St. Anne’s 4th graders sweep OLV basketball tourney
While most kids have fun during Christmas break, some St. Anne’s Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) 4th graders managed to have fun and put a trophy under the tree at the same time.
The St. Anne’s 4th grade boys CYO basketball team went undefeated to claim the championship in the Our Lady of Victory Christmas Basketball Tournament, held in Floral Park. The OLV tournament, which ran from Dec. 21-Dec. 29, featured some of the better CYO teams from across the region.
Following wins over Notre Dame and Corpus Christi, the St. Anne’s boys captured the title with a victory over St. Rose in the championship game. Throughout the tournament, the boys displayed an unselfish attitude, some hard-nosed defense, and a relentless desire to win.
Each player contributed to the team’s run to the title. Michael Giammona had some terrific passes, routinely finding the open man. Danny Macchiarola played tough on both ends of the floor, scoring and defending. Brendan Staub was unstoppable in the paint. Charlie Schmatz consistently locked down his man on defense. Mikey Mangione was a master at drawing fouls and getting to the line. Jack Barker dribbled and drove the lane like a pro. Joey and Kyle Wood were honored as co-MVPs of the tournament for their outstanding overall play, while Connor Brock and Jack Schmatz were both named to the All-Tournament team.
