(On September 4th of 2018, The Texas Association Of Private and Parochial Schools issued a forfeiture of this contest to El Paso’s Faith Christian for violation of the TAPPS governance concerning student eligibility. This game will officially be recorded as a 2-0 win for Yavneh but the events below were reported the day they happened and all player statistics have remained on the record for Yavneh participants)
Faith Christian Academy of El Paso defeated Yavneh 62-49 Thursday morning in a TAPPS 3A Semifinal. The loss concludes the Bulldogs magical and historic season at 31-1.
It had been two days shy of an entire year since the Yavneh Boys basketball team lost a basketball game. 31 wins in each of the last two seasons versus now just 5 losses left nearly every opponent searching for answers and most of those instances were victory margins so wide it would take an encyclopedia of WHY to do any justice. On Friday, however, the Bulldogs fell just one win short of playing for a State’s title. They simply ran into a buzz-saw from El Paso that boasted strength, size, shooting, and tenacity the likes of what Yavneh did to so many teams all season long. In what was slated to be a heavyweight bout, most the game did not disappoint. Yavneh threw the first punches and looked like a team on a mission with an electric 6-0 beginning. Senior Captain Micah Romaner stood up to 6’8 post Uriel Uelis on the game’s first possession and found Pierce Bell for a transition finish. Just having Romaner and Los Primos sidekick/cousin Sam Schultz present was so inspirational and meaningful in and of itself. The team has rallied around the cousins while they all honor the memory of their grandmother who has meant so much to this team, program, and entire community with specially embroidered dedicated kippahs and an overall pride in the Yavneh family. Ofek Reef’s steal found the other captain Griffin Levine Sr for free throws and a quick 4-0 lead. When Jonah Eber stole a basketball near court and found Levine and then Reef on a great over-the shoulder dish for points, the Bulldogs had built a 6-0 advantage in exactly one minute of play. Faith Christian was shell-shocked and needed a timeout to regroup but when they did a strong counterpunch ensued. Seven straight points to take a 7-6 lead included the first three pointer of the game for a team that would connect on 7 trifectas in the game and two inside baskets which were a sign of things to come. Levine found Bell for a scoop finish to begin another Yavneh run. The 6-0 Bulldogs and 7-0 Lions spurts were met with a 5-0 response from Yavneh once again in a truly seesaw first period of play. Reef’s full court steal took him all the way down the runway and to the rack and then Levine’s shake-and-bake finish popped the lead back to 12-7 just like that. FCA finished the opening stanza by scoring 7 of the final 10 points to trail only 15-14 after one period of game action. The Bulldogs were shooting 60% but would find it challenging to maintain that against a stout and long FCA defensive unit. Reef slipped through that defense to finish on the right side for 17-14 and the Bulldogs forced an early second period turnover but Salvador Martinez drilled a triple for 3 of his game-high 24 points. The teams continued to trade body blows as Eber set up Bell for a nifty reverse layup and a 19-17 lead. Another Martinez shot from range gave FCA the lead at 20-19 and an 8-2 run built their biggest advantage of 4 points late in the first half. After missing on several close-in opportunities, Yavneh got three more finishes from Bell and the last two off great passes from Levine. That 25-25 deadlock was nearly the halftime score but Uelis tipped in a rebound just before the halftime buzzer to give Faith a 27-25 lead at intermission. Despite the small deficit and the pace of the game, Yavneh was in decent shape with a double rebounds advantage, a +2 in turnovers, and a 5% shooting edge from the field.
There was no reason to think Yavneh would not run FCA off the court in the final 16 minutes just like they have done so many times in the 31 wins. After all, this team never struggles in back-to-back halves. But on this morning into early afternoon, things were just different. The zone defense that the Bulldogs feared with the length that FCA featured slowed the game to a halt and Faith reeled off 5 straight points over the first two minutes of the third period to lead 32-25. The score separation was deadly as Yavneh, really for the first time since December, trailed by over two possessions. It really felt as if the Bulldogs were starting to feel the pressure when Tyler C Winton, inserted into the game for his instant offense, gave all of humanity a ray of hope. With the game slipping away TMac Mc Buckets, as many in the know have added to his clutch Yavneh middle initial, drained a corner laser beam triple to slice the lead to 32-28. With huge and much needed momentum, a defensive stop led to Reef earning two free throws at the basket and the Bulldogs were suddenly within a basket at 32-30. The excitement was deafening and for one final moment in a season filled with one amazing performance after another en route to a somehow still unappreciated 31 straight legendary victories, Yavneh basketball could be felt around the world for exactly what it represents. While the 9-0 spurt that Faith would engineer from that point was sadly the end of the road for this group, this was one final unforgettable moment for a team that will never be forgotten on so many levels. Untimely turnovers and the lack of defensive transition that resulted produced points that the Bulldogs simply could not afford to give up. Pierce rang the Bell for one final mini run with a nice drive, a basket set up by Senior Sam Schultz, and then a dish to Levine for three more points. The wing three from Levine cut the deficit to 45-38 and kept the game in single digits heading to the final chapter of this season. Yavneh would not go down without a fight as Reef followed his own shot and Bell pilfered his final steal for a layup, both cutting the lead back to 7 points. With 6:19 remaining, the margin would get no closer and every offensive rebound, shot make, and free throw from FCA seemed more and more damaging. It became harder for the Bulldogs to score and the inevitable drew closer and closer. Truth be told, FCA flipped the rebounding, shooting, and turnovers in the second half. By losing the ball only twice over the game’s final 16 minutes, Faith took away the one strength for Yavneh that they had to have down the stretch. With no ability to push the tempo and create more possessions, the clock’s mission to find all zeroes was the only thing separating the game from the end of this season. Griffin Levine fittingly scored the final 5 points for the Red-and-Black on one final crown from downtown and a very business-like basket off a pass from Winton. The exchange seemed like a metaphoric thank-you delivery for passing the torch to the next generation. In this game, Pierce Bell led the way with 17 points while Ofek Reef added 16 of his own. Griffin Levine finished with 13 points to go along with 6 assists and also managed to lead the team in rebounds with 5. Salvador Martinez led the way with a game-high 24 points for Faith Christian Academy.
In the end, a disappointing loss to a very talented basketball team derailed the Bulldogs dream for their first State championship. That one game and really one half to end the season, however, cannot erase a season that will go down in history as the stuff dreams are made of. Yavneh (31-1) bested last season’s success with a new most successful year. Another tournament win, a second tournament in which they did not lose, and an outright district title highlighted a tremendous year. The second consecutive State Tournament appearance and 96.9% winning percentage (a new best) solidified this new landmark season. For the Seniors an almost unbelievable three-year record of 83-17 (83%) leaves this basketball program in a healthier state than it has ever been before. Griffin Levine capped an incredible Yavneh career Friday with a second consecutive Co-District MVP (1st Team All District) and safe bet to be back on the All-State 1st team when it is selected. His 1418 points (6th all-time) and 217 steals (6th all-time) coupled with his 431 assists (2nd all-time) puts Levine in rare company to be only the third player ever to be Top 6 in three major categories (retired jerseys Akiva Wolk and Itzy Ribald also hold that distinction) In addition to Levine’s amazing character in being the face of Yavneh basketball, he also led the teams that broke the tournament drought as well as bursting onto the TAPPS scene as a major player. These contributions will never be forgotten for this Yavneh GREAT. Pierce Bell (1st Team All District) finished his career Friday with 641 points, almost all of which came in the last pair of seasons. Bell holds one of the highest career field goal % marks, grabbed 311 rebounds, and is one of very few players with triple digits in points, assists, steals, and rebounds. From the best sixth man in the state last year to a member of one of the best three man scoring combos ever this season, Pierce has been a versatile scoring machine that made the Bulldogs great these last two years. Micah Romaner may have been a Romaniac and the mayor of Baltimore to his fans but this soft-spoken captain led with a confidence that calmed a team that seemed always to be on the edge of something. Romaner (2nd Team All District) scored 228 points, grabbed 304 rebounds, and may only have gotten to double digits one time in his most special game. However…Romaner changed the game with his paint presence and consistency, was the latest Schultz family mainstay to represent the Yavneh concept with such class and reverence for 4 full years, and will forever be remembered as a co-captain on this greatest team of 2017-18. Cousin Sam Schultz (Honorable Mention All-District) finally settled into a Varsity role in 2017-18 and shined as a defensive stopper off the bench. Primarily known for his microwave ability to shoot through his sub-varsity years, Schultz may well have won the Weiner Tournament with his lock down defense in the championship game. While it is scary to think what could have been in a four-year career, Schultz was no small part of the 2017-18 greatness. The final Senior Seth Gerstenfeld was a four-year player in the program and one of the most supportive athletes to ever don a Yavneh jersey. Whether captaining the JV, livening the bench on this year’s team, or just helping to get his teammates better, Seth was an all-star without ever reaching a 19th career point. His ability to take charges was Gerstenfeld’s calling card but as the lifeblood of the Bulldog bench his legacy will live forever.
From heartbreak and finality comes hope for the future….and WOW is this pipeline loaded like a random oil rig in West Texas. Junior transfer Ofek Reef had a decent rookie year with 583 points, 284 rebounds, nearly a 70% shooting clip, and a Co-District MVP (1st Team All District) to boot. A probable All-State 1st Team selection, this kid put on a SHOWfek in 2017-18. Never before has this school seen this combination of strength, power, dunking ability, shooting and just overall mismatchization that Reef brings to the table. One more year brings endless possibilities for how this story will end. Eli Minsky will Red Rocket his way into his Senior season and could become the power player that he has been building up to be. Minksy has shooting ability and rebounding promise that the 2018-19 team could capitalize on after one final summer of development. Likewise Zach Bernstein, who has proven that he can score in buckets, will need to step up for his Senior season and euro-step his way back to greatness. Bernstein is a talent ready to break out and deliver what he proved to be un-guardable at the sub-varsity level a year ago. It is horrific for opponents to think that this Sophomore class still has two full years to play with. Jonah Eber (1st Team All District) has already played two full Varsity seasons and is a premier defender in the program. 116 assists had this guard setting up the scorers left and right in a much needed role but now his time has truly come. Eber is at a critical juncture as he becomes a leader of this team and must carry the burden of scoring, defending, and managing the games going forward. Big shoes to fill with Levine moving on will apply to Eber and Tyler Winton (2nd Team All District), who burst onto the scene as predicted in this very publication 34 triples, 150 points, and 66 assists. TW3, Clutch, TMac, McBuckets, and the list goes on for this pure scorer that is well on his way to Bulldog greatness. As he continues to become much more than the lights out three-point shooter that helped make 31-1 happen in 2017-18, Winton must evolve into a do-everything team leader and all-time great for this team to get where it needs to go in the next two years. Mason Schwaber (2nd Team All District) now must step into the role as THE Yavneh post player. 101 points and 64 rebounds was a nice start but Mt Mason will have to shoulder the load of being that man in the middle for a team that will desperately need it. Schwaber showed promise this season and will continue to gain momentum in the painted area on both offense and defense as he becomes quicker, stronger, and more of a nightmare for the opposition to deal with. Replacing 5 Seniors will start with a grassroots effort at the JV level and there are so many candidates to look towards. Nachi Zucker almost surely will provide a mid-range punch and some size as a Senior ready for the next step. Point guard sensation Yoav Even is a critical piece to the future as he may be the best pure passer since Sam Kleinman and his play-making creativity is something that will be a game changer in starting life after Griff. Defensive specialist Reece Parker could take his athleticism on tour sometime very soon and give this team the stopper they will need, a role that could be desperately needed depending on The Decision 2018 in regards to athletic quadathlete Max Weinstein. Sharpshooter Tom Oster has off the bus range and could be ready to assume his role after a pivotal summer. Wing specialist Elisha Klein, maybe the most versatile prospect to eventually replace what was lost from the departure of Pierce Bell, is athletic and ready to take this country by storm. Zander Feinstein (Xander to the basketball world) has proven his worth as a premier scorer and is honing his skills in preparation for a leap to greatness. His ability to score the basketball will soon help this team thrive. Negotiations are ongoing to secure the talents of THE Simcha Malina, who might be the best Look what I Found finisher since the great Noah Weiss. Malina could be the key to success in 2018-19 and scouts everywhere are well aware of his upside and potential. Nik Krasovitsky’s paint skills, Jonah Sunshine’s long distance prowess, and Reece Neiman’s bruising post presence all wait in the wings as well with a vision to soon be the next big thing at Yavneh. With maybe the best 8th grade class since the 1932 Kansas City Middle School Rattlers making their way across town, replacing all the outgoing talent may be a softer blow than meets the eye. Headlined by a Big Three of their own that includes a player that is very much For Rael who can score inside, outside, and everywhere in between, an 8-tool player that can play all 5 positions similar to the great Noah Rubinstein and actually shares the same first name, and a shooter with unlimited range, heart, and ability who is sure to be the greatest guard to where goggles and shoot 65 foot jumpers to ever play at Yavneh.
Two years that will never be forgotten could very well breed a third that is as good or better. With athletic Reef as a centerpiece and the guards, bigs, and swings around him, 2018-19 is lining up to be special yet again. Will a threepeat in Baltimore be in the cards? Can Yavneh win at least a share of a third district title and outlast incoming powerhouse Texoma Christian and a peaking Covenant all while reloading/tweaking? Will the Bulldogs get back to the State Tournament for a third straight year, can they get back to the Finals, and this time can they dare to win it all?
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!
The Kennel Report, concluding its 14th season, has been written by…
Zack Pollack M&M TL-BW-SP-BR LS