Midland Classical Academy defeated Yavneh 57-51 Thursday afternoon in a TAPPS 3A Semifinal. The loss concludes the Bulldogs season at 27-7.
In a game that was almost exactly level statistically, Yavneh was eliminated from the TAPPS playoffs Thursday as they ended up on the short end of a back-and-forth affair. The teams were separated by a mere fraction of a percentage point at 32% from the field, both made 15 free throws, combined for a measly 17 turnovers (9-8), and feasted with 30 collective offensive rebounds (17-13). In the end, one could deduce that the +6 in three point field goals made accounted for the exact margin of victory but it was so many unresolved little cuts along the way that most likely sealed the Bulldogs fate in this State Semifinal. In what would inevitably turn into a classic slugfest between the Millers and the Reefs, headlined by two sensational Seniors giving it all they had, this contest had runs, droughts, and heroics all in 32 minutes of intense basketball. While this would be the last stand for either Cole Miller or Ofek Reef, each of which dazzled in this high profile matchup, both also took a while to get going. For two offenses that at times had blown away their districts (0 losses combined in District/Playoffs in 2019), neither could score much early in this game. Reef kept a play alive to begin a ridiculous offensive rebounding performance by both teams and Jonah Eber swooped to the hoop for the first Yavneh basket. Midland Classical held leads of 2-0, 4-2, and 6-4 while Eber scored the first two field goals to knot the score. The second of those was a scintillating tip follow AND-NONE. Almost 6 minutes into the game, Cole Miller and Ofek Reef traded midrange jumpers for their respective first points of the game. The start was a nervous one for both squads and seemed to feature more missed shots than anything but every possession was tense and had the feel of ultimate importance. Reef threw a touchdown pass to Freshman Ben Rael for a confident finish to stake the Bulldogs to their first lead of the game at 8-6. The first period came to a conclusion on the coattails of Reef’s first highlight of the game, a AND-ONE finish for an 11-8 first period. The initial 8 minutes saw horrendous shooting including 0/9 combined from three point land but an almost unfathomable 17 combined offensive rebounds which accounted for even more misses. Mason Schwaber darted a nifty helper to Reef for another AND-ONE finish to stake Yavneh to a 14-8 advantage and the Knights seemed ready to crack as the pace quickened. Miller seemed over-matched missing shot upon shot while his Freshman brother Cort showed his youth and had to be removed from the game. Eber set up Tyler C Winton for a deep wing trifecta to build the lead to 17-10 and MCA was getting careless. Schwaber’s two ensuing free throws made the score 19-10 and brought the game to a critical juncture in which the Knights would respond with 5 consecutive points. This mini-run calmed down a team on the ropes and truly was all facilitated by a lack of defensive rebounding from Yavneh. Had just a pedestrian defensive rebounding performance during this stretch been possible, Midland Classical may not have gotten the game to halftime within any sort of striking distance but 8 points in the final 4 minutes did just that. Eber scored on a nice floater off the bounce to stem the tide at 19-15, restoring a six-point edge but two late three pointers by the Knights built some confidence from distance. Nothing summed up the first half better than the final Bulldog possession in which they commandeered not 1, not 2, not 3…but 5 offensive rebounds culminating in a pair of Reef free throws for a 23-18 halftime score. The shooting was ugly (29-20%), Midland had struggled from three (2/12), 12 combined free throws paced the offense, and neither team could grab a defensive rebound. Both Miller and Reef were trending towards a Double-Double but both were about to have a final 16 minutes that will never be forgotten.
For a team that has feasted on the initial moments of the second half, this one was as ominous a stretch as the Bulldogs and their 5-point lead had seen in a long while. Cole Miller came out of the locker room with guns blazing, scoring 6 quick points in 46 seconds and Yavneh could only reminisce about their having the lead. Schwaber found Eber for a great finish in traffic that responded with a 25-24 advantage but this would be the final time that the Red-and-Black would have the upper hand on the scoreboard. Miller bottomed another triple from the corner while his brother Cort also connected from the wing. This was a complete turn-around from the shooting struggles of the first half for MCA and they rode this hot shooting all the way to a 31-25 advantage. Meanwhile, in an all too familiar potion of disaster, Reef was seeing the Beth Tfiloh swarming double-team/help defense strategy with the other players with little to no movement. As frustration mounted offensively, the season was in high jeopardy. A Reber cousin-to-cousin connection for a final time this season created a critical score with Rael finding Eber off the glass and in the lane. Still trailing by 6 points, Winton splashed maybe the biggest clutch triple of McBuckets storied career to slice the lead in half at 33-30. Reef, who struggled in this third period like only once before this season, righted the ship with a finish to cut the lead to a single point at 33-32. Gabe Beattie connected on one final three pointer to end the third quarter at 36-32 MCA, a horrific defensive period for Yavneh that saw the same number of points allowed (18) as they had given up in the entire first half. The final stanza was anything but a runaway with end to end action that saw the Bulldogs made push after push to even the game. On 6 different occasions the MCA lead would be dwindled to a single basket but each time, whether by offensive rebound, unforced error, or just a bad bounce/player falling inexplicably, the Knights would find a way to stem the tide. At the same time, the two Senior no brainers for All-State honors to come, turned on the jets when it mattered the most. Reef made free throw after free throw while Miller responded with a clutch three ball for a 39-34 edge. The MCA lead reached 7 points only to be answered with a Reef pullup hit. Schwaber took a critical charge to get possession back but Classical scored 4 more points in a row for what seemed like a damaging 45-36 advantage with just under 5 minutes to play. 13 points all half long and a 9-point deficit added up to big time trouble for a Yavneh team not just on the ropes but actually falling off completely. Ofek Reef, however, was not finished. In one of the most electrifying runs in school history, Reef put on a clinic with a 7-0 spurt for the ages in less than 90 seconds. Another pullup finish with contact that barely changed the basketball’s course put a quick three points on the board for 45-39. The ensuing Reef steal almost turned Waco’s University High School on its axis with a back-end posterizing slam dunk. MCA may have had a 45-41 lead but for a moment it had to feel like they were finished. Eber continued the run, finding the hot scorer for yet another midrange pullup jumper to slice that lead to 45-43. Reef has had some moments in his illustrious two-year Yavneh career but this stretch was a step above them all. A possessed blocked shot nearly took out the infrastructure of the building frame but MCA would eventually break the run with a basket. Every time the Bulldogs found a way back to a single possession game, something would prevent them for getting the ball back to take a shot at a tie or the lead. The last of these moments was somehow maybe Reef’s most challenging basket. He hung in the air for what seemed like 4 seconds+, absorbed not just contact but an absolute mauling, and still managed to bottom a baseline jumper so smooth that the swish could be heard from miles away. 49-47 was the score with 1:45 to play when that AND-ONE had the Bulldogs in prime position once again. But this afternoon was about two star Seniors and Cole Miller was up for the dagger response, a step-back triple that brought rain and a 52-47 score with 1:19 to go. Four free throw misses in the final 2:35 proved costly for this Yavneh team that shot just 53% on the year and always was at risk in this respect late in games. On the flip side, MCA missed only three of their charity attempts and none in the final moments closing this game out. Mo Zander-Feinstein nearly pulled off the most improbable comeback of all-time but his three pointer barely missed the mark with 1.3 seconds remaining and likely would have left his team still three points short regardless of the official timer’s continuous struggles in this game. Ofek Reef led all scorers with a 30 point/13 rebound game for one final Double-Double on the biggest of stages. Jonah Eber added 11 points and scored almost all of them at key junctures of this game. Tyler Winton scored 6 points while Mason Schwaber did his work on the glass with 14 enormous rebounds in a game where those were so incredibly valuable and elusive. The Millers combined to score 44 points for the Knights, 29 of which came from Cole in a game where he needed to be spectacular and match Reef nearly shot for shot.
While this was not the ending on the blueprint, the Bulldogs had another magnificent year that included a third straight district title, a run of absolute ridiculousness in which they have not lost a district game in over two years, and a third straight appearance at the State Tournament. Yavneh (27-7) won nearly 80% of their games, outscored their opponents by almost 600 points, and had 6 of their players show up on the two All-District teams. This outgoing Senior class was on the books for 58 wins to only 7 losses during their two Varsity letter years. Ofek Reef (District MVP, 1st Team All-District, certain 1st Team All-State, and best chef, mechanic, geologist, and anything else in TAPPS 3A) ended his 2-year legendary Yavneh career Thursday with 1328 points, 629 rebounds, 285 assists, and 226 steals. All four categories are Top 10 in school history in half the time of almost every other player of the like. This season he led this team in all four categories of 746 points, 345 rebounds, 163 assists, and 115 steals. His ability to athletically do things that no other Yavneh player has ever done including regularly and creatively dunk a basketball makes Reef a special player of the highest degree. He willed this team to victory and represented this basketball program right to the very end of his career, which undoubtedly would have shattered national records had it been a full four years. Nachi Zucker brought his mid-range show to town and had some great moments during his Varsity year. Logging some important minutes off the bench and even more key leadership overall, Zucker proved to be a year-round gem in addition to his Nachtober legend status. Zachary Bernstein (1st Team All-District and District 2 Defensive Player of the Year) came out of thin air to lead this team on and off the basketball court. A four-year program player, Bernstein shined in the even years of his career which is a credit to improvement at both levels. Only the sharpest of prognosticators were able to soothsay their way to foreseeing how great The Pelican would impact this team with his 107 rebounds, 67 steals, and even 77 assists. Tasked to guard star player after star player, it was a truly amazing finish to the career of the best two-way Yavneh captain in school history.
From finality to anticipation, the bridge is crowded as this basketball program looks to the 2019-20 season and beyond. Griffin Levine, Pierce Bell, and Ofek Reef will all be well entrenched into their collegiate careers by the time the Bulldogs put their district winning streak on the line once again but the pipeline is ginormous. The Junior trio of Jonah Eber, Tyler Winton, and Mason Schwaber all broke out in a major way this season and figure to be a trifecta of greatness on top of the mountain. Schwaber (1st Team All-District) scored 389 points, grabbed 237 rebounds, and blocked over 40 shots this year. His epic performances throughout the season including the Regional Final will become even more consistent and way more dominant as Mount Mason continues to perfect his mammoth post game. Jonah Eber (1st Team All-District) scored 363 points, dished 147 assists, and grabbed 144 rebounds in becoming a premier player this season. If he can improve his outside game (return of ThrEber no doubt), Eber will take another big leap and be one of the best hybrid guards in the State. The ability to score in the lane and punish opposing players with his array of tactics and moves will bring Senior leadership for a rare two-year captain to take this program to new heights. Tyler Winton AKA McBuckets AKA TW3 (2nd Team All-District) scored 232 points on a team leading 38 triples, dished 106 assists, and tallied 103 steals to become a big time contributor. His ability to drive and use his athleticism added unforeseen dimensions to a player that can always shoot the basketball. The sky is the limit for this electric and freakish athlete who is sure to build on a legendary playoff run including 18 points to help secure the Reginal Final victory. Junior Reece Parker soared into his role as a defensive stopper and had some big time moments. As a Senior, Mr Fourth Quarter will need to extend his heroics to include a wider range of impact and when he does will be a big time weapon. Simcha Malina also had his moments, contesting Schwaber for command in the post area but also fighting various missed games due to injury ETC. Always a wild card with punishing ability to be a dangerous force, TAPPS opponents everywhere are nervous when it comes to Malina’s continued development. Two Freshman made an impact this year for the first time in a long time. Ben Rael (2nd Team All-District) morphed into the Sixth Man on this team and really came through. Some huge plays in the playoffs proved the sky is the limit for a wing who’s 111 points were most definitely For Rael. A cornerstone of this program, Rael is just beginning his storied career as a Bulldog. Noah Ohayon worked his way back from some missed time early in his rookie campaign to give fans around the world just a glimpse of the next great, versatile Noah in the Yavneh toolbox. With an ability to play all 5 positions and arguably the best long distance projected shooter in all of the US…and Mexico, ShOhayon is headed towards greatness without question. First year Sophomores Tom Oster, Zander Feinstein, Elisha Klein, and Nik Krasovitsky all were detonated into the Yavnistic atmosphere for a three year run for the hills. Oster, the most prolific DFW sports TO since the great Terrell Owens notoriously dominated this town, dazzled at times previewing upper class excellence to come. This guard can shoot, finish with grace, and use his athleticism to take over a game, and will begin to shine as his confidence in himself continues to match that of his fan club, coaches, and countless scouts from near and far. Krasovitsky is most eligible to pick up Ofek Reef’s slack in the dunking category. A collarbone disagreement may have cost this Jewish jumping bean most of his season but make no mistake that Krasovitsky will make jaws drop for two more years with his playmaking ability. Elisha Klein astonished the nation with his proficiency throughout the season, including some big time moments late in games. His propensity to set up his classmates with great passes and a very accurate trigger from distance combined with defensive energy boasts the brightest of futures. Known to his fans simply as Jaws, Klein gobbles up basketballs in a stealth-like shark attack that will be enormous in his final two campaigns. Zander Feinstein is not just an X-factor due to the alternate spelling of his first name by the Media, this impact sensation is the X factor of the future. The only player on this roster to have been active for every one of the 34 games, the captain of the most electrifying bench in all of TAPPS and UIL in the state, and a top 4 player on this team when it comes to three pointers attempted on the season, Feinstein’s ability to find shots will be a major asset for this program as it enters this next chapter. The Junior Varsity also will factor into the future with several key components for the next era. Micah Bernstein will be the greatest rebounder on the planet before his time is done and is the next great Bernstein from a long line of prolific athletes/other. Cody Levine’s post presence, Ezra Berke’s dynamic outside game, Reece Neiman’s bruising defensive presence, Jonah Sunshine’s outside-inside combo skill set, and David Lopez’s grit and determination to take over games all will be factors in the years to come. Home grown scoring transfer Hillel Baynash should be eligible pending his 8 other offers and could bring instant offense to counter some of the points lost with the outgoing Seniors. Also of note, the incoming Freshman class is on pace to be an influx of basketball talent from Akiba, Levine, and the inner cities as a new generation of Bulldogs is ready to emerge.
Three glorious years of success has set a standard for greatness but Yavneh finds itself at a crossroads. While the heralded superstar that has dominated the headlines may not jump off the page to the casual observer, the depth that this team will have over the next number of years is unmatched by any preceding team. The Senior class will be strong but the question is how strong and can they make it a fourth straight trip to the State Tournament? Can Yavneh find a way to continue their success with so much returning and still so much more that excitingly will be the future? Will the Bulldogs continue their dominance in District 2 of TAPPS 3A? What will be the legacy that this heralded group will leave as their stamp just a short time removed from the Great Griffin and Ofek?
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!!
The Kennel Report, now concluding its 15th season, was written by…
Zack Pollack M&M
TL-BW-SP-BR
PTST3