The magical season is over for the Brownell Bruins 8th grade
boys basketball team, losing 56-47 on Wednesday to a much taller
and better shooting Sierramont team out of San Jose.
The magical season is over for the Brownell Bruins 8th grade boys basketball team, losing 56-47 on Wednesday to a much taller and better shooting Sierramont team out of San Jose.
Before that, however, they dismantled the Sheppard Trojans of San Jose in an unexpected final home game on Tuesday by a score of 51-37. Both games featured the return of Evan Shapiro after a four game absence.
Shapiro went down with a severely sprained ankle against Britton Middle School of Morgan Hill in a matchup of two unbeaten teams. His 15-points-per-game average was missed in that loss, but the Run ‘n’ Gun Bruins managed to make the playoffs without him.
Playing for the first time in month, Shapiro dominated the first playoff game by scoring 14 points against Sheppard in a first quarter that saw the Bruins take a 21-3 lead. Shapiro ended that game with 19 points and 12 rebounds in limited play.
He was joined in the scoring frenzy by Trevor Hadnot (12 points, 4 steals) and Hector Perez (9 points, 4 steals, 4 assists). Coach Scott Aldridge was once again able to play all of his players, getting production from Zach Loo (7 points). Kevin Costa, Jeremy Botill, Johnny Romero, Jeff Driggs, and Joshua Boykin who all added two points each.
That victory propelled the Brownell Bruins into the Santa Clara County Championship Final Four where they took on perennial champion Sierramont of San Jose.
Despite a height disadvantage and hot perimeter shooting by Sierramont, the Bruins kept pace with their signature werewolf attack defense. A sluggish first quarter saw the Bruins down only 12-11. The second quarter belonged to Shapiro, Perez, and Zach Fishler. They matched the Spartans with 13 points to finish the first half down 25-24. The end of the third quarter saw the Bruins take the lead for the first time by a score of 37-35.
The Spartans got hot in the fourth quarter, though, scoring 21 points on three-point shooting, relentless offensive rebounding, and points in the paint by their 6-foot-2 center. Forced to foul in the final minutes, the Bruin offense managed only 10 points.
Shapiro again took center stage with 22 points. Hadnot (8 points), Perez (6 points), Botill (5 points), Tinoco (3 points) and Zach Fishler (3 points) rounded out Brownell’s 47 points.
“These boys, along with their big brothers at Gilroy and Christopher High, have benefited tremendously from having played NJB ball since they were little kids,” said Coach Scott Alderson. NJB is the National Junior Basketball association which plays its games on Sundays in Gilroy High School as well as other gyms from Hollister to Los Gatos. “I think this bodes well for Gilroy athletics in general and Gilroy hoops in particular. I think Gilroy fans will see a lot of these kids in the next four years.”
