The Truth Staff
The eight-week Scott High School Alumni Legends Junior High School Spring Basketball League concluded on Saturday, May 2, with both a championship game and an All-Star game. Players from around the city received trophies, medals, t-shirts and framed certificates for their achievements during the spring season.
Organized by Leroy Bates, a Scott graduate and former legendary Libbey High School basketball coach, the eight-week league consisted of pre-high school boys who formed eight teams. On May 2, the Vikings and Glenwood Elite played for the championship title.
Prior to the championship game, two teams of all star players, chosen by the league coaches, competed.
“The coaches selected their all-stars,” said Bates. “They selected the kids that have potential or those who they just wanted to reward with an extra game.”
A host of Scott alumni athletes attended the event, including Carnel Smith, EdD, former outstanding athlete for the Bulldogs and currently the Scott principal.
During the awards ceremony, Smith thanked those who had come out to support the players at the game sand those who have supported the league financially.
The new Scott boys basketball coach was also on hand to lend his support.
James Johnson, himself an alumnus, will be taking the reins to the hoop program shortly.
Terry Roberts, whose youth program TLR Athletic Ministries, was a participant as a coach. The mission of TLR is to develop student athletes by giving them the tools they need to become successful in life.
And indeed the youngsters were not just athletes but student/athletes as Coach Bates emphasized.
“We wanted to stress they are student athletes,” said Bates of the purpose of the Scott Alumni Legends Junior High School Spring Basketball League.
And the champions were … Glenwood Elite, who proved to indeed be elite. They finished the regular season undefeated at 7 – 0 and handily defeated the Vikings in the championship game.
But all the boys were winners. They spent eight weeks under the tutelage of some experienced dedicated coaches and mentors at an age when such guidance is invaluable.
Next up for the Scott High School Alumni Legends is a Group Basketball Camp in June. June 8-9 is for fourth through sixth graders and June 10- 11 is for sixth through eighth graders.
