Piedmont Basketball Foundation is offering a youth OPEN GYM this summer, on Wednesday nights from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, beginning on 6/30 and going through 7/28 (5 weeks).   The venue is Buzz Redford Gym at Piedmont Middle School.

From 7 to 8 PM, there will be boys and girls games for elementary school kids, and

From 8 to 9 PM there will be a game or games for all middle school and high school players  

Drop in player fees are $5.00 per night.  This is quite a deal compared to a movie and popcorn! And what a great way to keep your basketball players active and their hoop skills sharp over the summer!

Checks and cash can be brought to the gym.  Prepayment at a discounted rate is also available through this link:

http://www.tawala.com/p/5bov61y5i9mzb3r/b6ci2pk.Registration

Players/parents must complete and bring a medical waiver & consent form to their first night of Hoops.   Waiver and consent forms are available through the link above or at the gym.

Should you have any questions, please contact Peter Liu, Open Gym Coordinator, at peterliu.nrb@gmail.com

Have a great summer!

Justin Roach
President, PBBF
Peter Liu
Open Gym Coordinator, PBBF

WEEK of JUNE 21-24 1-5:00 p.m. PHS GYM boys and girls (10-14 yrs) cost $179 residents

WEEK of JULY 19-22 9-1:00 p.m. PHS GYM boys & girls (10-14 yrs.) $179 residents

 Register through the Piedmont Rec. Dept. David Weisgerber at dweisgerber@ci.piedmont.ca.us

Bracketologists are already bequething it the Best Opening Night of March Madness Ever.

And my bracket is terminally busted already…

(Thanks, G’town.  And Vandy.  And Marquette.  And Notre Dame.  And Texas…)

We can only say: Thanks to fellow hoopnuts Vince Monical, Heidi Monical, Eric Davison, Nick Levinson, Michael Berg, Don McBirney, Dane Copeland and many, many others, for the Best PBBF March Madness Ever!

Live action in Hi-Def on the big screen (clearer and bigger than any plasma ever seen in your favorite sports bar).  St. Mary’s clinic replaying on screen 2.  Squares game on screen 3.  More brackets than ever.  And the pop-a-shot for the kids as always.

Can’t wait for tomorrow night.  And for Saturday.  And Sunday…

Thanks again everyone.

Especially to all of you coaches of our kids who inspired us to put this event together in the first place!

back: coaches Robert Taylor and Terry London middle: Nick Desler, Gregory Wick, Daniel Bessolo, Goyo Prospero, Nick Pacult front: Sam Taylor, Spencer London, Zach Moorhead, Jordan Li

The fifth grade Piedmont Highlander boys went undefeated over the holiday weekend to win the 12th annual MVP Flight Labor Day Basketball Tournament in Walnut Creek.  The Highlanders took three straight to nab the first-ever championship for a Piedmont Basketball Foundation team in the prestigious hoops event.

The boys began their run to the title on Saturday morning with a 33-21 win over Flight Elite of Pleasant Hill.  Daniel Bessolo paced the victory with 14 points and 8 rebounds.  Goyo Prospero forced the Elite attack to the perimeter with two early blocks and added 7 points, and Nick Pacult and Nick Dessler combined for 11 rebounds.  Spencer London ran an efficient Highlander attack with four points and four assists.  Sam Taylor added four steals to drive a potent fast break that accounted for ten first half points when the Highlanders put the game out of reach.

On Sunday Bessolo again dominated the game from the pivot, with 13 points and 12 rebounds in a 35-14 win over the Hayward Defenders.  Pacult and Dessler each notched six points and five rebounds.  Gregory Wick added four rebounds and solid interior defense.  Zach Moorhead and Jordan Li consistently broke the Defender press with quick feet and excellent ball handling. Taylor had four points and two steals.

In the championship game on Monday the Highlanders started slowly, but used patient offense and a devastating press to grind out a 33-21 win against the Bay Area Renegades. Bessolo, Pacult, and Prospero combined for 16 rebounds.  Wick had an excellent all-around game with 6 points from long range, three assists, and four steals.  Moorhead nailed two timely jumpers to thwart Renegade comebacks.  And London played lock down defense on the Renegade’s quick point guard tandem, while also adding two steals and three assists.

Bailey Thompson a Piedmont Middle School Student (class of 2014) traveled to Kingsport Tennessee with her AAU club team East Bay Xplosion (EBX) to take part in the AAU Girls Basketball 12-Under Division I National Championship. EBX placed 8th out of 64 teams participating in the July 2009 tournament. The only team representing California the girls did their state and club proud!

Thompson’s basketball experience started in Piedmont with a Purple & White Camp, Piedmont Recreation Team’s and Piedmont Basketball Foundation MVP teams. Thompson has participated in AAU Nationals for the last three years. Her first two experiences were grade based Nationals and her teams placed 1st and 2nd respectively. This year the competition was the toughest yet and according to Bailey the most valuable experience to date.

The first game of the tournament against Western Carolina Storm, was extremely challenging, four teammates fouled out of the game but EBX was able to get a run in the last minute of the game to win and Thompson contributed 8 points and 7 rebounds to the final score of 51/40. The second game was another nail bitter between Xplosion and Kentucky Blast. Thompson made two crucial baskets when her team was down by 5 points. EBX won the game, with Thompson contributing 10 points and 8 rebounds to the final score of 57/54. The next win against North Carolina Burke Jammers put the team in the “SWEET SIXTEEN” of the tournament. Game six against the Minnesota North Tartans was another battle. Again EBX rallied and held their two point lead from free throws made by teammate Gabby Green and held the Tartans with 22 seconds left in the game thus putting the team into the “ELITE EIGHT”. The remaining three games were lost and the team exhausted after five days of top competition were given bronze metals to celebrate their achievement.

Thompson stated emphatically that “I LOVE THIS GAME” and hopes for another AAU run in 2010.

PBBF players again were the hit of Piedmont’s 4th of July Parade, with the crowds cheering every made basket and blocked shot.  It was boys vs. girls again, with each side claiming victory.

For their exciting play, the kids were awarded Best Youth Entry in the parade.

Thanks to John Somerville, Clay Collier, Debbie Powell and David Cooper for making this Piedmont tradition a reality once again.  Special thanks to Katie Milne and Katie Somerville for decorating the trucks.

Nina Bessolo, Jim Bessolo, Noelle Lautt, Kerry Krohn, Julia Ormond, Sarah Mooney, Steve Krohn, Sydney Rennels

The 6^th grade girls Piedmont Highlanders  basketball team capped their winning MVP season with a tournament victory in Sacramento last weekend. They played 3 games in one day with only six girls. The team they beat for the championship had 3 girls taller and wider than the largest Piedmont player. In the deciding game, the Piedmont girls were behind after the 1^st quarter, but dug-in and fought back for a come-from-behind 30-27 victory. The girls used their good passing and lock-down defense to stifle the other teams. The girls won all 3 games in the tournament. The team is sponsored by the Piedmont Basketball Foundation.

Piedmont’s own Ashley and Courtney Paris, who led Piedmont High to two consecutive state basketball championships, and will play SUNDAY, APRIL 5 against Louisville at 4 p.m. pacific time on ESPN.  The OU women’s basketball team earned a trip to St. Louis by beating Purdue, 74-68.  Courtney Paris had 19 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks as top-seeded Oklahoma beat Purdue 74-68 Tuesday night, earning the program’s second Final Four berth.

Ashley Paris became a full-starter for OU last year and has dominated on the court. This season she averaged 12.5 points per game, 9.6 rebounds.  Last year she was ranked 107th nationally and sixth in the Big 12 in rebounds per game. She’s smart defensively, and strong offensively. Last season she had the second lowest turnovers on the team and was moved to sixth on Oklahoma’s career block list, with 82. 

Courtney Paris will get the chance to back up her national championship guarantee in the Final Four.  Backed with these outstanding accomplishments 1) first 4-time first team All-American player in the history of college basketball 2) holds the record, for men and women, of continuous double-doubles at 112 and the record for rebounds. 

The game is sure to be a proud experience for all Piedmonters!

Sarah Tamulski voted League MVP!

Senior Sarah Tamulski was voted the BSAL MVP by the league’s coaches Monday night.  Congratulations Sarah! 

Andrea Chenier voted First Team All BSAL!

Junior Andrea Chenier was also voted First team All BSAL by the league’s coaches Monday night.  Congratulations Andrea!

Clara Tate Voted Honorable Mention All League!

Senior Clara Tate was voted Honorable Mention all BSAL by the league’s coaches Monday night.  Congratulations Clara!

Devin Brown and David Black of the PHS Men also received Honorable Mention honors from the league’s coaches.  Congratulations Devin and David!