St. Camillus / St. Virgilius MVPs of the Week

By Bill Swensen

The St. Camillus/St. Virgilius basketball program is underway with 150 local kids from 4th grade to 8th grade, playing in the Girls and Boys leagues. Here are some standout players this week.

Mara Brady 

Girls League 

Mara is the league’s top scorer averaging 18 points per game. She’s a very smooth player who makes everything look easy on the court. This game she did it all. Pulling down rebounds and playing suffocating defense. She led her team to a first-place finish during the season and now her 19 points in this game has led her team to a place in the finals.

Connor Chavanne 

Junior Boys League 

Connor did it all in this game. He dominated every part of the game. Pulling down rebounds, making timely steals on defense, and scoring at all the key moments of the game. He was one of the main reasons that his Red team had an undefeated record. In this crucial semi-final game, he led this game in scoring with 12 points, which sent his team into the Championship game next week.

James Williams 

Senior Boys League 

James is like a flash on the court. He is so quick and has so many unstoppable moves, he is amazing to watch. He got off to a slow start this week in his semi-final game. He only scored three points in the first half, but he more than made up for it in the more important second half. He poured in an incredible 20 points during the critical time of the game which allowed his team to move on the Championship game next week.

Sekou Harper 

Senior Boys League 

Sekou is the kind of player every coach loves having on their team. He does whatever it takes to win, and his energy is contagious. He seems to be involved in every play. He fights under the boards for rebounds on both ends of the court. He pulls down offensive rebounds and puts them back in or gives his teammates second opportunities to score. However, in this game, which went into overtime, this fearless player outdid himself. With about 20 seconds left in overtime and his team down by one point he stepped up and was willing to take the big shot. He put up a three from the corner and it hit nothing but net. This clutch shot enabled his team to come away with a remarkable two-point win and a trip to the Championship game.

Jacob O’Connor

Junior Boys

League 

Jacob is a very special player in this league. He is absolutely a fan favorite. He has come a long way this year. Now he plays solid defense and to see him get on the floor and fight for a loose ball is truly uplifting. There was one thing he hadn’t accomplished this year. He hadn’t made a basket. But that all came to an end this week. Jacob made his first basket and when he did, the crowd went wild. Even more inspiring was the reaction from all the players on the court. They were earnestly excited for him. They cheered and jumped and then they showered him with hugs and backslaps and high-fives. If you’ve lost any faith in the youth of today, their actions on this day would have restored it. It was, without question, the most beautiful moment this league has ever experienced.