Middle School Basketball Season comes to an end

All St. Francis teams in 4th-8th grades completed their basketball seasons with tournaments this week. 

The 7-8 girls' team finished in the Our Savior Lutheran tournament and were matched up against a tough Anchorage squad before losing in the first round. 

The youthful team (all 7th graders) played all year against older competition, but never backed down from challenges. Continuing on in the consolation bracket, the Wyverns would play games against DePaul and Portland Christian and finished in 4th place on the bracket. Meredith Fleming was honored for her inspired play as she was voted onto the All-Tournament team. Mary Claire Duncan and Olivia Zimmerman represented SFS in the Hotshot and Free-Throw competition respectively. The girls played great basketball all year and should hold their heads high and be proud of their commitment to the team.

The boys' 7-8 team played their best basketball of the year as they entered their season-ending tournaments. Three of their final four games were nail biting, edge of your seat, overtime games (DePaul, KCD and OSL). The team's preparation and focus levels were extremely high heading into the OSL Tournament second round game against KCD. With a forfeit victory in the opening round, the Wyverns executed a sound game plan and nearly knocked off favorite KCD in OT. In the third place game of the tourney, the Wyverns were beaten by the more aggressive and quicker West End School, to earn a fourth place finish in the winners' bracket. Harrison Crawford was voted to the All-Tournament play for his solid defense and offensive contributions. Connor Gorman was chosen to participate in the Free-Throw shooting contest and made 14 out of 25 shots. Chris Scott ended his great SFS basketball career partaking in the Hotshot competition. Lastly, the boys played OSL in the Anchorage Tournament. In two previous games with the Panthers, the Wyverns were defeated by 15 or more points by OSL. This game was a different story and St. Francis nearly pulled off the upset, before letting go of the early overtime lead and falling 39-34. The team should feel great about their effort this year with no home games and having to practice at different venues daily.

Louisville Independent Schools Basketball League Tournament Results

The Boys' 6th grade basketball team entered the tournament as the #2 seed and earned a First-round bye in the inaugural LISBL hosted by SFS at St. Stephen's. Using stiff defense and exploiting the size advantage, the Wyverns came out on top in the semifinals versus Portland Christian, winning 34-14. In the championship game, the Wyverns faced their nemesis Collegiate. In a high-scoring and entertaining affair, the game went back and forth until the fourth quarter when the Titans began pulling away. The Wyverns were led in scoring by Connor Gorman and Will Cole, who both made the All-League team. The team improved by leaps and bounds, both on and off the court. The boys played great all year and finished very strong, winning seven of their final 10 games. They have lots to be proud of.

The boys' 4th and 5th grade team entered the tournament as the #3 seed in their division and faced the #6 seed Collegiate. The frigid winter temperatures seemed to transfer over as the shooting was cold for both teams as they combined for only four first half points. In the second half, the action picked up with 5th graders Owen Carey and Lake Mackin making timely shots to secure a big win for the Wyverns. They would advance to face OSL in the semifinals. The game was a classic battle as no team led by more than three points after three quarters of play. A late 7-2 spurt in the 4th quarter by OSL helped secure the win for the Panthers as they defeated the Wyverns. Lake Mackin and Stevaun Butler were named to the All-League team for their stellar play during the season. The team finished strong, winning four of their last six games. Last season this team played about 7-8 games; and they played a lot more games this year to finish with 21 wins and 33 losses.

The girls' 4th-6th grade basketball team entered the tournament with two wins in league play as the #3 seed. The Wyverns took on Collegiate and played outstanding and gave maximum effort all game long. Ayda Marshall provided a boost as she was sizzling hot early, scoring 10 of her 12 points in the first half. The Wyverns got close and had a chance to win late, but the ball didn't bounce their way. Ayda Marshall and Bradley Wilson were both named to the All-League team for their individual success in the games.

Thanks to all coaches: Rosanne Conlan, Cassandra Zimmerman, Tyson Gorman, Tim Fogarty, Tony Butler, Shavar Cowherd, Curt Davenport, Shannon Ragland, Teresa Saborsky and Lee Look for a job well done. Thanks for all your time and effort. It's greatly appreciated.

Track Begins...
Track practice for all 4th-8th grade students will begin Monday, Feb. 24th, after school and ends at 4:45 p.m. Students are to meet in the Multi-Purpose room and should have a water bottle and jacket.

GO WYVERNS!!