Foglia YMCA Fall Basketball Season Scores Points With Kids

One of the most popular programs at the Foglia YMCA is their youth basketball program. Starting with kindergarten-age kids and continuing through the eighth grade, the league is currently comprised of 52 teams. With approximately 10 players on each team, there are more than 500 children who are participating in the program.

"We have a few teams that have been together for several years, and in some cases we'll accommodate kids who want to be on the same team for car pooling purposes," said Eric Palmblad, interim program director and also one of the referees. All of the boys play at their respective grade level from kindergarten through fourth grade. Then starting at the fifth grade level there are mixed-grade teams."

All of the teams are designated a color and then decide on a team name. In a game last Saturday afternoon at Middle School South, the Green Celtics took on the Orange City Rats, a team that has been together for four years.

"We haven't had exactly the same boys on the team the whole time," said City Rats coach Tom Brodner. "But we've had a core group of the same boys. It's been great being able to keep the team together the whole time."

While all of the regular teams play at either Spencer Loomis or Middle School South, there are also several travel teams that play other teams in the area.

In one of several games played last Saturday at Middle School South, the Green Celtics defeated the Orange City Rats 24-14. The first basket was sunk by the Celtic's D.J. Young on a lay-up after a pass from Michael Hutchings. The City Rats answered back when Dewey Drehobl put one in under the net. The Celtics followed up with a basket by Michael Hutchings to make it 4-2.

The game also featured some solid rebounding. The Celtic's Ben Cornelius, playing injured with a finger splint, was still a highly effective rebounder, garnering all of his four points on rebounds. The City Rat's Jason Ims was solid with several rebounds and also several baskets.

Other players who scored included Addison McGrath, Blake Savlon and  Simer Singh for the City Rats, and Zane Chung-Mehdi, Bryan Mlodzianowski and Grant Zuchnik for the Celtics. Eric Antonoff, Jacob Brodner and Tim Murguia also contributed with rebounds and assists for the City Rats, while Jacob Bieniec, Steven Mueller, Tommy Ortman likewise chipped in for the Celtics.

The current fall season, which began at the end of October, will conclude on Saturday, Dec. 18. The winter league will kick off mid-January and will finish up mid-March, and the spring league will start the first week of April and run through the middle of May.

The Foglia YMCA is located at 1025 Old McHenry Road in Hawthorn Woods. For more information about their boys or girls basketball programs, call 847-438-5300.