Lily Sexton
Staff Writer
Costa students faced off against each other in 3v3 co-ed basketball matches during lunch periods in the small gym from March 28 to April 18. Due to an unexpected shelter-in-place and spring break, the tournament took place over the course of four weeks.
The Laundromats, consisting of juniors Kai Bridges, Dylan Black, Nick Lundy, Chris Layden and Ryan Bui as their coach, came out on top with a score of 11-2 against Sugden on their first day of playing. Their winning streak continued throughout the tournament, taking the championship 15-9 against the Grandview Gators, consisting of sophomore Michael Cormack and juniors Peter Cormack, Will Householter and team captain Chris Tarnay.
“I decided to get a team together because basketball is a really fun sport, even if you are bad at it,” junior Kai Bridges said. “I think we felt pretty confident before our games and competed in every one. I have never played in a competitive tournament for basketball before, just the [recreational] league in elementary and middle school.”
The Grandview Gators battled against the Laundromats in the championship game. They started off strong, keeping pace with the Laundromats, and were able to score a few baskets.
“We prepared for the game by sharpening some jerseys and calling Grandview to ask to borrow their mascot costume as a way to create more energy on the court,” Peter Cormack said. “I was anxious before and after the game because there were a lot of people watching. I gave it my all throughout the tournament, but it was only an intramural game for fun, so I wasn’t [aggressive] about it.”
The Grandview Gators’ coach, junior James Coyne, took control of the sidelines along with assistant coach sophomore Brendan Feng and the team’s mascot, sophomore Ellie Penczar. Juniors Devan Parekh and Oliver Back helped the coaches along the sidelines as well. According to Coyne, Parekh called plays in the moment when it was necessary for the team.
“As a coach, I was kind of just around the team the whole time and then helped them warm up before games,” Coyne said. “I wanted to coach rather than play because I knew the team was going to be super strong. From a coaching standpoint, although being a top seed in the tournament, we were the underdogs, so I’m really proud of everyone for the work we put in, and hopefully we will run it back next year.”
The 3v3 tournament is open to all grade levels and, according to junior Noah Lee, it is wildly popular among Costa students. During the tournament, ASB was able to make $160 by charging $5 per team, allowing them to have prizes for the winners.
“The tournament hasn’t happened since 2018 because we got a new gym and COVID hit,” Lee said. “This year the 3v3 basketball tournament has been really popular compared to the other tournaments that we had this year.”
Lee and co-commissioner senior Kayle Marsh set up the bracket a week before the tournament. According to Lee, the week leading up to the tournament is very busy and involved a lot of planning on the commissioners’ part.
“It can be a difficult job, but my co-commissioner and I did really well setting up the bracket,” Lee said. “Kayle did an amazing job communicating with the athletic director, [Glenn Marx], to make this tournament possible.”
The Laundromats’ top performer, Black, has played on Costa’s varsity basketball team since his freshman year, and he hopes to play Division I basketball in college. Black has been playing basketball since he was three years old, developing a love for the sport.
“After winning the tournament and championship game, I felt phenomenal,” Black said. “Winning to me is a great accomplishment, and I’m glad I was able to do it with my friends.”
According to Bridges, the Laundromats felt the presence of everyone in the gym and on the court, allowing for the adrenaline to kick in for the game.
“After winning, we were excited to have our friends and everyone else celebrating along with us,” Bridges said. “We couldn’t have been happier about the outcome, and being able to play against our friends on the Grandview Gators made the competition even more fun.”
Leave a Reply