2023 Blue Chips off to Great Start

2023 North Coast Blue Chips-Tournament Champions

This past weekend at the Nike Gym Rats’ MLK tourney in Ft. Wayne, IN, David Lane’s North Coast Blue Chips (NCBC) team started the 2017 season off with a bang after finishing 6-0 on their way to the 6^th grade title. After roaring though pool play with four 30-40 point victories, the Blue Chips would face a talented Maumee Bay Turf in the championship game.  Although the game was competitive early, NCBC would go on to get the 53-33 victory and the crown.  It should be noted that NCBC found themselves in a dog fight with a very talented MWA Elite (Michigan) in the semifinals.  Although they easily handled most of the teams they faced in the tournament, they only got my MWA Elite by 9 points (49-40). MWA Elite is powered by Anthony Benard, Tyler Jamison and Ryan Hurst.

The Blue Chips have added some pieces for this season including Ohio’s Ty Long who has had a big impact on the team’s post play, Chicago’s Amir Robinson, Cleveland’s LA Hayes and Cincinnati’s Chandler Starks.  Still there are Broney, Gabe Cupps, Chicago’s Koi Thurman, Dayton’s Sean Thigpen and Pittsburg’s Rodney Gallagher.  We look forward to catching the Blue Chips in action at our March 31^st-April 2^nd Buckeye Prep Invitational Tournament!

Maumee Bay Turf (MBT) may have fallen short in the title game, but a 4-2 record against some tough teams bodes well Brad Morrison’s team going forward. MBT was led by the efforts of CJ Hornbeak III, Luke Montgomery, Michael Greenlee Jr. Justyn Toler and Deric Janes.  MBT has a chance for a rematch, as they will also be attending our tournament March 31^st-April 2^nd.  Can’t wait to see that game!

For the record, NCBC’c 2024 team brought home a championship as well, going 5-0 over the weekend.  This championship comes on the heels of a tournament victory at the Winter Jam in Texas.

Finally, as a follow up to an earlier piece, the 7^th grade Shaker Heights Raiders rode an undefeated (17-0) season to a GCC League Championship on Saturday.  On Saturday, the Raiders claimed the title with a 58-52 win over Solon Middle School.  In the championship game, Danny Young Jr. exploded for a game-high 31 points, followed by Jaylen Brown with 10 points, and Adam Diaz who finished with 8 points.  Congratulations Coach Kevin Foster, his players and fans for a fantastic season!