G7 and G8 Basketball Championship Games: The Final Showdowns

This season, both the seventh and eighth-grade basketball teams made it to the championship! Both games were packed with intensity and excitement, with each team playing at their absolute best. Below is a detailed summary of both games.

Seventh Grade

The seventh-grade game was against Salesian, who entered the match undefeated in the regular season. The first quarter began with promising energy, and New School ended it leading 8–3, with Dom and Quinn each scoring 4 points. However, the second quarter didn’t start as well. Salesian quickly caught up, tying the game at 8–8 before Coach Jarrod called a timeout with just under 2 minutes remaining in the half. After the timeout, Dom stepped up big time, sinking back-to-back three-pointers! By halftime, New School led 20–10, with Dom contributing a remarkable 14 points.

In the third quarter, Quinn added 4 more points, and other players also chipped in, increasing New School's lead to 27–13. The fourth quarter was a nail-biter. Both teams exchanged baskets, but Salesian closed the gap, narrowing New School's lead to just five points with less than a minute remaining. With the game on the line, Felix hit a crucial jump shot, and Dom sealed the deal with two key free throws. Thanks to their efforts, New School was able to maintain the lead, and Salesian couldn't score again. The final score was 31–25 in favor of New School, marking a historic victory.

Dom finished the game with an impressive 19 points, while Quinn added 8. As a player in the game, I can attest that the energy from the fans was incredibly supportive and enthusiastic, making the victory even sweeter. This championship win was the first in New School history for any sport, and it’s one the team will never forget! Unfortunately, there are no links to a video of the seventh-grade game available at this time.

G7 Team

Eighth Grade

The eighth-grade team played St. John, having beaten them earlier in the season by a score of 42–24. The scores were very close throughout the game, but St. John pulled away with a lead just before the end of the first half. In the second half, New School slowly came back, tying the score with 2 minutes left in the game. In the end, St. John barely pulled away in the last 2 minutes to secure the championship by 7 points. The final score was 30 to 37 in favor of St. John.

I was a fan at that game, and there was a lot of cheering and chants from both sides. The game did have a few controversial calls, but the calls didn’t ultimately decide the outcome of the game. G8 played very hard, and “left everything on the court,” according to Coach DeVries. The team still finished with a phenomenal 7-1 record by the end of the season.

G8 Team

Conclusion 

Both the seventh and eighth-grade teams played their hardest, with the seventh-grade team winning the first-ever championship in any sport for New School. Despite the eighth-grade team's loss, their dedication and perseverance were evident throughout the season.