Unity Campus News
Simply amazing! There is no other way to describe the experiences of the boys' basketball team as they competed in the annual district tournament on Saturday, March 1. The team tied their first game against Smithville and than cruised through the rest of the tournament winning the next 4 games. That set us up for a rematch with Smithville in the championship game. We got off to a terrible start and had managed only a single point at half time. At one point we were losing 14-1! Needless to say, the guys were upset and dejected. We knew that we were a better team than we were showing, but things just weren't going well. After a time out, the fellas picked up the pace with our Brooklyn Press (basketball talk meaning we were going to pressure the other team into making mistakes). Slowly but surely we closed the gap and with just a couple minutes remaining in the game, we went ahead - jubilation on the bench. With the seconds winding down, we scored an insurance basket and won the game 19-16. Pandemonium broke out on the bench and in the stands! The team came back from a seemingly impossible deficit to claim the district championship. Simply amazing! ~Coach Boonstra
I really enjoyed coaching you guys. I've seen a lot of basketball in my years, and I would say that Saturday's final was one of the best examples of a team regrouping for a fantastic comeback that I've ever seen. Your celebration at the buzzer is something that will stick with me!
Tom - Thanks for your leadership, and making it count when you needed to.
Matt - You overcame some injuries and stood up and made it happen.
Jesse - You developed into a key component, and upped your game by listening, learning, adapting and then leading.
Nick - Thanks for you hard work and leadership. Good strong play that we could not have done without, especially the final!
Marcus - Great leadership and a great sense of dedication to a positive mood on our team. Great play calling and aggressive Defense.
Josh - Outstanding work ethic and great shooting in the tournament. I really enjoyed how you want to learn and improve (and foul out if needed!).
Jacob - Way to step up and be a big part of the final. Your energy and heads-up play makes you great player, and a great point guard when we needed you.
Matt K - Great improvement in the 3 weeks we had. Tough defence and a willingness to adapt to the situations, and going hard to the bucket!
Noah - Great rebounding when we needed it, good outlet passes, and some buckets. It was great to see you pick up skills and use your muscle on the boards.
Dylan - Love your enthusiasm - "hey coach, can I go in?" Scoring buckets, finding the point guard to pass to, and running the plays.
Justin - Way to step up - including duty at point guard. Keep improving your game and your feel for the whole court.
Travis - Great season - especially the tournament hosted by HDCH. Missed you big time at the Niagara tournament.
Mr Boonstra and I received many compliments about our play and how we handled the different situations (not just from your loving parents who would probably cheer an airball!) but from coaches and referees who have seen a lot of basketball. That we can put that together in just several weeks speaks to your hard work and dedication. Keep playing, keep working, and most of all keep enjoying this gift of sports that we receive from God!
Thanks for the card and the Tim's card, and thanks for sharing your love of the game of basketball, and high five Mr. Boonstra now and again!
~ Coach Rob Brouwer
