Comfortable setting for SYBL mid-summer hoops classic:
GDW Analysis:
Indoor sports activity during the summer time can be blessed by modern technology.
Gymnasiums and arenas are now equipped with air conditioning.
The atmosphere is comfortable from inside, while temperatures rise throughout the day, typical summer time weather in North Alabama.
Gameday Weekly utilized the opportunity to see the Southern Youth Basketball League (SYBL) hold its mid summer showdown Friday and Saturday from the Cullman Basketball Complex and Good Hope High School Gymnasium.
With air units working properly, the temperature from floor level at both buildings was in the low 70s.
The outside temperature Saturday was above the 90 degree mark before 11:00 a.m. with the heat index making it feel much, much warmer.
Yours truly remembers the current Good Hope Gymnasium from his younger days. The building that opened in 1971, did not have air conditioning installed. That would be a long time later.
In June 1978, a Cullman County high school summer basketball league was created by Good Hope coach Danny Welborn with assistance from his good friend, Lane Horton, the Hanceville coach at that time.
The league consisted of eight days with games on Mondays and Thursdays as a good number of varsity players from each school used this as an opportunity to endure summer time competition and carry it into the upcoming season.
It served well for the Good Hope Raiders. Yours truly and others were placed on various teams. The '78/79 Raiders would experience greatness with a 23 & 4 record, the first winning season with Welborn who came to the school in 1974.
Playday basketball, playday volleyball, travel team basketball and travel team volleyball could not endure the humid conditions during the daytime, if not for air conditioning.
The SYBL has become a very popular organization for presenting championship style events, basically every weekend.
With so many age groups involved, the league has to get other facilities like Good Hope Gym in order to take some pressure off the CBC.
Both sites had several games to start on Friday evening and were active by 8:30 a.m. Saturday with the games through different age groups to come to a close well after sunset.
Highlights from the SYBL Mid-Summer classic:
GDW got to see several local teams in different age groups take to the hardwood.
From Friday at the CBC, the Cullman Elite in the high school division outscored the Bogey Boys 86 to 76. The Elite featured current Good Hope Raider Weston Hancock in showing his ability to score often from long distance.
A good group of young talent, the Cullman Storm put up a pair of victories in 6th grade play, 45 to 33 over Pro One and a tight 34 to 32 triumph against JSI Elite.
GDW began its Saturday assignment at Good Hope in following 6th grade girls and 9th grade girls.
JSI Elite of Birmingham routed Team Lito from Mississippi 41 to 9. This was a very fundamentally sound 6th grade group that would set the tone enroute to taking home the division championship in the evening hours.
Only two teams were entered in 9th grade girls. But both games between JSI Elite and the North Alabama Rim Rockers had a lot to say.
The Elite came from behind in both battles, earning a 42 to 40 win in the first game, then in the late morning, prevailing by the final of 40 to 24. A 15 to 2 run late in the first half sparked JSI to gain a 20 to 12 halftime advantage.
The 2nd half scoring was like the first with JSI pulling away 20 to 12 and going back to Birmingham undefeated from its visit to Cullman County.
JSI Elite kept the Cullman Storm from going undefeated in the 6th grade field. The Elite edged the Storm 47 to 45 in overtime in the championship.
For the Cullman Elite, an interesting time of matchups after they were 1 & 1 in pool play from Friday.
Cullman Elite had another good outing from Hancock and his other travel ball mates in leading Section 43 to 29 at the break. The Elite finished them off with a 70 to 61 quarterfinal verdict.
A hotly contested game would go on between the Cullman Elite and Jynxzi Elite of Albertville.
Cullman was down for much of the first half until a late run allowed the Elite to even the numbers on the CBC scoreboard at 33 to 33.
This would be a record setting event for GDW.
A total of 9 technical fouls were accessed. Six were charged to Cullman and three to the Albertville group.
Where it got very intense was late in the game with Cullman leading 67 to 62. A Cullman player got fouled by an Albertville player, then threw the ball at him. Both players got into each other's face.
Three players for Cullman came off the bench. They were charged with technical fouls for leaving the bench area.
Albertville shot six FTs, made five and would go ahead with a three soon after that, giving them a 70 to 67 advantage.
Cullman managed to knock down a three, get the ball back in the final seconds, score on a running jumper and hold on for a 72 to 70 decision.
Both teams stayed calm in their postgame, exchanging hand shakes and well wishes to one another.
Travel team basketball carries a motto of players with a lot of emotion, especially if they face teams they are not use to seeing in their high school season.
The T's that were called by the officials, were basically for unsportsmanlike conduct. Trash talking was high in this game as both teams exchanged plenty of scoring from the deep perimeter.
Two technicals came following contact with it handled by the officials from getting much worse.
Leaving the bench is a regular rule that is enforced by officials in the case of technical fouls.
From the 6th grade girls, two teams that went through pool play and the semifinals undefeated, tangled.
JSI Elite was much sharper in executing, jumping out to a 12 to 0 lead on RET Elite from Tuscumbia early in the game.
JSI ended the half on top 23 to 8 and would go on to win the division crown with a final of 41 to 20.
For RET Elite, which stands for "Ready Every Time," the squad is handled by Jana Killen, the well known girls coach at Deshler High School who is on top of all time victories in the AHSAA.
RET held off Team Lito of Mississippi 25 to 22 in pool play then defeated Alabama Smoke in the semifinals 28 to 17.
GDW sees a promising future for these young ladies when they get into the future of becoming high school players.
The SYBL has its next tournament scheduled for the weekend of July 19 & 20. The CBC will be the primary site for competition from age groups of the 3rd through the 11th grade in girls and boys.
Photo of the North Alabama Rim Rockers vs. the JSI Elite in 9th grade girls Saturday at the SYBL Mid-Summer Classic at Good Hope.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
