Rye Recreation’s 5th and 6th grade All Star Team won the Westchester County Basketball Tournament March 18. The league is comprised of boys from 17 communities. 

 

By Melanie Cane

 

Rye Recreation’s 5th and 6th grade All Star Team won the Westchester County Basketball Tournament March 18. The league is comprised of boys from 17 communities. 

 

To advance to the finals, Rye Rec beat Mt. Pleasant, North Castle, and Eastchester. 

 

In the final playoff game, Rye Rec won. Rye Rec trailed by eight points with two minutes left in the championship game. Skyler Twyman sunk a pair of last-minute three-point shots and Parker Vanamee hit a layup to send the game into overtime. Rye Recreation won by beating Rye Brook, 40-35.  

 

 

Every year, Rye Recreation offers an eight-team boys basketball league which runs from November through February. The program begins with four weeks of skills and drills followed by a draft in which the boys are split onto one of the eight teams. They then play a 13-game season concluding with the popular March Madness Tournament held at Rye Middle and the Osborn schools. Every coach picks a player to represent the City of Rye as a member of the All Star Team. 

 

 

In addition to Twyman and Vanamee, this year’s All Star team was comprised of Chad Antico, Troy Egan, John Neave, Matt McCarthy, Quinn Kelly, Jack Tartaglia, Sam Poole, Brian Latkany, and Cameron Coleman. The coaches were Rashidi Lewis, Rob Angilletta, and Josh Kirsch.

 

 

“I could not be happier for a group of young kids than I am for these eleven boys,’’ Coach Kirsch said.  “The boys didn’t put their heads down or give up, but rather the kids kept fighting and showed their determination and grit to the very last second. I couldn’t think of anyone who deserves to be champions more than these kids.”

 

Rye City Council will honor the boys during its April 3 meeting at City Hall.