Ely sixth grade boys take consolation championship at Hibbing tournament
The Ely boys sixth grade team went to Hibbing High school on March 12th to participate in a 16 team basketball tournament. The young Timberwolves represented their school very well, as they bounced back from a couple of early round losses and won the final two games in the consolation bracket to take the consolation championship.In the first game, the Wolves ran into a very potent Chisholm squad and lost by the score of 37-10. Next up, was a very young Duluth East team that rallied from nine points down to squeak by the Wolves 25-24, which then put Ely into the consolation bracket. After lunch, the Timberwolves came out strong against the Hibbing 2 team and held off a fourth quarter charge to win 29-21, putting the Wolves into the consolation championship game against Grand Rapids. Ely got off to a fast start and never looked back, cruising to a 46-21 victory. Coach Cory Lassi said after the final game, “It was fun to watch the team get stronger as the day went on and that they really started playing good team ball, especially in the championship game.” The team, which called up two fifth graders and a third grader to bolster its bench seemed to gain confidence with every possession, which will be a key factor as they gear up for their final tournament April 9-10 at Chishom High School.CHISHOLM 37, ELY 10The Wolves started the day a little shaky, as the Bluestreaks defense put the clamps down, holding Ely to just 10 points. Steven Weisinger led the way for Ely with eight points and Sam Beers had two.DULUTH EAST 25, ELY 24Ely’s second game of the tournament was a real nailbiter. The game featured five ties and seven lead changes. East went to full court pressure in the fourth quarter and created some key turnovers. Holding on to a slim five point lead with less than two minutes to go, the Timberwolves turned the ball over twice, leading to easy baskets for the Greyhounds, then put a dagger in the hearts of the Ely parents as Aaron Zabinski scored on the final play of the game to put Duluth East up 25-24. Leading the scoring for the Timberwolves was Weisinger with 12 points. Anders Broman was the top scorer for East with 8 points.ELY 29, HIBBING TWO 21Ely’s first game in the consolation round was not as close as the score would suggest, as the Wolves held Hibbing to just one point in the first half, while scoring 21 themselves. This offensive outburst allowed Coach Lassi the opportunity to play his bench for most of the second half and rest his starters for the championship game. The two fifth graders and one third grader showed some inexperience, but they got some valuable court time, which will be important for the upcoming Chisholm tournament. Once again, Weisinger was the top scorer for the Wolves with 16 points. Hibbing’s Josh Rajkovich led the Bluestreaks with 11.ELY 46, GRAND RAPIDS 21The consolation championship game was never in doubt, as three Ely players scored in double figures and seven players overall in the score book. Rebounding was the key for Ely as the trio of Steven Ivancich, Caleb Meskill and Patrick Boedeker dominated the boards on both ends of the floor, especially on the offensive side. Sam Beers paced the Wolves with 12 points. The Steves, Weisinger and Ivancich each had 10 points, with Steven Ivancich registering a double- double, collecting 11 rebounds. Patrick Boedeker chipped in eight points to go along with his game high 14 rebounds.The sixth grade team roster is; Steven Weisinger, Steven Ivancich, Patrick Boedeker, Caleb Meskill, Sam Beers, Bryce Perushek, Earl Innis. fifth graders Sean Fisher and Nick Jordan and third grader Sean Jordan. The team is coached by Cory Lassi and assisted by Clarence Jordan.
