North Shore Hebrew Academy defeated Yavneh 54-40 Monday morning in the Tier 1 5th place game game at the Red Sarachek Yeshiva University Tournament in New York. The loss completes the Bulldogs season at 33-7.
It was an imperfect end to a near perfect season for Yavneh Monday as they never really played with the heart and passion that had led to a record season for the school. With a 5th place finish at Sarachek and a shot to break last season’s school record for winning percentage on the line, the Red and Black looked more like a team that was playing their 40th game of the season and really would rather have been back in Dallas. Yavneh did, however, come out like gangbusters in the first two minutes. Sam Kleinman scored off the opening tip just 4 seconds into the contest and Itai Guttman made one of his patented complex post moves for a 6-2 advantage some time later. North Shore took a little while to wake up but when they did an 11-1 run ending the first period flipped the game and put an end to the Bulldogs front-running for the rest of the season. Opponent offensive rebounds once again haunted Yavneh and both the turnover/missed layup bug was the recurring theme of the morning. North Shore extended their lead to 21-11 early in the second period and were playing the pace that they wanted to play, limiting the Bulldog running game. An 11-4 response from Yavneh was an encouraging sign to close the half, mostly led by transition points from David Rudomin. Itai Guttman did a nice job down low with 7 first half points and really the only rebounding that the team got. Rudomin scored all 9 of his points during the run that trimmed the lead to just 25-22 at halftime. The final play of the first half may have been a foreshadowing of things to come with North Shore missing on multiple attempts but getting 3 offensive rebounds in the last 15 seconds of the half.
The second half was commensurate to a trip to the dentist as the game screeched to a grinding halt. Yavneh simply could get very little started on offense and much of that was self-inflicted. Turnovers at the worst times and brick central from long distance was were truly the order of the day as the Bulldogs grew somewhat dis-interested as the margin widened. The wear and tear of a 40-game season, the emotional letdown from playing playoff elimination games to playing for 5th place in a remote town in New Jersey, and the realization of the finality of exactly half the players’ careers all added up to a flat performance. Just like the last time Yavneh played at Sarachek in 2012, the long distance shot was simply not an ally. 0/7 three pointers in this contest made for 12/40 in the tournament. The long distance shot that had been so critical in the success of the team all year long once again did not make the trip to New York. The lone highlight of the third period was the final block in the career of Adam Schor, who shattered single season blocked shot records in both seasons that he played. This last one was so forceful that the North Shore player toppled over and took the ball with him out of bounds. Trailing 38-29 after three periods of play, the Bulldogs struggled to mount a serious threat. As the margin grew, and the record season drew to a close, the team on the floor showed only faint resemblance to the champions that had battled all season long. Kleinman made one final push, finding Schor for back to back field goals late in the final stanza. Itai Guttman finished at the basket to trim the lead back to single digits for a brief moment but so little time remained and North Shore sank 8 free throws in a row to end any comeback discussion. Guttman led the team with 14 points and 10 rebounds, adding one final double-double to his resume. Adam Schor and David Rudomin chipped in 9 points apiece.
Adam Karnett finished his career Monday with 1228 points, 342 assists (3rd all-time), and 295 steals (3rd all-time). Known for his fearless playing style and tenacity to attack the rim, Karnett was a 4-year starter that was the face of the program and pushed his team to great heights. His team leadership during good times and bad will forever be remembered, especially over the last 2 seasons of success. Fellow Tri-Captain, classmate, and back-court partner Sam Kleinman did more in his last two seasons than most could do in 10. Kleinman holds the career assist record by over 100 with his 500 assists on the button. He also holds the top 2 single game and single season assist record. Kleinman created the offense and made the engine go. In other words, he was the hand that fed Bulldog success these last two magnificent seasons. Even opponents benefited from Kleinman’s unmatched passing ability 350 times. The final Tri-Captain was also a starter for virtually all of his Yavneh career. Itai Guttman’s 918 career rebounds (2nd all-time) and 206 blocked shots (1st all-time) combined with 970 points puts the versatile post in select company. Also a face to the program during the duration of his career, Guttman was always a presence that separated his teams in the painted area. Every great dynasty has a shut-down defender and Yavneh rolled pesky David Rudomin off the bus each night. Rudy could guard anyone from the 4’3 mini-guard to the 6’8 monster. He set the tone and was the ring leader in a truly great half-court defense. 2 years too short and 2 years of greatness brought Adam Schor to the Yavneh program. Schor was a key cog in the offensive and defensive attack, erasing 181 shots in just 2 years (2nd all-time and both single season records). Offensively he was much more than a big bird who could slam dunk as Schor cleaned the glass, finished anything within his grasp, and became a go-to target for Kleinman to become a celebrity. Schor and Guttman truly complemented each other in every way imaginable—a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. Adam Steinbrecher was also a 4-year Bulldog that could dazzle you with his vast array of post moves, proficient outside shooting, and sharp mind. Always supportive, this soldier was a mainstay within the program and contributed to the success specifically the last 2 seasons. Jason Epstein might be the best ambassador the Yavneh program has ever had both on and off the court. From the premier JV captain to becoming as scrappy a guard that there is in high school basketball to completely resurrecting his outside shot, Epstein did much more for Yavneh basketball than a stat line would ever define. The propensity for offensive rebounds at his size made for a nightmare match-up opponents did not account for most nights off the bench. This group set a record for winning percentage last season, a record for school wins this season while narrowly missing another % record, and will forever be known as the group that put Yavneh back on the map in TAPPS. While they fell short of their state as well as Sarachek championships, the bar has been raised for every future Bulldog team moving forward to continue moving the program forward.
From finality comes anticipation, and there is more of that running around Merit Drive than ever before in the school’s history. With Yavneh basketball firmly a player in the TAPPS 3A circuit and also nationally among Jewish schools, a mega 9-team district awaits this budding enterprise. Seniors to be Ori Guttman, Noah Weiss, Zak Schultz and Grant Prengler will serve as leaders both on and off the court. Guttman is as athletic as any player Yavneh has ever had and is a light-bulb and a strong off-season away from putting the whole package together. He is a terror in transition and has the potential to be a big problem for TAPPS opponents. Weiss logged significant post minutes this past season and seems to be phased by nothing. He can finish, run the floor, and be a major presence at the defensive end. Schultz showed moments of brilliance this season and is now a multi-dimensional player with a nice drive to go along with his deadly shot. Prengler is becoming more than a spot up shooter and could be a big time factor as a Senior with the right fine tuning of his game before next season tips off. A freight train of a Junior to be class may be the biggest X-factor in the continuation of Yavneh greatness. Steve Levine, David Steinbrecher, and Jonathan Ochstein all played huge roles in 2013-14 but now will have their moments after not-so-patiently waiting in the wings. Levine shined in the backup point guard spot and electrified all comers during district play. He is a match-up nightmare with the lefty attack and could turn out to be every bit as good as Kleinman when all is said and done. Steinbrecher has bid-ed his time as a role player but it is now time for this knock-down drill sergeant from the outside to become a complete player and team leader. Ochstein was billed as a hybrid that could play inside or outside at really any position, and has been exactly that. With the roster flipping over, he will become more of a key factor in the versatility of the lineup to come. This should be the season that this slashing Junior will become an impossible match-up on either side of the ball. As if that talent was not enough, next year’s team is almost certain to get major contributions from players currently not on the roster. With a bullet-proof carbyne farm system in place at the JV level, there will be immediate help coming for the 2013-14 season. Noah Rubinstein could be the most complete combination of talent, knowledge of the game, and court presence that will ever put on a Yavneh uniform. How quickly he will be a major factor remains to be seen but should be a matter of games rather than seasons. With Schor and Itai Guttman going to play college ball, Weiss may have some post help on the way from an incoming big man to be named later…maybe. The Band of Brothers should produce some immediate help as well one way or another: A new Epstein, Guttman, Schultz, and Romaner are all being delivered express by the Bulldog stork. Specifically, Zach Epstein and Liad Guttman have already logged a JV season and show great promise. With names like Minsky, Lampert, Abouzaglo, and even the potential of a Meir Epstein return makes the upcoming season a present just waiting to be unwrapped. Will the new squad be able to pick up immediately on the success left behind by the stud Senior class? Who will step up as the next group of team leaders? Will Yavneh continue to be at the very top of TAPPS 3A? Will a state title or a Sarachek title be within the program’s grasp once again?
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!!!!!!!
The Kennel Report, concluding its tenth season, has been written by…
Zack Pollack
M&M TL-BW-SP-BR