Laguna team on way to national tournament

The Laguna Beach boys’ National Junior Basketball sixth-grade boys’

team is in Colorado Springs today and will open play in the

Mid-America Youth Basketball Tournament.

The three day event will conclude Sunday with championship round

play.

The Breakers, who have successfully combined speed and size during

the season, enter the tournament having concluded a successful run at

the State National Junior Basketball Tournament. They also earned a

third-place finish at the Amateur Athletic Union Memorial Day

Tournament held in San Diego where the team posted a 3-1 record.

Laguna, which has practiced twice a week in preparation for the

Mid-America Youth tournament, will compete in the Upper Seventh-Grade

Division.

The Breakers will play a minimum of five tournament games and will

conclude their trip by rafting down the Arkansas River prior to their

return home.

Eight members of the Laguna team have made the trip to Colorado

Springs. They include Casey Finnerty, Dylan McDonald, Ryan Lawler,

John Palfreyman, Ricky Zona, Jack Monroe, Matt Moisen and Bret

Thompson.

Team members Dylan Roley, Bryce Healey and Gabe Stansbury did not

make the trip due to injury or schedule conflicts.

In other basketball action:

Laguna frosh team fourth at Northwood tourney

Laguna Beach High’s boys’ freshman basketball team earned a

fourth-place finish this week at the Northwood Sophomore Tournament.

The Breakers’ freshmen squad held its own against upper-level

competition and scored double-figure victories over the sophomore

teams from Mater Dei and Woodbridge to run their record to 8-0 and

move into the tournament semifinals.

In a tight battle against the sophomore team from Estancia, the

Eagles scored to break a 58-58 tie and went on to hand Laguna its

first loss of the summer season, 66-60.

In the tournament’s third-place game, Santa Margarita’s sophomore

team scored the game’s final six points to pull out a 68-62 win over

the Laguna freshmen.

Laguna, however, bounced back to win its first round game of the

El Toro Summer Frosh Tournament by defeating Laguna Hills, 47-32.

The Breakers’ victory was made even more impressive due to the

fact that the team’s leading scorer, Cheyne Martin, has been moved up

to Laguna’s junior varsity squad.

Prior to entering the Northwood tournament, Laguna won the El

Dorado Frosh Tournament title, then beat El Toro by 25 points and

whipped Dana Hills, 52-19.

With Martin now playing at the junior varsity level, the Breakers’

freshman team consists of point guard Ian Butters, shooting guards

Brian Delino, E.J. Gomez, Chris Hyden, Patrick Curran and Ty Fleming

and inside players Bobby Monroe, Nathan Pickett and Brennan Healy.