Region Champs

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

They may play in the Minors Division but what the Palisades Recreation Center’s 9 and 10-year-old All-Star basketball teams accomplished on Saturday morning in Westwood was no minor feat. First, the Co-Rec squad beat Mar Vista 34-22 and one hour later the girls defeated Cheviot Hills 30-11. The skill and sportsmanship both teams exhibited made their community proud and earned them championship banners which will be hung on the wall of the gym.

Under the guidance of head coach Vijay Srinivasan and his assistant Brian Hansen, the Co-Rec team consisting of Jace Hansen, Ben Ahdoot, Milo Irwin, Sina Naiem, Arjun Srinivasan, Justin Eghbal, Dylan Kroeger, Jackson Moore, Remy Moore and Levi Westgren began its March Madness run with pool play victories over Penmar and Westchester, then beat Palisades’ No. 2 team 40-24 in the quarterfinals and Cheviot Hills 46-24 in the semifinals.

On Saturday, Irwin turned back-to-back steals into layups at the other end to give his side a 17-7 lead at halftime. He finished with a game-high 12 points, Srinivasan added nine, Naiem and Kroeger each contributed four points, Westgren and Jackson Moore each made one basket and Ahdoot sank a free throw.

The Moore brothers, Ahdoot and Naiem were also teammates on the Pali FC Warriors, an AYSO Region 69 Extra team that reached the West Circuit playoffs last winter.

Pali Rec Senior Facilities Director Jasmine Dowlatshahi and Recreation Assistant Justin Weddle were there to congratulate the boys, who were presented medals and a two-foot tall trophy.

“This is a wonderful group of kids who played their hearts out,” Coach Srinivasan said. “All they’ve been talking about is putting up a banner.”

Irwin started playing basketball only a year and a half ago and plays flag football too.

“We were very confident,” said Irwin, a fourth grader at Calvary Christian School who named the Lakers as his favorite team and D’Angelo Russell as his favorite player.”All of our games were blowouts.”

Added Eghbal, who started playing basketball at the age of 3: “We were talking about getting a banner with our names on it in every practice.”

Remy Moore, a fifth grader at Marquez Elementary, said: “My brother [Jackson] and I play all sports together, we like being on the same team and it’s amazing to win this together.”

The girls took a 13-2 lead into halftime and widened the margin gradually in the second half en route to winning the Minors title for the third year in a row.

Head coach Shelia Martin and assistant coach Sean Cudzil’s talented roster was made up of Nyla Smith, Emily Cudzil, Noe Snyder, Ella Edwards, Maggie Walsh, Coco Partovi, Olive Hyland, Charley Chou, Catie Sterparn and Piper Green.

Smith, Martin’s daughter, led the way with 12 points, Hyland, Sterparn and Snyder each had four, and Chou, Cudzil and Edwards added two apiece.

“My mom makes us do three-hour practices so we worked really hard,” said Smith, a fifth-grader at Warner Avenue. “I’m proud of myself and my team.”

Sterparn, the only player returning from last year’s region championship team, thanked her parents for giving her motivation: “It’s really satisfying when we win. Coach Shelia helped me improve a lot.”

Hyland, a fifth grader at Kenter Canyon, has only played basketball for four months but is already a rising star.

“My mom used to play in high school and college and wanted me to try out and it’s really fun,” she said.

“My mom will be coaching me soon for spring league.”

Martin, who played high school hoops in Seattle, previously coached her sons’ Majors and Rookies Rec League teams. She guided Palisades to first place in its pool with wins against Penmar and Cheviot Hills, followed by a 35-20 semifinal win versus Westwood on March 19 to set up a finals rematch with Cheviot.

Both local teams advance to the Citywide Tournament, which will be held April 2-6 at Obama Sports Complex in Baldwin Hills. The girls were CItywide champions last year.

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