Local youth boys’ hoops team wins share of league

The St. Catherine of Siena Parish School seventh- and eighth-grade boys’ basketball team has earned a portion of the league championship.

The Seahawks accomplished the feat Feb. 5 by scoring a 46-28 victory over Saddleback Valley Christian. The win moved St. Catherine’s to 9-1 and tied the team for the league title with St. Edwards of Dana Point.

St. Catherine’s will next play in the Parochial Athletic League tournament, an event that determines the diocese of Orange champion.

“It is essentially a county championship, and if we can get by the first round or two, I think we stand a good chance of doing some real damage,” Coach John Stanton said. Getting by those first two rounds may prove difficult for the squad as the tournament starts during ‘Ski Week,’ and the team will be without three starters and their back-up point guard that week.

Six-foot center Johnny Stanton, forward Stephen Watkins, Timothy Moreno, Noel Smith and Aidan Daley, will make up the Seahawks’ starting line-up for the league tournament. Myles Regan has been promoted from the fifth- and sixth-grade team to round out the squad, John Stanton said.

The basketball title is the third title earned by the school during the 2008-09 school year. In the fall, the girls’ volleyball team won the small schools division at the Parochial Athletic League tournament and the boys’ flag football team went 10-0 in league and 13-1 overall, its only loss coming in the title game of the league tournament.

“” Mike Sciacca