PRE-NACBA Tournament Info
STILL TO COME:
Hoopsville July 4th Juvenile Invitational information
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Jeremiah Valmadrid – Height: 5′7, POS: PG, AGE: 16 (Scarborough Falcons/GMA Pinoy TV Toronto Allstar team)  General J.Henry. Jeremiah “J.Henry” Valmadrid (Scarborough Falcons/GMA Pinoy TV Toronto Allstars) Height: 5′7, POS: PG, AGE: 16
 On the drive. Aside from being a court General and a loyal soldier to the Scarborough Falcons, Jeremiah is the Scarborough representative for RiseOfTheSon, and has come a long way to reach where he is today. A player whom all coaches could depend on to get the job done. Using his speed, his quickness and his relentlessness, Jeremiah is one of the poster point guards of the Greater Toronto Area. HIs ability to breakdown defenses and distribute the ball makes him a valuable asset to any team. A player with a strong 1st step and controlled agility adds to his arsenal of attributes as a point guard. He’s also a committed lock-up defender and has been assigned some of the toughest defensive objectives with the star power he’s gone up against with the likes of Kevin Ramos, Jenno Almasol, & Chris Baltazar to name a few. He’s been making several appearances at NABA and has always gotten his team onto the 2nd day. In NABA 2008, he lead his Falcons to 2nd place, losing to AJ Pizon and North Jersey in the Junior division. He plays for his Provincial Roadrunners team, is also a selected player to play for the Toronto Dreamteam of the GMA Pinoy TV Allstars and lastly, is an NYCE (NYC Elite) Toronto representative. A young prospect, Jeremiah will be huge for any open team in the future and is always a joy to watch as a fan.
 Jeremiah with the Toronto GMA Allstar Dreamteam.
“I’ve guarded Norman (Penola) and AJ, and between both, AJ’s given me more problems” – Anonymous
 AJ, Norman Penola and James Forrester = Top of Toronto's class. When you’re filipino, you find yourself saying; Man if i had that dudes height id be driving on everybody, dunking off the wall, lockin everyone up.” Everyone says if they had some height and athleticism they would work their asses off on the court, rarely do we see that. I have. Those that play in the FABA tournament or know what teams were in NABA before the split, you know about the Toronto Team 25forlife. They like many others are tired of the politics involved with filipino basketball, lets face it theres politics all over. So in 2008, they started the Unity Cup tournament. Set for the 4th of July weekend this tournament was meant to showcase some of the top open teams in the asian community, the few that made the trip were Chicago Rambo-Supreme, the Toronto Dragons and select teams from the east coast. Playing in this tournament I saw there was some serious talent, especially on the 25forlife team. They boasted two young and talented players, one a youtube sensation named James Forrester who had all the dunks this side of Rudy Gay and one relatively un known player. Everyone at the gym was excited to see the high flying toronto team, but one of their dunkers had a game that translates to the hardwood and not just a highlight reel. At 6’1” with a 6’4”wingspan AJ Serjue was the most impressive player at the tournament. His lightning quick crossover and blinding Leandro Barbosa speed was only out shined by his desire on defense. Combining his length with his hustle and athleticism he formed a wall at halfcourt for any team. In addition to that it was impossible for teams to keep him out of the lane. In the championship game the Toronto Kagers looked like a home made blanket and AJ was weaving through them. So they layed off of him and he wasn’t finished, he has range. To close out the weekend, AJ added the MVP trophy to his resume and took home a wilson evolutionbasketball (the mvp trophy, fitting to say the least). AJ has never played in a junior/juvenile division electing to always play open with his other wunderkind cousin James who have both had major success. Playing for the Senecca Sting they continue to put in the work and its safe to say AJ has much more ahead of him in basketball, and not just filipino hoops .  Fierce, passionate, committed.
Some people go out there to score, and play defense on the way. AJ is out there to stop people, and will score some points as a side dish. Peep AJ’s 25forLife (Toronto) player profile, in the NEW BLOOD section of their website: http://www.25forlifebasketball.com/Newblood.html (new official introduction article: “Cable Guy” of Chicago)  Pic explains it all NABA Scarborough 2009, Day TWO. Junior Division Quarter Finals set up an epic matchup between NABA Junior Division Powerhouses, North Jersey and Dolce-Toronto. North Jersey, who had won the Central Jersey Kalahi Juvenile Summer league, and Boston MASAE Summer invitational, collided with the super star veterans of Dolce Toronto, whom featured players from the GMA Pinoy TV Toronto Dreamteam, and Sultan allstars as well as players from past NABA Championship teams. Pictured above is Chris Baltazar, taking a breather during the North Jersey-Toronto battle, where the game exceeded to four overtimes, a first in NABA Junior division history according to High NABA Officer, Dr. Sonny Albano. Prior to the quarter final, North Jersey defeated Winnipeg (42-35) in their first game, then North York (54-38) in their 2nd game, while Dolce Toronto smashed Detroit (72-23) in their tournament opener, then defeating cross-town rival, Scarborough Falcons, in their 2nd game 61-43. North Jersey went on to win the Junior division, completing their mission of repeating their NABA 2008 Junior division championship, as well as a sweep of their season. Dolce-Toronto went on to lose to Scarborough immediately following their battle with North Jersey. They will be looking to regroup, being reinforced by the Dolce-Toronto Bantam team that won the NABA 2009 Bantan Division. Photo taken by top RiseOfTheSon Toronto officer, the lovely Anna Bediones. Jenno Almasol (North York/Lakan/GMA Pinoy TV Toronto Allstars)  An offensive nightmare for opposing teams. Jenno Almasol (North York/Lakan/GMA Pinoy TV Toronto Allstars) Height: 5′7, POS: PG/SG, AGE: 16
A RiseOfTheSon Officer and Toronto representative, RiseOfTheSon hierarchy officials have seen this athlete since his childhood days when he would light up the courts of Staten Island back in NABA 2005. He’s only grown to become one of the premiere guards of the Greater Toronto Area and is one of the poster boy faces of the NABA intercity tournament. Quick, swift, smooth and a crossover-spin combo move that makes him different from the rest, Jenno is also a crowd favorite as he always puts on a show on them good days. Since he was young, Jenno has always had that touch from behind the arc, nearing almost NBA range. Once he gets into a rhythm he’s a nightmare for opposing teams. Jenno’s closest outcome to a championship in NABA was his 2nd place outing back in NABA Toronto 2007. He’s apart of the GMA Pinoy TV Junior Allstar Dreamteam and is also a Canadian representative to the still undefeated NYCE (NYC Elite) Metro Allstar team. He’s also been seen playing for Grassroots who have been one of the stronger Provincial teams in eastern Canada. To top off his basketball accolades, Jenno plays varsity for Notre Dame HS, where he shared the court with Fil-Can legend Norman Penola and Russ Lagman. Young but ahead of the average point guards his age, Jenno has potential to be one of the top open prospects in the years to come. Whenever you get the chance to see him play, take it!
Nikko Guirao (JSAG/NorthJersey/ SWAT)
 Hoopsville Men's League Young Gun: NIKKO GUIRAO Nikko “The Rhino” Guirao (New Jersey/SWAT) Height: 5′9, POS: SG/PG, AGE: 16
 Jersey Shore MVP His nickname speaks for himself. A Rhino, wrecking ball, a tank. Nikko has emerged as one of the top young guns in the NY-NJ Metro areas. Its his strength and ability to score that make him a threat to opposing teams. A player to build around and a player to utilize in forming championship teams. Nikko’s offense varies from his shooting touch from different angles, his ability to break down defenses driving into the lane, and his ability to score at will all around the paint area. His court awareness adds to his offensive arsenal as he’s a legit passer and has a high assist:turnover ratio for an shooting guard. Aside his tank-like strength, he adds to his athleticism with his leaping ability with his 200+ pnd body frame. With good timing off the vert and the usage of his long wingspan, his vertical leap is above the average. He’s been seen playing for SWAT in Hoopsville’s Amateur Men’s  North Jersey Knight league for the passed few seasons, and has made his mark at NABA being the leader of JSAG’s bantam and junior teams from NABA 2007 to NABA 2009. A beast on the court and a gentlemen off, Nikko’s ranks are up there with the likes of Carlo DeChavez, and AJ Pizon from New Jersey. Keep your eyes and ears open for this baller as he’ll be making some serious noise in 2010. Chris Baltazar (Dolce-Toronto/GMA Pinoy TV Toronto Allstars)  GTA standout: Chris Baltazar Chris Baltazar (Dolce-Toronto/GMA Pinoy TV Toronto Allstars)  Suave. Smooth, savvy and clutch. A prized player with several titles under his belt on the Toronto circuit as well as Labour Day Intercity scene, Chris is amongst the finest at his position in his age range. He brings shooting from from all ranges, the ability to handle the ball, and makes dribble penetration look easy. Aside from his offensive capabilities, he’s a strong weakside defender and can be a lethal on ball defender with the combination of his quickness and his wingspan. Another player with a consistent simple and laid back expression, Chris is easily one of the top guards in all of the GTA. In NABA NY 2005, Chris helped Brampton FAAB capture the Peewee division championship. In FBA-Toronto 2006, Chris helped the legendary Phil-Can Toronto Peewee team win the peewee division Championship. In NABA Toronto 2007, Chris was apart of the stacked Dolce-Toronto Bantam team that defended their home turf and won the Bantam division championship. Those are a few of his accomplishments in the Filipino Intercity scene, where he was always either the 2nd, 3rd or in some instances, the main scorer of his team. Majority of the time, Chris’ teams are championship contenders. Whenever you get the opportunity, take the chance to peep this kid’s skills. Purely suave.  Too easy. Mike Palacios (SIPAG/NYCE)
 Mike winning championship with NYCE'09
Mike Palacios (SIPAG/NYCE) Mike Palacios is the perfect player to depict a Silent Assassin. Growing up with a basketball in his hand, he’s been through every war on the court, winning and losing every type of game out there. It’s what Mike has done to help win those games, and what he’s done to contribute to his team in tough losses that make him one of the prized players his age in the NY-NJ Metro area. Aside from his ability to score in bunches and help on the scoreboard he also can throw up numbers that don’t show up on the stat sheets.  Running Point Guard. His guard skills on offense range from being able to handle the ball, to his unlimited range being able to pull up from mid-range to beyond the arc. What adds to his arsenal is his ability to play both posts. Trained as a forward for the early part of his career, Mike has natural rebounding abilities. The kind of player coaches value as he’s consistent with performing the simple art of boxing out on every rebound attempt. His game doesn’t stop there as he’s also a strong defender when he’s committed to it. RiseOfTheSon has witnessed Mike lock up top notch scorers, whether they were quick guards, or strong postmen, he can defend the 1-2-3-4-5 on any assignment.  MIke with NYCE Dream in the Hoopsville MENS League. A player with an IQ as high as his love for the game, Mike has been seen playing for numerous teams in his young career, being raised by basketball fanatics, his father and older brother, Marco and Marc Palacios, trained by the legendary SIPAG organization, the NYCE (NYC Elite) NY-NJ Metro Allstar Select team, nationally ranked TLC, the popular Hoopsville-New Jersey men’s team just to name a few. The best aspect of him is his youth, as he is still developing mentally and physically. With more advanced training and teaching, Mike can reach his prime at a young age and accomplish more than he ever imagined. Keep your eye out for Michael Palacios. Chris Rajandran (Montreal-Marquis)  Montreal Marquis Juniors '09 Court General: Chris Rajandran Chris Rajandran (Montreal-Marquis)  Chris vs. Fil-Am Phenom AJ Pizon of North Jersey, Championship Showdown. Smooth. Chris has been spotted in the Filipino Inter-City for quite some time playing for the NABA powerhouse of Montreal-Marquis in his age division. A player who could easily be the go-to guy, he helped Ryan Agana and Montreal Marquis achieve 2nd place in the Junior division in the most recent NABA 2009 tournament in Scarborough this past Labor Day weekend. He earned RiseOfTheSon All Junior 1st team honors as point guard. Chris is the type of player that makes tough shots look easy, while keeping all his moves simple. A consistent shooter that can pull from any range, he can also score driving to the basket. Don’t be fooled by his laid back, quiet and humble expression, because he’s aggressive and hungry at the same time. Chris has emerged as one of the top guards in the Filipino basketball scene in Quebec and makes any team a legitimate contender. This is definitely not going to be the first or last time you will hear about Chris Rajandran, stay tuned onto RiseOfTheSon for news articles and player updates! NABA 2009 SCARBOROUGH: Junior Division
RiseOfTheSon Pre-NABA Power Rankings: 1- Dolce Toronto
Official Outcome: 2 game appearence: 3 game appearance: 4 game appearances: Top Contenders: It was a weekend of well rounded strong competition. Amongst the strongest the NABA Junior division has seen in quite some time. Speed, strength, skill and lots of heart, the Junior division filled in the most teams at this year’s NABA with 15 teams, where at least half of the teams were considered contenders for the NABA Championship. RiseOfTheSon predicted 3 correctly out of the top 5 Pre-NABA rankings correctly. Let’s get straight to it, as the lottery paired up 14 of the 15 teams with Scarborough getting the home turf bye. The first games of the Junior division were played at 12:30pm at the Hoopdome on the Saturday of NABA. Durham faced off with Washington D.C., Winnipeg 2 played contender Montreal-Marquis, Brampton-FAAB was to face JSAG-Jersey Shore and the York Angiels were to face Glendale Heights-Chicago. All the games tipped off all at the same time on the 4 standard sized courts at the Hoopdome, and it was a great way to get things started. Most of the power house teams watched the strongest of the teams facing off, with Winnipeg-Loralee 2 vs. Montreal-Marquis on court 2.  Montreal Marquis vs. Winnipeg Loralee Both Winnipeg-Loralee and Montreal-Marquis were hands down the biggest teams of the division, sporting 6fters and guards ranging in the 5’8-5’10 area. Winnipeg-Loralee brought strong intensity, and was the biggest team of the Junior division. Right off the bat, they played man-to-man but Montreal sported a lineup of NABA experienced players that matched their opponent’s intensity. It was also a nice square off between Junior division standouts, Cash Blanca of Winnipeg and Ryan Erwin Agana of Montreal-Marquis. A close game in the beginning, when Montreal found their comfort zone, made stops and went on a few scoring runs to put them ahead to win the game 65-54. On the adjacent court, was the game between Durham and Washington D.C. on court 1. Both were ranked low on the Pre-Rankings and it was proven right as both teams didn’t really show much contention to be a top team. Nonetheless, both teams brought that hunger and made the game exciting for the NABA community as both teams exchanged leads throughout the game. Durham sported Gabe Alamag and Ihsan Pe Benito, both of whom played for the North York 2008 Bantam Championship team. Washington D.C. sent a team of virtually all role players with maybe one or 2 exceptions of being  Durham's Gabriel A. on the drive vs. Washington D.C. Junior division standouts. Both were fairly even in size but also lacked the talent to be a strong contender in the division, as Durham fell to Washington D.C. 52-44. On the other side, at Court 3, was the game between the York Angiels and Glendale Heights. Like Durham and Washington D.C., both teams lacked talent but sported competitive ballers that were eager to play. Glendale Heights sported a lineup with size, and what decided their fate was the lack of a bench. Glendale’s best player was point guard Carmelo, and he did all he could to keep his team alive. On the other hand, York sported a team with high intensity, but lacked a real standout to build a team around. Their team chemistry though pulled them passed Glendale as they won 48-40.  Glendale Heights-Chicago vs. York Angiels To finish off the Junior division opening games was the game between Jersey Shore and Brampton. RiseOfTheSon picked JSAG over Brampton as they sported an experienced starting five and one of the 3 biggest players in the Junior division, with Andy Harris standing out 6’4, as well as player standout Nikko “The Rhino” Guirao. Brampton-FAAB showcased a team of players that matched JSAG’s intensity despite being the smaller team. They used their speed, agility and shooting touch to make the game interesting as the game was close the 1st half. In the 2nd half, JSAG couldn’t find score in some instances of a Brampton-FAAB run and Brampton held off the team from Jersey Shore, with RiseOfTheSon considering the game as an upset.  JSAG-Jersey Shore vs. Brampton-FAAB We move up to 1:40, where the games of North York vs. SIPAG on court 1, as well as #1 ranked Dolce-Toronto vs. Detroit on court 2 were going to take place. North York and SIPAG’s history in this age group went back to NABA 2007, when North York’s bantam team, lead by court general, Jenno Almasol, sent Carlo DeChavez and his SIPAG team to the loser’s bracket back in the Bantam Division. In NABA 2008, SIPAG’s only losses in the Bantam  Rivalry dating back to NABA Chicago 2006, Carlo vs. Jerome division came to North York, via buzzer beater in pool play and then in the Championship game, with Jason Lomboy leading the charge for North York. This year, in the Junior division Carlo squared off with his longtime rival, Jerome Yumul, with their matchup dating back to NABA 2006, in their Peewee days when Jerome played for Lakan-Etobicoke, and defeated Carlo in the Peewee division championship. In 4 games, since 2006, Carlo has yet to defeat Jerome. The North York/SIPAG game started out close, with the marquee match up being Jerome ‘The Tank’ Yumul vs. Carlo ‘Big Black’ DeChavez, always a crowd favorite. SIPAG held their own the whole game vs. the experienced North York lineup, lead by Jenno Almasol, Jerome, Cyle Egamino, Jack Medina and RJ Beloso. SIPAG’s team chemistry between their rotating players of Carlo, young gun John Alovera, Dan Jamison, the Quiros twins, Martin Manomat, EJ “Big Baby” Sampang and veteran John Labrador made the game very interesting and was staging a chance to defeat the #4 ranked North York. Late in the game, North York left their core players in and pushed the lead to double digits and held off the blue & orange of SIPAG defeating them 57-50. Over to court 2, with the #1 ranked team facing off with unranked Detroit. Right off the bat, the intimidation of Dolce’s presence got the best of the Detroit ballers. Dolce-Toronto jumped to an early lead and never looked back, as the core of Chris Baltazar, Jenzan Calaoa, AC Hagoriles and Toronto Allstar, Kevin Ramos as well as their supporting cast looked to make a strong run for a championship. Toronto defeated Detroit 72-23.  Dolce-Toronto vs. Detroit The last game of the Junior division 1st round came between #2 ranked/defending champs, North Jersey and Winnipeg-Loralee 1. Like Winnipeg 2, Winnipeg 1 was a roster of workhorses that brought intensity, strong team chemistry and speed. North Jersey matched everything possible of Winnipeg, as they showcased one of the strongest 3-guard lineups in the Junior division, lead by reigning Junior Division MVP, AJ Pizon, and NABA 2008’s Bantam Division Runner up backcourt of Jon Jon ‘Penny’ Penalosa and Ranier “Rain Man” Garcia. They’re powered by forward frontcourt of  North Jersey vs. Winnipeg Loralee 1 returning player Chris Barsatan and athletic Bergenfield pickup, Julius Rodriguez. Winnipeg’s weapon was bigman Rodel Aaron, who was one of the best centers the Junior division showcased this year. North Jersey jumped to an early lead with a run as they forced turnovers and capitalized off 2nd chances. Winnipeg fought back tying the game and being down by 2 at halftime. In the 2nd half the game went back and forth as both teams exchanged leads. Down the stretch, North Jersey made big stops, scored on fastbreaks and held the ball killing the clock. North Jersey put one ‘W’ in the bag defeating Winnipeg by a small margin, 42-35. The first game of the winner’s bracket was a Toronto showdown between Dolce-Toronto and the hosts, Scarborough Falcons.  Toronto powerhouse showdown - Dolce-Toronto vs. Scarborough Falcons Despite having a game under their legs, Dolce-Toronto handled the strong guard play of the Falcons very well. Scarborough, lead by floor General and longtime Scarborough veteran, Jeremiah “J-Henry” Valmadrid, as well as NABA veterans Griffen Fernandez and the athletic swingman Jeff Ortiz, struggled against the strength and size of the Toronto lineups. Toronto earned 2nd chance opportunities and defensively had the edge as they forced turnovers and tough shots for the Falcons. Falcons never found their groove and dropped their tournament opener, losing to the #1 ranked Dolce-Toronto powerhouse with the score 61-43. At 5:10pm, Washington D.C. faced off against the tough squad of Montreal-Marquis. Montreal’s size, athleticism and most important, talent handled Washington D.C. and gave them a reality check of the true competition at NABA.  Montreal vs. Washington D.C. Final score in favor on Montreal-Marquis was 60-35, sending D.C. to the loser’s bracket. Later that night, Brampton faced off against York Angiels in the Junior Division 3rd quarter final. Another game between 2 of the weaker teams, York shut down the perimeter shooting of Brampton and held them off for a 9 point win, 46-37. The last quarter final game of the day came between North York and North Jersey. A game that had more history to it, as in NABA Toronto 2007, back in the Bantam division, North York sent AJ’s team home in the loser bracket semi-final. In NABA Detroit 2008, AJ and his company put North York’s junior team in the loser’s bracket.  North York vs. North Jersey It was another fun matchup between AJ Pizon and Jenno Almasol, 2 of the leading guards in the Junior division, as well as a battle of their supporting casts. North York jumped to a 6-2 lead, but as North Jersey gained momentum they tied the game and took the lead. The talent of North Jersey’s bench overwhelmed North York’s reserves, as North Jersey pushed the lead up to 19, and kept the game at a comfortable pace. North Jersey defeated North York 54-38. The loser bracket games were played all afternoon, heres a rundown of the games in the loser bracket on Saturday.
 SIPAG-New York vs. Winnipeg Loralee 2:50pm: Durham (30) – Winnipeg II (52) 2:50pm: Jersey Shore (53) – Glendale Heights (49) 5:10pm: SIPAG-NY (54) – Winnipeg I (56) 6:20pm: Detroit (34) – Scarborough Falcons (55) 8:40pm: Brampton (39) – Jersey Shore (53) 8:40pm: North York (53) – Winnipeg I (54)  Detroit vs. Scarborough Falcons Sunday morning, the 1st Winner Bracket quarter-final game was a powerhouse matchup between Dolce-Toronto and North Jersey, most notably, a Fil-Am/Fil-Can Allstar showdown between North Jersey’s AJ Pizon and Dolce-Toronto’s Kevin Ramos.  Fil-Am Phenom, AJ Pizon of North Jersey vs. Fil-Can Allstar, Kevin Ramos of Dolce-Toronto North Jersey jumped to a 6-0 lead, scoring off a put back and a couple of free throws. It was only a matter of time till AC Hagoriles, Chris Baltazar and Kevin Ramos got into their groove, with Janzen Calaoa, Miguel Bediones and Patrick Plamenco taking care of the paint and both posts. The game went back and forth once Dole-Toronto tied the game. In the 2nd half, AC Hagoriles fell into his comfort zone as he scored from all angles vs. North Jersey’s zone, shooting from close to NBA range. Dolce-Toronto pushed to a 10 point lead in the 2nd half and it looked like they were going to send North Jersey into the loser’s bracket.  North Jersey vs. Dolce-Toronto North Jersey’s veterans fought relentlessly, and crawled their way back into the game. With players fouling out, and the gym filling up with more people, the game was so close, and the battle of powerhouses pushed the game for 4 overtimes. North Jersey forced tough shots and secured critical rebounds, knocked down their free throws and sent Dolce-Toronto into the loser’s bracket. North Jersey was to face the winner between the Montreal-Marquis and York winner bracket quarter final. York got the real taste of NABA competition facing Montreal Marquis.  Montreal Marquis vs. York Angiels Montreal was able to rest their core players and they controlled the tempo and scoreboard keeping the lead at 15+. York failed to succeed in their adjustments and lost to Montreal-Marquis 71-53, setting up a very interesting Winner bracket Semi-Final game between Montreal-Marquis and North Jersey. The loser bracket semi’s started with JSAG-Jersey Shore vs. Winnipeg II at the same time of the North Jersey-Dolce Toronto Quarter final.  Winnipeg Loralee 1 vs. JSAG-Jersey Shore The game was tight, as both teams felt the elimination intensity. JSAG brought their ‘A’ game vs. the Winnipeg II bombsquad, featuring a matchup between guards, Cash Blanca or Winnipeg and Todd Angeles of Jersey Shore.  Cash Blanca of Winnipeg vs. Todd Angeles of Jersey Shore Towards the end of the game, a serious injury to prize pickup, Juan Juarez of JSAG, decided their fate, as Winnipeg II pulled away and defeated JSAG, sending them home with the low score of 38-32. After losing to North Jersey, Dolce-Toronto was scheduled to play Scarborough immediately after their game. Scarborough took advantage of the 4 overtime game under Dolce’s legs and upset the #1 ranked team going into NABA, defeating them 54-45.  Top of Toronto's Class: AC Hagoriles (Left) vs. Griff Fernandez (Right) Right after that game, Scarborough was scheduled to play the winner of the North York/Winnipeg I game, which was a well rested Winnipeg I, just minutes after defeating Dolce. Scarborough held their own and played at their pace, using their athleticism and strong guard play to send Winnipeg I home, winning 53-36. Scarborough would then play the winner of York and Winnipeg II. Once again, York went up against another true contender of NABA and was overwhelmed by the size and talent of the boys from Winnipeg. Winnipeg easily defeated York, with the score 74-40 setting up a loser bracket quarter final with Scarborough. The winner of this game would advance to the loser bracket semi final to face the loser of the North Jersey-Montreal winner bracket semi final. North Jersey and Montreal squared off at 1:40pm on court 3.  North Jersey's AJ Pizon guarded by JayJay Mina of Montreal Montreal controlled the rebounds and brought their fire to start the game as they jumped to an early lead. North Jersey couldn’t score and their transition defense was weak as Montreal would score on the fastbreak. Montreal extended their lead to 15 late in the 1st half, with North Jersey cutting the lead down to 10 at halftime.  JayJay Mina lighting it up. Montreal’s talented rotation featured Quebec Allstar, Ryan Erwin Agana, as well as allstar guards Chris Rajandram, JayJay Mina, young buck Carlos Jancinal, plus big men and NABA veterans Nathaniel Bacolod, Allister Baclayo and Julius Bongato. North Jersey crawled back into the game in thd 2nd half, but it took the whole 2nd half to narrow the lead down to 1.  Crucial possesion on North Jersey's comeback. With 1 second left, and North Jersey down by 1, Ryan Agana fouled AJ pizon behind the 3 pnt line and AJ catapulted his team into the championship game for a chance to repeat their Junior Division 2008 Title, winning 57-56.  AJ's Free throws catapult North Jersey back to the Junior division Championship. With that game over, Montreal was sent to the loser bracket semi-final vs. Winnipeg II, in a rematch of their 1st game of the tournament. Montreal won the same way they won their first meeting, which was basically the use of what they had, feeding off Winnipeg’s intensity, scoring high percentage shots and out-rebounding the bigger Winnipeg lineup. Montreal-Marquis pushed their way into the Junior division championship game, defeating Winnipeg 63-40.  Loser Brackett Semi Final: Winnipeg Loralee 2 vs. Montreal Marquis The tables were set, as the Championship game was scheduled for 6:20pm on Court 1 between North Jersey and Montreal-Marquis. Their rivalry dated back to NABA Toronto 2007, when both teams were in the Bantam division, Montreal defeated North Jersey in triple overtime in the 1st round, and North Jersey eliminated Montreal in the loser’s bracket. Some of the players on North Jersey had history vs. Montreal dating back to NABA New York 2005 when Montreal eliminated them when they played for SIPAG-NY. Penny Penalosa had defeated them twice in NABA Chicago 2006, and eliminated them in NABA Detroit 2008 alongside Rain Man Garcia. The players knew each other and it was a match up 4 NABA’s in the making.  Championship Game: North Jersey vs. Montreal Marquis The bleachers were packed, and random on-lookers would peep at the Junior division Championship, as well as players from teams that had been eliminated, especially the Toronto teams of Dolce and Scarborough.  AJ from behind the arc. North Jersey jumped to an early 8-2 lead, but in no time Montreal found their rhythm, and forced North Jersey to play at their tempo which was more halfcourt. Virtually everytime Ryan Erwin Agana touched the ball, he scored. North Jersey’s offense was powered by their core 4 of AJ Pizon, Ranier Garcia, Julius Rodriguez, and Chris Barsatan, and kept up with Montreal not allowing their lead to grow more than 8. But it was déjà vu all over again, as Montreal took the lead and held onto it through the first half and more than half of the 2nd half. JayJay Mina and Chris Rajandran aided Agana on the scoreboard and the game was reaching crunch time. About 5 minutes left in the game, the reigning MVP, AJ Pizon, started cramping up with Montreal ahead by 5 points.  Crunchtime: Junior Division Championship on the line. The North Jersey Knights came together, made defensive stops by forcing tough and contested shots to crawl their way back up the scoreboard and not only tie but take the lead as well with a corner jump shot. Once North Jersey took the lead, they never look back. After Chris Rajandram, JayJay Mina, and Ryan Agana missed shot opportunities, North Jersey secured defensive rebounds, made their free throws, and defended the franchise 2008 Junior Division Championship.  North Jersey defends their 2008 Junior Division Championship. North Jersey won the tournament the same way they won all the leagues and tournaments they had won all summer, based off speed and their relentless offense. Their core won the SIPAG High School Invitational Winter League in early February over in Staten Island-NY,  SIPAG-New York High School Invitational League Champs: North Jersey Juniors/Juveniles their core was also apart of the NYCE Allstar team that won the Asian Basketball Classic, hosted by the NY Rockits back in April over in Englewood, NJ, they won the Boston MASAE Junior Summer Invitational Tournament in late July over in Boston,  Boston-MASAE Junior Invitational tournament for Youth Champs: North Jersey Knights and they won the Central Jersey Kalahi Juvenile Summer League in Piscataway, NJ in early August.  Central Jersey-Kalahi Juvenile Summer League Champs: North Jersey Knights They will be a candidate for team of the year later in December. Now the question is how will they rebuild their team as two-time Junior division MVP will move up to the Juvenile division. A sneak preview for next year’s Junior division sees a strong regroup by the Montreal-Marquis boys as they won the 15&U Turkey Bowl in Toronto, as well as a revamped Dolce-Toronto team with their 2009 Bantam Championship team moving up to the junior division lead by Cornell Mohammed, Kean Lopez and Errol Yalung, lets not forget North York and the potential return of their NABA 2008 Championship “Brotherhood” team lead by Jason Lomboy and a hopeful return of Jerome Yumul and Julius Sapico for another run with North York. This year’s Junior division was jam packed with talent and intense teams, but next year already looks to be promising! Thanks for reading, and keep on the lookout for future articles on RISEOFTHESON.COM!
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