' he possessed. Will soon lost count of how many kisses on the cheek he received and the amount of girls on his arms.
Xavier
Game 4 Junior Varsity vs Sage Hill Freshman
We won against Sage Hill in our first game and won against their freshman team so we were hoping we could come out and play their Junior Varsity team on Friday night. Unfortunately they couldn't get their JV team out to play so we were up against the same team as Tuesday with some new additions. Nevertheless, Sage Hill were competitive and played with goodwill and sportsmanship until the end.
Tommy Grant was solid as usual on the inside and almost finished a breakaway jam but was fouled - he made both to clinch the play. Patty Gibney also came close to a fastbreak jam but ended up having to lay it up and in when he realized he wasn't high enough. We loved the effort though. Zac Laird played lock down D and initiated many fastbreak opportunities. Andrew Adams stepped into the starting slot to replace Boston who was out sick with a stomach bug and Andy did a good job on offense and defense especially by containing the ball handler on all occasions. Anthony White communicated so well all game and made our offense very organized in the 3rd quarter when Sage changed up their defense. Dylan Evans ran the lanes excellently and scored a ton of fastbreak points by going this. KB played hard as always and came up with tough rebounds and played the break well with nice assists on the outlets and breakaway points. Nick Davis shot down a pair of 3's and imposed himself on the defensive end.
We won this game by around 40 but more importantly, after the game Sage took us out for pizza where we made some good friendships and learnt about life in America first hand. All the players and parents of Sage were terrific people and it was a pleasure to play against them and meet all the parents.
Final Score:
70-32
We won against Sage Hill in our first game and won against their freshman team so we were hoping we could come out and play their Junior Varsity team on Friday night. Unfortunately they couldn't get their JV team out to play so we were up against the same team as Tuesday with some new additions. Nevertheless, Sage Hill were competitive and played with goodwill and sportsmanship until the end.
Tommy Grant was solid as usual on the inside and almost finished a breakaway jam but was fouled - he made both to clinch the play. Patty Gibney also came close to a fastbreak jam but ended up having to lay it up and in when he realized he wasn't high enough. We loved the effort though. Zac Laird played lock down D and initiated many fastbreak opportunities. Andrew Adams stepped into the starting slot to replace Boston who was out sick with a stomach bug and Andy did a good job on offense and defense especially by containing the ball handler on all occasions. Anthony White communicated so well all game and made our offense very organized in the 3rd quarter when Sage changed up their defense. Dylan Evans ran the lanes excellently and scored a ton of fastbreak points by going this. KB played hard as always and came up with tough rebounds and played the break well with nice assists on the outlets and breakaway points. Nick Davis shot down a pair of 3's and imposed himself on the defensive end.
We won this game by around 40 but more importantly, after the game Sage took us out for pizza where we made some good friendships and learnt about life in America first hand. All the players and parents of Sage were terrific people and it was a pleasure to play against them and meet all the parents.
Final Score:
70-32
Friday, 6 December 2013
Junior Varsity vs Mission Viejo JV Game Recap:
Coming off back to back wins, our team was ready for the challenge that we knew Mission Viejo would present. We were also tired though; this game being our 3rd in 3 days. It was going to be a hard fought match from the beginning.
We came out hard and got out to a 10 point lead mainly thanks to Tommy Grant pulling down tough rebounds and traveling coast to coast on several early possessions. Patty Gibney and Zac Laird set the tone on defense as always, with Patty knocking down a two 3's and Zac coming up with lots of steals and fastbreak points. Boston was excellent once again on the inside, battling with their strong and physical No.45. Anthony White was cool and calm off the bench as always and brought in his trademark cheeky defense, sneaking in behind the big men and stealing some excellent opportunities from them. Andrew Adams was lights out again on his shooting and kept us in our offense when it looked like the play was breaking down. Nick Davis was solid with his shot and contributed well defensively by chesting his man and staying in front of him at all times - great work Davis. Dylan Evans provided hustle as usual on the offensive boards and playing lock down defense the duration of the game. James KB was strong and tough and physical in this game and battled doggedly in all his appearances on the court which is an invaluable thing for this team. KB's effort and intensity has been a key part of our success.
Unfortunately, despite me writing up all these excellent things that everyone did, we were not able to win this game. Despite leading by over 10 at one point, Mission Viejo was just too strong in the end as their defense cranked up in the second half and we ran out of legs. Despite this, it was probably out best game in terms of effort and more importantly - it was a terrific learning experience which is the fundamental reason for the tour. Mission Viejo were brilliant hosts and were very friendly, making us feel welcome and bonding with our team in an extension of friendship greatly appreciated by us all.
We play Sage Hill Junior Varsity in 2 hours. Sorry for not posting sooner everyone. Look out for my match report later this afternoon your time.
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Quote of the Day December 5th:
KB: "We bought so many doughnots that we're going to sell them"
Everyone else: "For how much?"
KB: "Well we bought them from $10 so I'm going to sell them at half price. So $6 please."
Shoutout to all the JV parents - it's an early night here in America as we have an early start so I will be writing the match report for the latest JV game tomorrow. Sorry.
Benny Krieger
KB: "We bought so many doughnots that we're going to sell them"
Everyone else: "For how much?"
KB: "Well we bought them from $10 so I'm going to sell them at half price. So $6 please."
Shoutout to all the JV parents - it's an early night here in America as we have an early start so I will be writing the match report for the latest JV game tomorrow. Sorry.
Benny Krieger
Varsity vs Crenshaw Match Report
Our 2nd game of the tour was extremely similar to our first game against Mater Dei, with the opposition being very athletic and talented. However, the Churchie boys arrived ready to play, playing some very aggressive and intense basketball in the first quarter. Shoutout to Ben Volkman who got his first start in his Churchie career, highlighted by some big rebounds. The game was a close affair, as the lead for both teams never got larger than 6. Darryl led the team with 21 points and J-Gouw added 12 with 3 trizzies. Jordan and Ethan provided great energy off the bench after William was forced off the court after a scary fall, thankfully he is alright. Sam added his trademark inside defence and Jeremy was his usual consistent self.
Our 2nd game of the tour was extremely similar to our first game against Mater Dei, with the opposition being very athletic and talented. However, the Churchie boys arrived ready to play, playing some very aggressive and intense basketball in the first quarter. Shoutout to Ben Volkman who got his first start in his Churchie career, highlighted by some big rebounds. The game was a close affair, as the lead for both teams never got larger than 6. Darryl led the team with 21 points and J-Gouw added 12 with 3 trizzies. Jordan and Ethan provided great energy off the bench after William was forced off the court after a scary fall, thankfully he is alright. Sam added his trademark inside defence and Jeremy was his usual consistent self.
Varsity vs Mater Dei Match Report
The anticipation of playing the 3rd ranked team in the country had been mounting for the last few weeks, and the excitement reached a fever pitch when we walked into the stadium and witnessed their formidable team. Despite our nervousness, Varsity's energy and excitement for a monumental challenge pushed it to the side. The first quarter was like a blur, as our energy surprised the 3rd best high school team, as we took an early 11-5 lead. To be leading such a great team in the first quarter, is a great achievement and we should be proud, however Mater Dei soon clicked into action, and scored almost 20 unanswered points. Mater Dei's momentum continued into the 2nd quarter as they pushed their lead out. The second half was a significantly more even affair as the Churchie boys only lost the second half by 10. It was an awesome team effort to compete with elite players, and the game will really set us up well for the rest of the tour, now that we are ready for the style of play in America. The highlights of the game includes William McDowell-White's And-1 jam (17 points), Darryl's offensive flair that includes multiple 3's, and J-Gouw's classic corner 3's. The end score was 89-48.
Xavier
The anticipation of playing the 3rd ranked team in the country had been mounting for the last few weeks, and the excitement reached a fever pitch when we walked into the stadium and witnessed their formidable team. Despite our nervousness, Varsity's energy and excitement for a monumental challenge pushed it to the side. The first quarter was like a blur, as our energy surprised the 3rd best high school team, as we took an early 11-5 lead. To be leading such a great team in the first quarter, is a great achievement and we should be proud, however Mater Dei soon clicked into action, and scored almost 20 unanswered points. Mater Dei's momentum continued into the 2nd quarter as they pushed their lead out. The second half was a significantly more even affair as the Churchie boys only lost the second half by 10. It was an awesome team effort to compete with elite players, and the game will really set us up well for the rest of the tour, now that we are ready for the style of play in America. The highlights of the game includes William McDowell-White's And-1 jam (17 points), Darryl's offensive flair that includes multiple 3's, and J-Gouw's classic corner 3's. The end score was 89-48.
Xavier
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Junior Varsity Game 2 vs El Toro
Our first back to back of our careers was an enjoyable one to say the least. We took the court after enduring Chewie's unbearable swim session the night before, and protein fueled recovery session. Everyone had a restful morning at the hotel.
We knew El Toro would be made of tougher stuff than Sage Hill and we came out of the blocks very hard.
Zac Laird had active hands on D and stole several consecutive possessions by El Toro that led to fastbreak layups for everyone on the team. Tommy Grant followed up his beast game last night with another solid performance even with a sore quad, showing dominance and class on the inside. Boston has been our best in the first two games, scoring basket after basket after basket. His rebounding and defense has been invaluable. Patty Gibney turned in a double double with 10 points and 14 rebounds - 8 of those rebounds being offensive. We won't hear the end of this performance from patty. Nick Davis was big with his shooting all night and continued his impressive defensive run through this game and in the 4th quarter when El Toro was pressing for a win. Anthony White ran the point brilliantly again, steadying the ship in the 4th quarter by slowing the play and allowing us crucial offensive possessions. Dylan Evans played hard again and contributed on the defensive end as always with brilliant lock down D. Andrew Adams brought his lights out shooting and cool head to the court after missing our first game, making some epic offensive plays throughout the game. KB surprised us all with his ball handling and court vision, by busting out off his own rebounding and throwing stunning passes on the break on numerous occasions.
Karl and Mitch made sure that this game it was about us as we wanted again, focusing on our own game and where we needed to improve.
Today's game was a good follow up from last nights game and we all agree that our defense is winning our games at the moment. This is where we can improve by executing on offense.
Final score: Churchie def El Toro 58-36
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
Our first back to back of our careers was an enjoyable one to say the least. We took the court after enduring Chewie's unbearable swim session the night before, and protein fueled recovery session. Everyone had a restful morning at the hotel.
We knew El Toro would be made of tougher stuff than Sage Hill and we came out of the blocks very hard.
Zac Laird had active hands on D and stole several consecutive possessions by El Toro that led to fastbreak layups for everyone on the team. Tommy Grant followed up his beast game last night with another solid performance even with a sore quad, showing dominance and class on the inside. Boston has been our best in the first two games, scoring basket after basket after basket. His rebounding and defense has been invaluable. Patty Gibney turned in a double double with 10 points and 14 rebounds - 8 of those rebounds being offensive. We won't hear the end of this performance from patty. Nick Davis was big with his shooting all night and continued his impressive defensive run through this game and in the 4th quarter when El Toro was pressing for a win. Anthony White ran the point brilliantly again, steadying the ship in the 4th quarter by slowing the play and allowing us crucial offensive possessions. Dylan Evans played hard again and contributed on the defensive end as always with brilliant lock down D. Andrew Adams brought his lights out shooting and cool head to the court after missing our first game, making some epic offensive plays throughout the game. KB surprised us all with his ball handling and court vision, by busting out off his own rebounding and throwing stunning passes on the break on numerous occasions.
Karl and Mitch made sure that this game it was about us as we wanted again, focusing on our own game and where we needed to improve.
Today's game was a good follow up from last nights game and we all agree that our defense is winning our games at the moment. This is where we can improve by executing on offense.
Final score: Churchie def El Toro 58-36
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWQPkFETgeI&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Link for the Varsity vs Mater Dei game for all parents.
Link for the Varsity vs Mater Dei game for all parents.
Tuesday, 3 December 2013
Junior Varsity Game 1 Recap:
Coming up against Sage Hill High School, the boys and I were stunned when we drove into the school grounds by the huge buildings and unbelievable view of LA. We walked into the stadium and were massively impressed by the state of the art court and facilities at Sage Hill.
After the game outline and rev up from Karl and Mitch, the game was underway. We jumped out to an early lead and held it for the remainder of the game. Tommy Grant was a beast inside as usual, asserting his dominance inside the paint. Boston was excellent with brilliant FT% and strong offensive rebounds that allowed as a ton of second chance points. Zac Laird was his speedy self and came up with numerous steals on the defensive end, finishing with delicious passes to finish the fast breaks. Patty Gibney locked down defensively in the second half and steadied the ship in the 3rd quarter after a few rough possessions. Anthony White was talkative as always and provided good leadership, contributing as always on the defensive end, with steals and pressure D. Dylan Evans was solid in his game and hustled after every ball - particularly off our own misses, getting to the line after strong plays to the hoop. Nick Davis surprised us all with his outstanding defensive contribution and it paid off for him on the offensive end where he played fantastically all game long. James KB offered one of the highlights of the tour in the 3rd quarter. KB stole the ball on three consecutive defensive possessions, finishing on the break in the first two and adding an assist to Dylan on the last one. Absolutely superb stuff from the big fella. Unfortunately, Andrew Adams went down with a stomach bug early in the 1st and had to sit out the rest of the game. His shooting was missed in this game and we look forward to seeing him next game.
Karl and Mitch were intuitive and insightful as always and as a team, we know how we are going to improve next game.
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
Coming up against Sage Hill High School, the boys and I were stunned when we drove into the school grounds by the huge buildings and unbelievable view of LA. We walked into the stadium and were massively impressed by the state of the art court and facilities at Sage Hill.
After the game outline and rev up from Karl and Mitch, the game was underway. We jumped out to an early lead and held it for the remainder of the game. Tommy Grant was a beast inside as usual, asserting his dominance inside the paint. Boston was excellent with brilliant FT% and strong offensive rebounds that allowed as a ton of second chance points. Zac Laird was his speedy self and came up with numerous steals on the defensive end, finishing with delicious passes to finish the fast breaks. Patty Gibney locked down defensively in the second half and steadied the ship in the 3rd quarter after a few rough possessions. Anthony White was talkative as always and provided good leadership, contributing as always on the defensive end, with steals and pressure D. Dylan Evans was solid in his game and hustled after every ball - particularly off our own misses, getting to the line after strong plays to the hoop. Nick Davis surprised us all with his outstanding defensive contribution and it paid off for him on the offensive end where he played fantastically all game long. James KB offered one of the highlights of the tour in the 3rd quarter. KB stole the ball on three consecutive defensive possessions, finishing on the break in the first two and adding an assist to Dylan on the last one. Absolutely superb stuff from the big fella. Unfortunately, Andrew Adams went down with a stomach bug early in the 1st and had to sit out the rest of the game. His shooting was missed in this game and we look forward to seeing him next game.
Karl and Mitch were intuitive and insightful as always and as a team, we know how we are going to improve next game.
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
Days 1 and 2 Recap
After a long but very worthwhile flight, the Varsity and JV teams stepped out into Los Angeles. We managed to survive Mr Bateson, Karl's and Mr Goodrick's driving in the crowded LA transit and went down to Hollywood Boulevard. KB managed to get hustled into buying a $5 CD on the street and we bought a satisfying lunch after a long morning. We blasted off to the Clippers vs Pacers game at the staples centre in what I'm sure all boys will remember as a highlight of the tour. The atmosphere was electric and the game went right down to the wire. Pacers won by 5. We checked into our hotel at Santa Monica and after a walk on the pier we smashed out dinner and were straight to bed.
Day 2 highlighted Anthony befriending Stanley Johnson as Darryl and Will did a good job containing the 9th best high-school player in the nation in the Varsity team's first game. After waking up to Chewie's beautiful choice in breakfast, we checked into Olvera Street where we had another Mexican lunch. Karl bought his sombrero and we were off to Anaheim. We had a short rest and then the game began against Mater Dei - the 2nd best high school team in the US. Ill let Xavier give you the match report for the game. We were home in bed by 11 and that marked the end of day 2.
I write to all the parents, teachers and friends of churchie back home from the Varsity team's second game for the trip. They are currently winning by 1, 60-59 with 3:45 left in the 4th. Xavier will fill everyone in later. Everyone is having a brilliant time and the jetlag fatigue is over. Apologies for the lack of posts on here. Goodrick and I were trying to figure out the gist of the blog. It's 4:48pm over here but 10:48am back home so I'm hoping everyone is reading this right now.
The Junior Varsity team has our first game tonight and Anthony White has asked me to pre-inform you of his 50 point game tonight. Somehow, I don't think that'll happen but look out for my match report on the game later this afternoon your time.
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
Day 2 highlighted Anthony befriending Stanley Johnson as Darryl and Will did a good job containing the 9th best high-school player in the nation in the Varsity team's first game. After waking up to Chewie's beautiful choice in breakfast, we checked into Olvera Street where we had another Mexican lunch. Karl bought his sombrero and we were off to Anaheim. We had a short rest and then the game began against Mater Dei - the 2nd best high school team in the US. Ill let Xavier give you the match report for the game. We were home in bed by 11 and that marked the end of day 2.
I write to all the parents, teachers and friends of churchie back home from the Varsity team's second game for the trip. They are currently winning by 1, 60-59 with 3:45 left in the 4th. Xavier will fill everyone in later. Everyone is having a brilliant time and the jetlag fatigue is over. Apologies for the lack of posts on here. Goodrick and I were trying to figure out the gist of the blog. It's 4:48pm over here but 10:48am back home so I'm hoping everyone is reading this right now.
The Junior Varsity team has our first game tonight and Anthony White has asked me to pre-inform you of his 50 point game tonight. Somehow, I don't think that'll happen but look out for my match report on the game later this afternoon your time.
Yours truly,
Ben Krieger
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Friday, 1 November 2013
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