6th grade pulls off upset, going to the championship

***UPDATE: Highlights below***

The 6th grade boys pulled off an upset Thursday night, beating St. Anne 21-19 in a playoff thriller.

In their previous two meetings, the 6th graders were in the losing end both times, with their last meeting a 28-17 loss.

It was a great start for the boys as Dustin got the ball rolling with a putback layup a minute into the game. Scoring early gave the team confidence and the offense started to click.

Even though they trailed 5-4 heading into the 2nd quarter, the 6th grade played a controlled game and took care of the ball for the most part. They were definitely the aggressor, finding themselves in the bonus in both the first and second half.

Their prettiest play of the evening came when all five players on offense touched the ball. It was great ball movement that ended with a Bill lay-up by the basket. The big man had a game high 9 points.

They outscored St. Anne 7-0 in the 2nd quarter and took an 11-5 lead into halftime.

With the full court press in effect, the 6th grade showed discipline and did not let the pressure rattle them. Even when pressed, they were able to score points. Amarit had a nice drive to the basket using his right hand to score two of his 3 points.

Eric, who scored 7 points, played the best game of his young career and did the majority of ball handling duties for the 6th grade. He was able to use the crossover and was aggressive in taking the ball to the rim.

Midway through the season, Eric was handed the point guard duties and has done a real good job. He was strong with the ball and kept the offense under control down the stretch.

One thing they'll need to avoid in the championship is foul trouble. Bill committed his fourth foul late in the 3rd quarter and it was dicey throughout the final six minutes. They cannot afford to have "The Mailman" on the bench.

Free throws will also need to be better as there were plenty of more misses than makes. However, Eric managed to hit a few down the stretch, which proved to be the difference maker.

With 3.7 seconds left on the clock, the other team had a chance to tie the game or even win it. Of a full court baseball pass, the ball was kicked around before a St. Anne's player took a shot over Bill just inside the three point line.

The ball never hit the rim and the 6th grade jumped up to celebrate their first playoff win and a berth in the championship game Monday night.

Coaches Henry and The Great Larry Wong, who came out of retirement to coach. Both have done a strong job on a team that is made up of three rookies and three second year players.