Alley-oop, an AAU boys basketball team based in Ridgefield, won the 8th Grade State Championship in Hartford this past weekend. After the completion of pool play on Saturday the boys moved onto the playoffs on Sunday morning and cruised to an easy win in their quarterfinals game. In the semi-finals they played the CT Vale from Middletown, CT. The boys were hobbled by a few injuries but fought through it and overcame a 20 point deficit late in the game, tying it with one second left on the clock in regulation and winning in overtime. In the finals they faced the Northstars from Hartford. It was a back and forth battle as the boys fought through a hot gym, injuries and foul trouble but they emerged with a 56-47 victory. The team will be deciding their summer plans as the win qualified them for AAU Division 1 Nationals at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida and previous tournament wins have also qualified them for Zero Gravity Basketball Nationals in Boston, MA and the Prime Event Boys National Showcase at Universal in Florida.
First Row: Evan Collins, Colin O’Keefe and Conor Kain. Second row: Michael Callahan (Mahopac), Thomas McCluskey (New Fairfield), Justin DiFabio, Matthew Knachel, Sean O’Hara and Brian O’Hara (coach). Not present: Finn Atkins and Logan Gels
