DRS vs. TABC
By Judah Rhine
Seventh-Grade Semifinals
YOF over HAFTR. In front of a full crowd in the HAFTR gym, Flatbush faced off in the semifinals for the Yeshiva League Basketball League. This contest was a rematch of a regular-season game where HAFTR had defeated Flatbush by two in overtime. The game started off as a close contest, but Flatbush pulled out to 14–8 lead. In the second quarter, HAFTR started a comeback and closed to deficit to 20–18 at halftime. HAFTR scored the first basket of the second half to tie the score at 20. But then Flatbush went on a 15–3 run to take a 12-point lead after three. In the fourth quarter, HAFTR tried to make a comeback but Flatbush held on for a 53–45 victory. Flatbush was led by Judah Regev with 21 points and Jacob Eliau with 16 points. HAFTR was led by Joseph Kaufman with 13 points and Ben Zarka with 10 points. Flatbush now faces North Shore in the championship game.
North Shore beats MDY 55–32. Aaron Hajibai had 18 and Steven Levian had 17. Game was played at the old Mill Road gym because of a power outage at North Shore.
JV Playoffs
SAR defeats HAFTR50–38, in the JV boys’ basketball quarterfinal matchup. The 12-point differential was misleading as the game was close the entire way until SAR pulled away in the final few minutes. HAFTR overcame an 8-point first-half deficit with a furious rally at the end of the second quarter, giving them a 24–23 halftime lead. SAR charged back in the third and was up 8, only to see HAFTR once again chip away at the deficit. Laniado hit clutch long distance shot after shot for HAFTR and their transition offense was in full gear, led by Kuritzky. But SAR, led by Schwalbe’s 13 points and Oppenheimer’s 9 points and firm control of the offense, took charge in the fourth quarter.
HANC Hurricanes vs. Frisch Cougars. In a quarterfinal matchup vs. a tough and well coached HANC Hurricanes team, the Frisch Cougars overcame a 5-point deficit, securing a gutty and hard-fought victory 55–47. The Cougars came out of the first half trailing by 5 and went on an 8–0 run to start the second half. Twice HANC cut the lead to 1 and each time the Cougars answered with their own run. In the end, the victory was a tough one, but the Cougars will look to their next opponent and challenge the MDY Warriors in the upcoming JV semifinal game at Frisch.
Varsity Playoffs
DRS defeats TABC, 65–37, in Yeshiva League quarterfinal. After a close first quarter, DRS took a 9-point lead at halftime and never looked back, pulling away in the third quarter. Gabriel Leifer led the way, dominating both ends of the court and scoring 30 points. Yoav Deutsch added 15 points for the Wildcats who advance to the semifinals and await the winner of a Frisch–HAFTR quarterfinal matchup.
HS Basketball Playoffs
Boys’ Varsity
Preliminary Round
HAFTR 52, HANC 42
YDE 60, Rambam 50
TABC 35, JEC 23
Hillel 55, SAR 40
Quarterfinal Matchups
DRS 66, TABC 37
Flatbush 56, Hillel 53
YDE at Heschel
HAFTR at Frisch
Boys’ JV
Preliminary Round
HAFTR 54, Flatbush 48
HANC 49, Derech Hatorah 48
TABC 63, Ramaz 50
Maor 55, JEC 45
Quarterfinal Matchups
DRS 63, Maor 34
Frisch 55, HANC 47
MDY 48, TABC 34
SAR 50, HAFTR 38
Semis
SAR at DRS
MDY at Frisch
Girls’ Varsity A
Quarterfinals
Frisch 53, North Shore 21
Bruriah 40, HAFTR 35
Flatbush 53, Hillel 45 OT
SAR 37, Ramaz 12
Semis
Bruriah at Frisch
SAR at Flatbush
Girls’ Varsity B (Women Only)
Ilan at SKA
Bruriah at Shalhevet
Girls’ JV
Quarterfinals
Bruriah 55, Kushner 28
Flatbush 50, Maayanot 38
Ramaz at Frisch
SAR 27, HAFTR 24
Semis
Flatbush at North Shore
SAR at Frisch
Metropolitan Jewish Day School Basketball League
Seventh Grade Boys: Semis
NSHA 55, MDY 32
Flatbush 53, HAFTR 45
Flatbush v. North Shore Championship Game
Boys’ JV: (6th Grade) Semis
#4 NSHA at #1 Flat
#3 HALB at #2 MDY
Boys’ Varsity: (8th Grade)
#3 (DIV1) Flat at #2 (DIV1) YST
#4 (DIV2) NSHA at #1 (DIV2) YCQ
#3 (DIV2) HAFTR at #2 (DIV2) HALB
Lowest remaining DIV2 Seed @ #1(DIV1) MDY
Girls’ JV: (6th Grade)
#4 YHT at #1 Flat (W)
#3 HAFTR (W) at #2 NSHA
Flat vs. HAFTR Championship Game
Girls’ Varsity: (8th Grade)
Play in Game HANC (Win) at Flat
#4 HANC at #1 HAFTR
#3 YHT at #2 NSHA
Women-Only
#4 MDY at #1 YNJ
#3 YCQ at #2 HALB
YU Hockey Team Debut
This is YU’s first year for hockey. They are in the Eastern Conference of the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association. Just about every major university across the country has a team within this league. YU has funded it completely on its own, using a generous donation from a YU supporter. They are in a division with seven other teams; notable teams include Cornell, Vermont U, Niagara U, and St. Joseph’s. YU just finished the regular season 11–0–1, and has the number 1 seed going into the playoffs. Next week taking place in Feasterville Penn. The goalie is a finalist for goalie of the year.
YU To Host 25th Sarachek Invitational
Marking its milestone 25th year, Yeshiva University’s annual Red Sarachek Invitational Basketball Tournament will bring together hundreds of student athletes and their fans from yeshiva high schools across North America for five days of thrilling competition and a community-wide celebration of good sportsmanship and Jewish unity. From March 10–14, 20 elite teams will battle it out at the Max Stern Athletic Center on YU’s Wilf Campus in Washington Heights for the top spot in the country’s most prestigious Jewish high-school basketball competition.
Established to honor the legacy of former YU Maccabees coach Bernard “Red” Sarachek both on and off the court, the tournament will also include a lively Shabbaton and tours of the university’s ever-expanding campus, to help the young all-stars gain an early appreciation for YU’s unique educational environment and culture.
“Coach Sarachek was a larger-than-life figure whose dedication to the Yeshiva University students and the greater Jewish community is well-known. We are thrilled to honor his memory every year by giving high-school students from across the country the full Yeshiva University experience, showing them that only at Yeshiva can a Shabbat-observant college student play competitive NCAA basketball and learn from intellectual giants in all fields of Jewish study and general knowledge,” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, the vice president of university and community life.
Jewish Hall of Fame athlete Tal Brody will be on hand to pay tribute to Coach Sarachek while addressing the students and fans, and will also watch the completion from the sidelines. Israel’s first-ever Ambassador of Goodwill, Brody is world renowned for turning down a shot at playing in the NBA to join Maccabi Tel Aviv, a team he led to the European Cup Basketball Championship in 1977.
Participating schools for this year’s tournament will include Abraham Joshua Heschel School (New York); Atlanta Jewish Academy (Atlanta); Cooper Yeshiva High School (Memphis); DRS Yeshiva High School (Woodmere); Fuchs Mizrachi School (Cleveland); Hebrew Academy of Montreal (Montreal); Ida Crown Jewish Academy (Chicago); Kohelet Yeshiva High School (Philadelphia); Maimonides School (Brookline); Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy (Miami); Rambam Mesivta (Lawrence); Robert M. Beren Academy (Houston); Shalhevet High School (Los Angeles); Southern California Yeshiva High School (San Diego); the Frisch School (Paramus, NJ); Torah Academy of Bergen County (Teaneck, NJ); Valley Torah High School (Valley Village, CA); Yeshiva High School (Boca Raton); Yeshiva University High School of Los Angeles (Los Angeles); and Yeshiva University High School for Boys/Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (New York).
Judah Rhine, who has been coaching youth basketball for more than 35 years, is co-director of MVP Boys Basketball Camp and MVP Girls Basketball Camp and co‑commissioner of the National Council of Young Israel basketball league. He can be reached at mvp4boys@gmail.com or mvp4girls@gmail.com.