Around this time of year, talk about wins, losses, fouls and competition between LHS YBall teams cram the halls. For high schoolers, the Young Men’s Christian Association, YMCA, offers two sports programs: basketball and flag football. Underclassmen to upperclassmen get to know their teammates, their attire and even their signature plays. If you need to learn the importance of LHS YBall history, let the teams below show you the key to success. The question is: what team are you following to the championship game?
Teams: IMG Academy, Ice Spice Elite, IDLN, Ballin’ Brazies, Brickfest club, Team 5.
The simplified run-down of YBall is simple. YBall games consist of two 20-minute halves. The rules require each team to fill the roster with at least seven players currently attending high school. Each player is allowed to participate on one team; no player can be on more than one team per season. The clock is constantly running and only stops in the remaining two minutes of the second half. All fouls accomplished in the last two minutes of the second half will conclude in an additional two-shot free throw; bonuses and double bonuses are exempt at this time. After a 15-point lead, full-court press is prohibited. Each team is entitled to two timeouts per game. In overtime, each team will receive another timeout to use to their desire. The layout for overtime includes a three-minute running clock and a five-minute grace period given before the start of any game. If teams fail to start the game before the five-minute grace ends, it will result in a forfeit. All technical fouls will translate in points toward the opposing team. NO DUNKING or it will result in a technical foul. If a team forfeits three games they will be dropped from the league with no refunds on league fees. There is no rescheduling of games.
IMG Academy
A senior lead YBall team consists of Sawyer Mindt, Sawyer Tolk, Ryan Hirsch, Charlie Theophilus, Jake Vander Feen, Hirsch, Preston Huwe, Kooper Perry, Dayton Griess and Brycen Mitchell. “Our team name is IMG Academy and we picked that because it is where all of the best high school athletes go for high school,” said Mitchell. The boys’ record is one win and zero losses, but the reason they have put together their team this YBall season is to stay active and to have fun. A successful team practices. “Our practices are us going to GreatLife and running five vs five,” said Mitchell. IMG Academy’s signature play is called the “iso”. The “iso” play is where every player clears the court and the player with the ball goes one-on-one with the defender. Not being allowed to let them score with their dunk game has to be their least favorite rule, but with that being said, no rule can stop them from succeeding in their b-ball game.
IDLN
This LHS YBall team is made up of 10 players: Cole Garner, Graham Eisenberg, Arvid Nelsen, Nolan Slade, Gavin Casanova, Ryan Baker, George Osterloo, Aedan Wagner, Tristain Rabanales and Riley Haubert. “Our team name is IDLN: I don’t lose nerds. We originally came up with that name because one opposing player called us nerds,” said Garner. Originally, due to commitment and issues, IDLN was conflicted; they all enjoyed participating in basketball, but the time and effort required to play LHS basketball was impossible to handle. YBall resolved all of their problems. “Last year we finished with zero wins and eight loses, but this year we have newfound hope,” said Garner. IDLN practices rarely occur, but when they do, their main focus is team bonding and constructing superior plays. “Our least favorite rule of Y-ball is the half-court shot rule because if you’re down or just messing around, a half-court shot can really brighten up the team,” said Garner. Adding to their success, their signature play is the “crash.” The “crash” happens when all the players bark to intimidate the opposing team. This allows IDLN to continue playing the ball, make a quick pass and score as the other team is distracted.
