Another Great Year of Basketball  St. Camillus / St. Virgilius Crowns Their Champions

By Bill Swensen

The St. Camillus/St. Virgilius basketball programs, which run from January through March, have completed another very successful season. This program is for all kids in the community from the 4th grade to the 8th grade. This year we had more than 150 players participating in these leagues.

The competition in these leagues is tremendous. They include players with all different skill levels, and we have enthusiastic crowds coming down every week to watch these games and cheer the players on. One thing that is important to note is that it is a main focus of these leagues to ensure that all players get their fair share of playing time, so they all get to experience the fun of competing.

This past Wednesday, March 25, was championship night. All the teams that made it to this point should be very proud of their achievement.

The Girls championship (4th – 8th grade) featured the Red team, coached by Annie Dodson, versus the Purple team, coached by Greg Wilkinson and Brian Fox. The Red team was really on their game on this night. Every player on the team was doing their part and contributing in some way. This overall team play was too much for the Purple team to overcome, and the Red team secured a well-deserved solid victory to win the championship.

The Junior Boys championship (4th & 5th grade) featured the Orange team, coached by Brian Chavanne, taking on the Blue team, coached by Jose Gutierrez and Emeka Nwajei. This was a great game to watch. It was a one-point game headed into the 4th quarter. The crowd was really into this one. Parents and all the other spectators were doing all they could to cheer their team on. The Orange team really showed up big in the 4th quarter, and due to the depth of their team talent they were able to pull off a close victory and walk away champions.

The Senior Boys championship (6th – 8th grade) featured the Purple team, coached by Mike Costin, going up against the Blue team, coached by Tom McDonagh. This was another exciting game to watch. The pace was furious, and the lead was going back and forth all game long. There was just one big shot being made after another. The teams entered the 4th quarter with the Purple team holding a two-point lead. The 4th quarter was intense, and both teams were relentless in their effort to pull out a victory. In the end, the Purple team was able to hold on to their slim lead and come away with a victory and a championship.

Coach Mike wanted it noted, in order to give credit where credit is due, that he was not available for the draft and his wife Shannon actually picked this team for him. Great job, Shannon!

Thank you to all the coaches who volunteered their time to help teach the kids in the community how to play basketball and for teaching them some important life lessons that are also learned by kids playing together as a team.

A big thank you goes out to Ron Hooks who organizes all the referees for these leagues and is always there whenever help is needed.

Lastly, a very special thank you to Calvin Stanley, who is in the gym two days a week for about 10 hours, doing everything necessary to make these leagues possible.

It has to be mentioned how blessed we are that St. Camillus will be staying open. This was the most amazing news we could have ever received. God bless all the people who worked so hard to make this happen and thank you so much to all the people who showed up at church to make this possible. All of the St. Camillus community is overjoyed about this news including the hundreds of kids in our basketball programs.

Well, that’s it for another great year of St. Camillus/St. Virgilius basketball. I hope every player who is still eligible comes back and joins us again next year, and if you weren’t part of the fun this year, we hope you will join us next year.