Knicks rally

After a 1-3 start to the season, the Boys & Girls Club fourth-grade

division Knicks basketball team rallied the remainder of the season

and finished division champions after a 25-22 victory over the

Celtics.

Jake Wyatt, Shannon Griffin and Ryan Griffin led the team in the

championship game and helped the Knicks finish the season 10-3. The

Knicks defeated the Rockets, 42-41, in the semifinals, with Ryan

Griffin scoring the game-winning layup.

Rob Rosenast and Jeff Lloyd led the Rockets, while Drew Olson and

Blake Motal led the Celtics.

NJB team continues

* The National Junior Basketball Newport-Mesa eighth-grade boys

all-star team won all of its games in the recent sectional

eliminations and will move on to the national tournament April 15-17.

After suffering its only defeat to Long Beach in area pool play,

Newport-Mesa avenged the loss in the sectionals with stepped-up

perimeter defense and rugged inside play.

Cameron Chase, John Doering, Josh Fletcher and Austin Schmidt

applied nonstop pressure to shut down the Long Beach outside

shooters. Newport-Mesa controlled the boards at both ends of the

floor with its rotating front line of Steve Gallian, Ned Lyon, Jeff

Allee, Dan Moscovits and Nick Pederson. The team is coached by Mike

Magpayo and Michael Galindo.