RAW SPORTS ALL STARS “ROAD TO REDEMPTION” by Saafir Starling

The Raw Sports All Stars played in their first competition of the 2016 Donofrio Tournament last Thursday, March 31st. They played an aggressive Del-Val VC team that put up a strong fight the entire first half.

The first few minutes of the half were tightly contested, as Del-Val took a small lead in the early going. This wasn’t anything to fret about as the Raw Sports team overcame the lead and produced one of their own with help from the deep threes poured in by Manheim Central’s Taylor Funk. The Raw Sports All stars maintained a 2 to 8 point lead throughout the first half. There was a lot of chippy play that the Raw Sports Team had to endure, however, they fought hard to maintain the momentum as they went into the second half leading 52-44 partly due to the consistent play by Reading high guard Lonnie Walker.

As the second half began the chippy play continued, if not worsening, but so did the lead the Raw Sports All Stars held. The persistent defense and nifty offensive style from their Spring Grove guard Eli Brooks brought the team to life. The team went on an astounding run that left the Del-Val team stunned in the quick transformation by the All Stars. Producing a plethora of turnovers and steals became the team’s forte as the game progressed.

A multitude of turnovers by Del-Val led to dunks and flashy plays down at the other end of the floor. A prime example of the team’s tenacious defense leading to fast break points was Williamsport guard Stan Scott’s monster jam over a Del-Val defender following a steal down the opposite direction.

The game then took a turn, you looked up and the Raw Sports All Stars were up 20 plus. This is how the game played out throughout the latter part of the second half. Kobe Gantz of McCaskey High school and Lonnie Walker both gave the team a boost with their defensive play and non stop hustle on both ends of the floor. Harrisburg’s Anthony Johnson and McDevitt’s James Williams contributed on the glass combining for a vast majority of the team’s rebounds.

The sneaky play and relentless nose for the ball from Reading high’s senior guard Khary Mauras deemed enough to seal a second round victory for the Raw Sports squad. Though challenged at first, the Raw Sports team coasted to a 113-86 point win over the Del-Val VC team. Their next game will be played against the winner of Just Clean it and Positive Image. Now that the Raw Sports All Stars have been introduced to the competition, their next challenge is to see if they can carry their 27 point victory into their next bout.

Saafir Starling