ATX 9^th/15U Boys 2010 Spring/Sumer Season

NEWS & NOTES

(Last updated January 29, 2011)

****** Link to News/Notes from Prior Season *****

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29 January 2011
Gonzales scores 23 to lead Hendrickson JV to victory over Bastrop

Bastrop, TX — Isaak Gonzales had the hot hand early, helping Hendrickson JV achieve their 20^th victory for the season. Hendrickson jumped out to a 14 point lead in the first quarter, but three 1^st quarter fouls to ATX teammate Josh King would require the Hawk’s leading scorer to sit the entire 2^nd quarter. Gonzales would look to picking up the scoring slack for the Hawks and that is exactly what he did. Bastrop would close to within 6 at halftime but that would be as close as they would get. Sparked by the 3-point shooting of Gonzales, Hendrickson would open the 2^nd half on a 10-0. The Hawks would pour it on the 2^nd half and would outscore the Bears by 28 in the 2^nd half alone. Hendrickson wins 96-62. Gonzales would end up with 23 points which included 5 treys. King would end the game with 13 pts, 5 steals, and 3 assists in reduced minutes.

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21 January 2011
Josh King scores 20 in the first half to help Hendrickson JV coast to another easy victory

Elgin, TX — Hendrickson Hawks JV (19-4, 6-0 district) faced the Elgin Wildcats in a game that saw Josh King be aggressive offensively from the opening tip. King scored 6 in the opening quarter and helped Hendrickson take an early 16-12 first quarter lead. King would then explode for 14 points in the 2^nd quarter alone, helping Hendrickson take a 43-21 lead and go on to coast to an easy 51 point victory. King would shoot 7-13 from the field in the first half and 4-6 from the free throw line. He would add 4 points in the 2^nd half on limited minutes, finishing with a game-high 24 points. King would add 5 rebounds and 1 assist to his stat sheet. Hendrickson is now 6-0 and undefeated in district play. ATX 2013 teammate Isaak Gonzales continues to run the point and push the action. Gonzales added 11 points from his point guard position.

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15 January 2011
ATX 2013 looking to possibly fill 1-2 roster slots for the upcoming 2011 season / Tentative 2011 schedule

Pflugerville, TX — Coach King is looking to fill one to two roster positions for the upcoming season. The talented squad will most probably play a full Varsity schedule, even though the team consists primarily of sophomores. Since that is the case the team is considering bringing on talented juniors to play this season. Interested players and parents should contact Coach King immediately. Coach King is looking to finalize his team roster by the end of January. Below is the TENTATIVE schedule for the upcoming season.

March 19-20 / ATX Season Kick-off (Varsity) / Austin, TX

March 26-27 / ATX / MAYB (Varsity) / Austin

April 9-10 / 14^th Annual Central Texas Shoot-out (Varsity) / Austin

April 16-17* / Houston Hoops H-town Classic (17U) / Houston, TX

May 7-8* / Great American Shoot-out (GASO) (NBA) / Dallas, TX

May 14-15 / ATX / MAYB (Varsity) / Austin

May 28-19 / USSSA Ira Poole (Varsity) / Austin

June 10-12* / GASO (NBA) / Bryan, TX

June 24-26* / GASO (NBA) / Pearland, TX

July 8-11* / GASO (NBA) / Duncanville, TX

July 22-24* / BigFoot Hoops Vegas Classic / Las Vegas, NV

*out of town events

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7 January 2011
Gonzales and King go for 20+ each, lead Hendrickson to victory in 106-97 shoot-out

Bryan, TX — ATX 2013 teammates Josh King and Isaak Gonzales helped lead the Hendrickson JV to victory in a fast-pace, up and down game that ended with the Hawks on top 106-97. It was one of the highest scoring games to take place in the district thus far. Both King and Gonzales start for Coach Cooper’s squad and perform well game in and game out. Gonzales lit Rudder up for 22 points while King added 24 himself. Hendrickson is undefeated (4-0) in district play and are clearly the team to beat.

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12 December 2010
Isaak Gonzales called up to Hendrickson Varsity, scores 11 points

Pflugerville, TX — Coach Reid saw the need to call ATX 2013 player, sophomore Isaak Gonzales up to the Varsity squad for the weekend to compete in Coach Murphy’s annual Coca-cola / Gattis tournament event which occurred December 9^th-11^th. Gonzales had been the starting PG on the Hendrickson JV squad. Isaak stepped up to the challenge and played well. In very limited minutes, Isaak scored 11 points and made several solid defensive plays. Killeen Ellison ended up winning in the high scoring contest, however, 102-86. But Gonzales proved that he has the overall game to compete at the Varsity level. Congrats to Isaak and his family. His hard work and perseverance has paid off.

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30 November 2010
ATX 2013 player Tanner Thrift sustains season ending ACL tear

Hutto, TX — The ATX Class of 2013 sustained an unfortunate blow as 3-year team member, 6’5” Tanner Thrift, sustained a season ending ACL tear this past week during warm-ups before the Hutto Varsity basketball game. Tanner will likely have surgery the month of December which will undoubtedly cause him to miss most, if not all, of the 2011 Spring/Summer season. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tanner and his family. Tanner had just finished a very successful season on the grid-iron, starting at defensive end for the Hippos this past season as a sophomore. The unfortunate incident will most likely make way for another lucky family to perhaps land a spot on the award-winning team. Interested parents who would like their son to potentially be considered to fill the opening should let Coach King know.

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17 November 2010
ATX players at Pflugerville Hendrickson lead JV to an easy, season-opener victory

Austin, TX — The ATX Class of 2013 saw many of its players lead their teams quickly out of the gate for the new 2010-2011 basketball season. This included the Big 3 at Pflugerville Hendrickson which includes Wesley Brown, Isaak Gonzales, and Josh King. Each of the three started and helped lead their team to an easy 80-57 victory over Del Valle. King and Gonzales accounted for almost 50% of their team’s points, scoring 19 and 18 respectfully. Brown was the dominate factor inside, controlling the boards, blocking shots, and chipping in 6 points himself. Congrats to these three players and their families.

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16 November 2010
ATX players see hard work pay dividends, land on High School JV / Varsity Teams as Sophomores

Austin, TX — The ATX Class of 2013 continues to see its hard work pay off as multiple players land on their high school teams. Congrats to those players and their families:

Hendrickson High Pflugerville High Round Rock High

Wesley Brown, JV / STARTER Aaron McDaniel, JV Leonard Allen, Varsity

Isaak Gonzales, JV / STARTER

Josh King, JV / STARTER

Hutto High Connally High Copperas Cove High

Tanner Thrift, Varsity Andrew Hill, JV / STARTER Cory Scott, Varsity

Adrian Williams, Varsity

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14 November 2010
Coach King attends University of Texas (Austin) Basketball Coaches Clinic

Austin, TX – Coach King got the opportunity to attend a basketball coaches clinic conducted by University of Texas Head Coach Rick Barnes and his coaching staff. Also present were guest speakers from current NBA organizations – Scott Howard (Charlotte Bobcats) and Rob Babcock (Minnesota Timberwolves). Also speaking was John Lucas, former NBA player/coach. Coach Lucas was entertaining to say the least! It was a full day (9am – 6pm) event that concluded with the current UT team taking the floor for their normal 2 hour and 45 minute workout. It was a great opportunity to see these great athletes perform up close as well as seeing how Coach Barnes coaches the student athlete. Texas saw three starters from last year get drafted into the NBA but this year’s team is still poised to cause havoc in the Big Twelve. Expect to see Barnes and crew utilize their size down low this year and depend on the long ball less compared to previous years.

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10 Aug 2010
ATX 2013 comes up short in MAYB/Nationals in Kansas, going 5-1 and losing in Elite 8 game

Wichita, KS – ATX 2013 looked to end their successful 9^th grade season with a trip to Wichita, Kansas to participate in the 9^th/10^th division of the MAYB Nationals tournament. This tournament included a field of 64 talented teams from over 13 different states. Tournament format would include 3 pool-play games, followed by single elimination bracket play. ATX would open up Friday morning against the Kansas JBBA Force Red team, a fundamentally sound team that shot the ball well from outside. This was a well-played game, with ATX enjoying a 3-point halftime lead. JBBA Force would make a run 6 minutes into the 2^nd half to take the lead of their own, but not before ATX would ratchet up the defense to regain control of the game for good. Despite the Force hitting 43% from behind the arc, ATX would hold on for a 62-52 win. Leonard Allen would have a monster, all-around game, with just 1 block shy of logging a triple double. He scored 18 points (on 6-8 shooting), grabbed 13 boards, and had 9 blocks. His follow-up slam-dunk late in the 2^nd half was the “nail in the coffin” on any comeback attempt that the Force might have had. Adrian Williams (12), Cory Scott (8), and Josh King (8) helped make for a balance scoring attack. Collectively the team shot 68% from the free throw line, shooting 26-38 including Allen, Scott, and Williams who account for 17-20 from the line. Next up for ATX was the St. Louis Hawks, a team that had actually beat ATX last year in this same event. ATX would enjoy a revengeful win as they would cruise to an easy 51-33 win. A balance offensive scoring attack would continue to be calling card of this team, as the team would score 51 points with the team high being only 12 from King. The smothering defense would hold the Hawks to less than 30% for the game while ATX would enjoy shooting 42% from the field. The interior defense of ATX was a big part of the Hawks problem, with Wesley Brown notching a game-high 7 blocks and Allen adding 5 blocks of his own. ATX would have to wait until Saturday morning to complete their pool-play, an unfortunate draw which required ATX to be one of just a few teams to have to play an extra game on Saturday, a day generally reserved for bracket-play games only. ATX would face the Arkansas Hurricanes and would jump on them from the get go. ATX would open with an efficient 20-2 lead and would never look back. ATX would start the 2^nd half with a 20 point lead but they would unintentionally ease up a bit, allowing the Hurricanes to hit five 2^nd half 3’s to make it interesting but ATX would finish strong with a 17-point victory, 53-36. Once again the hallmark of this team would be balance scoring, with the entire team scoring, with Allen, Scott, and King scoring in double-figures. Jay Byrd would come off the bench to grab 3 rebounds, chip in 4 points, and assist on 4 baskets. The team would shoot 43% from behind and arc, and an impressive 61% from the field. The team would be a single assist shy of having 20 as a team. The early, 8am game win would give ATX a 3-0 record in pool-play and top seed in their pool, setting up an opening bracket play just a few hours later against the 4^th seed Wichita Tar heels, a fast, athletic team that was one of only a few teams that enjoyed the “block shot” stat advantage over ATX 2013 this season. It wouldn’t be enough, however, as ATX would force more turnovers against the Tar heels and shoot the ball better which amounted to a lopsided 23-point win. Allen again had a nice overall game with 12 points, 16 boards, and 5 blocks. Brown also grabbed 9 boards. Isaak Gonzales had a nice game, grabbing 4 rebounds from his point-guard spot as well as chipping in 5 points and assisting on 3 made baskets. Several others also got into the scoring action including Scott (14), Adrian Williams (9), and McDaniel (9) with Scott wowing the crowd with a breakaway slam dunk attempt that just missed by hitting the back rim. ATX would advance to the next round to face a Missouri Rock team that would be a smaller team who would shoot well from the perimeter. This game would end up being one of the better games of the entire tournament. MO would take an early 6 point lead, and would grow that to 11 at one point in the 1^st half. ATX would make a run to end the 1^st half, thanks in part to 5 points by McDaniel to pull within 4 at halftime. The fouls would slowly begin to accumulate against MO as they would try and contest the size of Allen, Brown, and Andrew Hill down low and the perimeter speed in Gonzales, Scott, Byrd, and Williams. ATX would take advantage. ATX would make a 2^nd half run to gain a 6-point lead, thanks in part to a “5-point play” by Josh King which included an old-fashion 3-point play, followed by 2-made free throws on a technical foul. But Missouri would fight backing, tying the game with 4 minutes left. The lead would go back and forth several times before Scott would make a steal that would lead to a breakaway layup and a lead for good for ATX. ATX wins 72-69 and would advance. King would lead all scorers with 17 which included going 12-14 from the free throw line. Scott had a brilliant game, with13 points, 3 boards, and 3 assists. Wesley Brown played a critical role down the stretch as ATX was forced to play “small ball” which included Brown being tasked with single-handedly having to stop the low-post threat of the Missouri team. Brown finished the game with 5 rebounds, 8 points (of 4-6 shooting), and 2 blocks. The perimeter defensive of ATX really seemed to take its toll in the 2^nd half, thanks to Jay Byrd, Gonzales, and Williams who each were tasked with chasing the good-shooting players of the opposing team. The win would place ATX 2013 into the field of the “sweet 16” and would setup a game against the Oklahoma Suns, a top-seed from another pool. The 5-0 ATX team would be asked to now play a 4^th game that day against a team playing only their 2^nd game of the day. It was an unfortunate scheduling draw that ATX could not quite overcome. It was a mere 6-point deficit at halftime, however, the fatigue would quickly begin to set in for ATX. The fresher Sun team was quicker to the balls and went on a 8-2 run at one point in the 2^nd half which was all they needed. ATX would lose 49-64 to the Suns. The Suns would advance and go on to place 3^rd overall out of the 64-team field. Costly turnovers throughout the game would be the ultimate difference maker in the ATX loss as well as an uncharacteristic 10-20 from the free throw line. It was a good run for the 9^th grade team that just came up a little bit short.

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1 Aug 2010
ATX 2013 return to winning ways, win Varsity division of MAYB/Austin Finale event

Austin, TX – ATX and Greater Central Texas Youth were asked to step up and host the MAYB event that was originally scheduled to take place in Georgetown the weekend of July 31. ATX rallied the troops and worked to secure gyms at the last minute so that over 35 teams could compete as originally scheduled. ATX 2013 decided to go ahead and competed in the Varsity division. ATX returned to their winning ways by playing sound, patient, fundamental basketball which included a strategy of really trying to get their “bigs” involved. ATX would officially go 5-0 (including 2 forfeits), defeating the Killeen Cougars 2011 57-35, and then defeating the Midland Playerz 2011 twice by the scores of 59-39 and 45-25. In all three games ATX showed patience and composure against the older, faster teams. In the first game against the Playerz, ATX was lead by the Pflugerville Connally tandem of Adrian Williams and Andrew Hill who scored 11 and 16 points respectively. Josh King had a nice overall game that included 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Against the Cougars, ATX would play some nice team ball, finishing the game with a team-high 20 assists, with King delivering on 7 assists and Cory Scott assisting on 6 baskets. Leonard Allen and Aaron McDaniel would both score in double figures with 12 and 11 points. In a rematch against the Playerz, ATX would see 8 of 10 players get into the box scores. Wesley Brown enjoyed a nice overall game with 8 rebounds, 4 points on 2-2 shooting, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Four different players would score in double-figures over the weekend. It was a great warm-up for Kansas.

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28 July 2010
Team outing at Schlitterbahn

New Braunfels, TX – ATX 2013 enjoyed a great team outing, as 7 of 10 team members headed down to Schlitterbahn for a day of fun in the sun. The weather turned out great and the boys had a blast. It was a nice break from the hardwood.

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23 July 2010
ATX 2013 go 2-2 in Prime Time Nationals, get disappointing finish

Lewisville, TX – ATX 2013 would venture out on the road again to compete in the Prime Time Sportz National event in Lewisville, Texas, an event that would draw 84 of the top 9^th/10^th grade teams from all across Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. ATX would enter the tournament with high expectations because of how well the team had been playing all year and the 40-7 record that they would bring to the table. ATX would open pool play Thursday afternoon against the Dallas Flyboys 2012, a 10^th grade team out of South Dallas. ATX would be without leading rebounder and shot blocker, Leonard Allen, for their first two pool-play games. Fellow teammates would step up and play well in the absence of Allen. The game against the Flyboys was a tough, defensive battle for both teams. Both teams struggled offensively initially. ATX would find themselves tied 18-18 at halftime. A strong, overall offensive showing by Wesley Brown would actually allow ATX take a 6 point lead at the beginning of the 2^nd half. The Flyboys would battle back, however, managing to go on a 10-2 mid-way thru the 2^nd half to grab the lead of their own. They would maintain the lead for the duration, winning 46-40 and handing ATX a disappointing pool-play loss. Brown would grab 8 rebounds, add 3 blocks, and score 8 points on an efficient 3-4 shooting for ATX. ATX would see 7 of 9 players get into the box scores but it wouldn’t be enough. Aaron McDaniel would lead the team with 10 points in a losing effort. Andrew Hill really stepped up for the absent Allen. Hill contributed with 12 boards and 5 blocks. Unfortunately as a team, ATX would get out rebounded by the Flyboys and would also contribute 5 more turnovers. The Flyboys would finish 3-0 in pool play and would actually end up capturing 5^th place overall in the 84-team tournament. ATX would look to regroup and come back 5 hours later to face the Pearland Panthers, a long and athletic team. ATX would look to jump on the Panthers early, grabbing an early 14-4 lead, a lead that ATX would never relinquish. The Panthers would get the lead down to 8 early in the 2^nd half but a strong perimeter game by Cory Scott, Josh King, and Isaak Gonzales would eventually help ATX cruise to a 71-50 win. Scott would go off for a game-high 20 points, on 6-11 shooting. King would score 15 points including going 9-10 from the charity stripe. Gonzales would have a nice overall game with 11 points, 2 assists, and 3 steals. Every team member would get into the offensive action this game. Team defense would force 24 turnovers against the Panthers and Brown, Hill, and Tanner Thrift helped ATX out rebound Pearland by 8. As a team, ATX would shoot 21-26 from the free throw line, a nice 81%. ATX would move on to their 3^rd and final pool-play game against A-state Tornadoes, an athletic team from Arkansas that liked to push the ball. Unfortunately ATX would NOT enjoy a strong start against A-state as they had against Pearland. In fact, just the opposite occurred. Despite having Leonard Allen back in the lineup for Friday’s games, ATX would see A-state jump out to a quick 10 point 1^st half lead, a lead that actually swelled to 20 points right before the half ended. ATX would find themselves down 31-12 to start the 2^nd half. But to ATX’s credit they did not panic or give up. ATX would pick up their defensive intensity at the same time they would begin to see some of their shots fall. ATX would slowly whittle away at the A-state lead. Allen, Thrift, and Brown would each add 4 blocks or more on the defensive end which began to take its toll on the opposition. Cory Scott would hit a big 3 with about 6 minutes left in the game to give ATX its first lead. The lead would change two more times before ATX would find themselves up by 1 point with A-state in possession with 10 seconds left. A-state would call time out and look to draw-up a game-winning play but Jay Byrd would step up defensively, making a steal with 4 seconds left which thwarted any game-winning shot attempt. ATX would win 44-43. Allen had a strong, overall game with 16 boards, 8 points, and 5 blocks. Brown and Thrift would account for 10 boards and 8 blocks collectively. It was the best comeback win for the team for the season. The win would give ATX 2013 a 2-1 pool record and 2^nd place in their pool. The win was critical as it would allow ATX to advance to championship bracket play since only the top two teams in each pool got to advance. ATX would look to play their first bracket game later that evening against the 2nd seeded Memphis Cobras, a fast athletic team whose game resembled that of A-state. The one exception would be that Memphis would save their best game of the tournament for ATX as they would shoot LIGHTS OUT against ATX, shooting 8-11 from behind the arc. In contrast ATX would go ice cold on the offensive end, both inside and from the perimeter. Initially ATX was looking to utilize its size advantage inside with Brown and Allen but the strategy was short-lived. ATX began to settle for the 3-ball which led to long rebounds and many transition baskets for the Cobras. A half-court shot would put the Cobras up by 13 at half, but 10-2 run by Memphis early would stretch the lead to 20, triggering a running clock. It would be too much for ATX to overcome. Memphis would win easy, 61-31, and would hand ATX its worst loss of the season. ATX’s tournament run would end before it really ever got started. It was an extremely disappointing loss for a team that had such high expectations going in. It was even more painful to have to sit and watch other teams advance deeper into the weekend, teams that ATX had previously beaten earlier in the season. Hopefully it will be a learning experience and a stepping-stone for better things in the future.

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13 July 2010
Congrats to ATX Varsity – Farley for reaching the Championship Game of GASO NBA Red Division

Duncanville, TX – ATX 2013 would like to say a big CONGRATS to Coach Farley and his Varsity squad for reaching the championship game of the NBA/Red division of the Duncanville Great American Shoot-out this past weekend. The ATX Varsity squad competed in one of the two 66-team NBA divisions (RED, BLUE). At the end of the weekend you crown two separate champions. Coach Farley’s team went 2 and 1 in their super pool and then proceeds to win their next four to reach the championship game. They were defeated by Houston Select 74-69 in a closely contested championship game. Incidentally, ATX had played and beaten Houston Select by 30 in their pool-play game on Friday evening. Congrats to all the players for this great accomplishment and for making the ATX organization proud. You can read about the full story here.

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13 July 2010
Urban DFW Elite’s buzzer-beater shot keep ATX 2013 from reaching FINAL FOUR Consolation bracket of GASO/Duncanville Tourney

Duncanville, TX – ATX 2013 competed in their biggest event thus far this season, playing “up” in the 108-team NCAA division of the Duncanville Great American Shoot-Out. This was a very competitive tournament that included teams from all over the country. This was an open, NCAA-sanctioned event that allowed college scouts and recruiters to be present to evaluate some of the top high school talent from across the country. ATX 2013 would welcome newcomer Wesley Brown of Pflugerville Hendrickson HS to the squad who saw action for the first time in the coveted Blue and White. ATX would open up pool-play Friday afternoon against the Varsity squad from Legends HS in Colorado. This was a game that ATX took control of early. ATX would enjoy a 15-point lead early in the 2^nd half but the pesky Titan team, to their credit, would continue to play hard. They slowly whittled away the ATX lead and took the lead of their own late in the 2^nd half. The under-sized Legends team would somehow get awarded 34 free throws versus 12 free throws for ATX and that would end up being the difference in the game. ATX would go on to lose 45-53. Aaron McDaniel of Pflugerville HS would lead the team with 11 points in a losing effort. Next up for ATX would be the Texas Admirals, an athletic team that originates out of Waco, Texas. This was a tightly contested game that had multiple lead changes throughout. ATX would find themselves down by six to start the 2^nd half. They would slowly claw their way back into the game, ultimately taking the lead half way thru the 2^nd half. Some careless turnovers would ultimately catch-up to ATX, allowing the Admirals to take the lead for good with 5 minutes remaining in the contest. ATX would keep it close but would lose 58-61, causing ATX to experience two losses in a row for the first time all season. Leonard Allen of Round Rock HS had a strong game in the losing effort with 5 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 blocks. Copperas Cove HS guard, Cory Scott, led all scorers with 18 points. Jay Byrd of Pflugerville HS would come off the bench to grab 7 boards from his guard spot and would also chip in 6 points. Pflugerville Connally HS Andrew Hill grabbed 8 rebounds and scored 2 pts. ATX would look to re-group and play their final pool-play game against a Midlothian Varsity squad Saturday afternoon. Both teams would start off slow. Pflugerville Hendrickson HS guard, Josh King, would find the hot hand early and would ultimately lead the team in scoring with 16 points, with most of his damage coming from the line. ATX would take a 27-22 lead at halftime. Pflugerville Hendrickson guard, Isaak Gonzales, and Allen would also score in double-figures with 12 and 10 points respectively. Allen would also add 12 rebounds and 7 blocks. Newcomer Wesley Brown would make his presence felt inside by grabbing 7 boards and blocking 6 shots. Tanner Thrift would also grab 8 boards and chip in 5 points. Both Thrift and Brown had a strong, inside presence. ATX would go on to win 62-54. The win would give ATX a 1-2 pool play record and a disappointing 3^rd place in their pool, advancing them to the consolation bracket of the NCAA division. ATX would open up bracket play Sunday morning against a long and athletic Marcus Camby Elite team. This would be a very closely contested game for the duration. ATX would find themselves down 8 points mid-way thru the 1^st half but they would fight back to a 19-19 tie at halftime by going on a 10-2 run down the stretch. ATX would open up a 4-point lead with just a few minutes remaining in regulation. ATX would ask Byrd to lock down the star player from the other team and that was exactly what he did, holding him to zero points down the stretch. ATX would out shoot and out rebound the Dallas-based team, but careless turnovers would ultimately catch up to ATX and would allow Marcus Camby to tie the game at 45 at the end of regulation. An “and one” by Cory Scott would give ATX the early lead in the overtime period, a lead which they would not relinquish. King would account for the remaining scoring for ATX in the OT period, going 6-7 from the charity stripe. That would be enough as the ATX defense would hold its opponent to only 3 pts in the OT period, allowing them to go on to win 54-48. Allen would record a double-double with 15 rebounds and 10 blocks. He would also chip in 6 points. King would lead the team in scoring with 17 points on 3-7 shooting and 9-12 from the free throw line. He would also grab 6 boards from his guard position. Byrd and Scott would both score in double-figures with 10 and 12 points respectively. The win would advance ATX to the next round to face the Leopards, a JV school team from Allen, Texas. ATX would start off slow, but three early 3’s by King would allow ATX to build a 33-22 lead at halftime. The deep bench and full-court pressure seemed to wear down the Leopards in the 2^nd half. ATX would be able to cruise to an easy 61-46 finish while at the same time resting their starters toward the end of the game. Adrian Williams of Pflugerville Connally HS would come off the bench to lead all scorers with 13 points on efficient 5-8 shooting. He would also grab 5 boards and make 2 steals. Allen would grab 8 boards and add 6 points on the offensive end. McDaniel would add 9 pts and assist on 4 baskets. Gonzales would score 8pts and grab 5 rebounds from his starting point-guard position. ATX would be asked to continue bracket play just 1 hour later against a solid Urban DFW elite team. The winner would advance to the Final Four of the consolation bracket of the NCAA division. This game would pit two very evenly matched teams who were statistically even at the end of the game. DFW elite would take a 34-33 lead at halftime, thanks to a three-quarter court shot at the halftime buzzer. Williams would connect on all 3 shots from behind the arc in the 1^st half, with 3 of these being DEEP! He would lead ATX with 9 points early. ATX would play from behind for the majority of the 2^nd half but would take their first lead of the game thanks to a steal and 2 free throws by McDaniel with 45 seconds remaining in regulation. But DFW would not go away. A couple of steals and made baskets would miraculously pull DFW to a 66-66 tie. ATX would have the ball with less than 3 seconds. But a very unfortunate turn of events would somehow allow DFW to both gain possession and heave up a second buzzer-beating shot that would find its way thru the rim just as time would expire. It would be an extremely bitter and gut-wrenching 68-66 loss for ATX. Urban DFW elite would go on to win their next two games on Monday to secure the championship of the NCAA/Red Consolation bracket. Allen would have a dominate performance, scoring 18 points on 10-18 shooting while also grabbing 10 boards and blocking 6 shots. Williams would finish the game with 12 points, as would Scott. Despite the three tough losses, it solidified ATX’s ability to compete at this level of competition. In each of the three losses, ATX held a lead of the game at least mid-way thru the 2^nd half – they just needed to complete the deal. Overall it was a good, growing experience for the team and should serve them well in their last, final two tournaments. Wesley Brown was a bright spot throughout the weekend. Wesley Brown will surely have a substantial impact for the team as he continues to play with his teammates and learn their tendencies. Next up for ATX 2013 is the PrimeTime Nationals in Dallas in two weeks.

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27 June 2010
ATX 2013 go 3-0 in Texas Ambassador Summer Showcase III, take JV championship

Austin, TX – ATX 2013 looked to play their last local tournament of the season this weekend at Coach Max’s Austin Summer Showcase event which would take place at the Hoopzone over the weekend. ATX would look to get one more tournament under their belt before finishing the season with 3 tough tournaments, all of which would be out-of-town events. This event would consist of six 9^th and 10^th grade teams that resided in Austin, New Braunfels, Houston, and Killeen. ATX would open pool play against the TX Ambassador-Grief 9^th grade team on Saturday afternoon. It was very clear early on that this team would be no match for the superior size, speed, and quickness of ATX. ATX would take a quick 30-11 lead at half and go on to cruise to an easy 44-16 win, holding the Ambassadors to only 5 points the 2^nd half. Leonard Allen and Tanner Thrift really dominated inside for most of the game. Allen finished up with 12 points and 7 rebounds while Thrift scored 10 pts and grabbed 8 boards. Jay Byrd enjoyed an efficient game coming of the bench, scoring 4 pts, and dishing out 2 assists and managing 2 steals. ATX would move on to play their 2^nd pool play game against Beat the Odds (BTO), a 10^th grade team from New Braunfels. ATX came out quick to grab an early lead. Josh King hit on two of his first 4 shots, both coming from behind the arc to help secure this lead. BTO, however, would make a run toward the end of the first half and pulled within 7 with a halftime score of 36-29. A 6-0 run by ATX would increase the lead to 12 at one point in the 2^nd half but BTO would make a run of their own, only to come up short to ATX, 58-54. This would be a game that Allen completely dominated from start to finish. Allen would score 20 points on 6-12 shooting and he shot 8-10 from the free throw line. He would also grab 19 boards and rack up 6 blocks. Aaron McDaniel would have a nice game, going for 10 points on 4-7 shooting. He would also add 2 steals and 2 assists. King would also score in double-figures with 12 points. The win would give ATX 1^st place in their pool and give them a chance to play the Houston Swoosh JV in the championship game Sunday afternoon. This would be a tough, defensive struggle for both teams early on. The game would be close until 6 minutes left to go in the first half when ATX would go on a 11-2 run which included back-2-back-2-back 3’s, two made by Cory Scott and one by Isaak Gonzales. The run would help to give ATX a 26-18 halftime lead, a lead that ATX would never relinquish. The strong bench play of ATX seemed to wear down the Swoosh and really take its toll on the Swoosh down the stretch. ATX would go on to cruise to a 48-34 win to secure the tournament championship. Allen enjoyed another overall solid game with 11 pts, 6 boards and 6 blocks. Thrift would grab 10 boards while also chipping in 5 pts. Scott would end the game in double-figures with 10 pts. The Pflugerville Connally tandem of Andrew Hill and Adrian Williams both had nice games coming off the bench. Combined they scored 10 pts, grabbed 4 boards and made 2 steals. It was an overall great team effort by the boys in the championship game, spurred on by their strong team defense. Congrats to the players and their families in winning your 7^th tournament of the season!!! Next up for ATX 2013 is the Great American Shoot-out in Duncanville in two weeks.

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22 June 2010
ATX 2013 completes roster, welcomes 6’6” Wesley Brown from Pflugerville Hendrickson

Pflugerville, TX – Coach King and Coach Allen have been looking to finalize their team roster for some time now. The team has historically consisted of 10 total players, however, this 9^th grade team has been playing with only 9 since Spring. Coach King and Coach Allen had just not found the right player to complete their squad – at least not until now. The team officially welcomes to the squad Wesley Brown from Pflugerville Hendrickson. Wesley will rejoin with his high school teammates, Josh King and Isaak Gonzales from Hendrickson. Wesley will look to come up to speed quickly with his new teammates and then join the team in their final 3 summer tournaments. 6’6” Brown will bring another strong interior player to team. He is a natural shot blocker and a strong rebounder and overall interior defender. Congrats to Wesley and his family!

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13 June 2010
ATX 2013 go 5-1 to claim NIT Consolation Championship at GASO / Bryan / College Station

College Station, TX – ATX 2013 participated in their first Great American Shoot event this past weekend, an event sponsored by TexasHoops.com and was played out in the Bryan/College Station area, home of the fighting Texas A&M Aggies. ATX 2013 competed in the NIT division which was comprised of primarily 9^th and 10^th grade teams. There were 32 teams in all, with some of the best competing teams from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. ATX would open up pool-play Friday evening against a solid Dallas Heroes 2013 team. ATX would grab an early 6-7 point lead and would maintain that lead for most of the game. The Heroes would draw within 3 in the 2^nd half but that would be the closest they would get as ATX would hang on for a 46-43 win. Leonard Allen had a strong, overall game with 8 pts, 9 rebounds, and 7 blocks. Jay Byrd and Josh King each added 10 pts, with Byrd shooting an efficient 5-6 from the field. ATX would move on to play Clear Lake’s school JV team as their first game Saturday morning. Clear Lake would try and keep it close early but ATX would look to utilize their size inside with Allen who shot a perfect 7-7 and ended the game with 16 pts and 9 rebounds. Byrd (10), Cory Scott (12), and Aaron McDaniel (15) would all score in double figures for ATX. Tanner Thrift and Andrew Hill contributed to the inside dominance as they grabbed a combined 17 boards, chipped in 7 points and blocked 3 shots. Adrian Williams added 8 pts on 4-8 shooting as well as getting a team-high 3 steals. ATX would win with a final score of 75-55. ATX would play their final pool play game against the undefeated Texas Tigers Elite, a small but quick team. Unfortunately one stat pretty much explained how the game would ultimately end up. Despite having an overwhelming size advantage inside, ATX would only shoot 8 free throws for the entire game. The smaller Tigers would be awarded an unbelievable 40 free throws! Some uncharacteristic turnovers on ATX’s part would add to their difficulties. ATX would actually have 9 point lead with 10 minutes remaining in the game but the whistles would only continue and to their credit, the Tigers would take advantage and see a 19-point swing during that time, with the majority of those points coming on free throws. ATX would out-shoot and out rebound the Tigers but they could not overcome the foul discrepancy of 23 fouls to 12. ATX would lose 76-67. Allen had a strong game in a losing effort, with 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 blocks. King (10), Williams (12), and Scott (13) would also score in double-figures for ATX. Williams would also add 5 assists and 3 steals. The Tigers would advance as the top seed to compete in the championship bracket and would make it to the final four before losing to the ultimate championship runner-up team, Corpus Christi Panthers. The disappointing lose would mean ATX would end up as #2 in their pool and would be reduced to the consolation bracket for the remainder of the tournament. ATX would open up bracket play later that evening against the San Marcos Saints, a team comprised of 10^th and 11^th grade players. ATX would look to take out their frustrations on the Saints. ATX would be without starting point guard Isaak Gonzales for this game. ATX would start out slowly, with an 18-14 lead almost halfway thru the 1^st half. ATX would crank up the defensive intensity, however, and would outscore the Saints by 16 for the remainder of the 1^st half, taking a 49-28 lead into halftime. ATX would go on to shoot 45% from behind the arc for the game, as well as shooting 62% for their normal 2pt field goals. ATX would out rebound the Saints by 23 and commit 4 fewer turnovers. When all added up it was a lopsided 99-48 victory for ATX 2013. ATX would see 6 different players score in double-figures for the game: King (12), McDaniel (14), Allen (15), Williams (15), Andrew Hill (16), and Scott (16). Hill would shoot an efficient 7-8 from the field. Likewise Williams would score his 15 points on 6-8 shooting. Hill and Allen would log double-doubles as they grab 10 and 17 boards respectively. McDaniel would also contribute with a team-high 7 assists. The win would advance ATX 2013 to face Shoot2Score Sunday morning, a long, athletic team from Houston. ATX would start quickly in this game and would not look back. ATX had it going well on both ends of the court early. Sharp-shooter Josh King connected on 3 treys in the first half alone which helped ATX seize a 37-14 halftime lead. Williams would also add 7 first-half points. ATX’s defensive would hold Shoot2Shoot to less than 30% shooting for the game, and less than 20% from behind the arc. That would be the difference in the game. ATX would win going away, 73-37 and would advance to the NIT Consolation championship game. King would score a team high, 14 points, on 5-7 shooting. He would also add 8 boards and 4 assists, making for a nice, overall game while playing less than half the game. Gonzales would return to the starting lineup and would enjoy a nice, overall game as well with 5 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Tanner Thrift had a solid game on the low blocks, grabbing 9 boards and adding 3 blocks. ATX 2013 would rack up a team total of 20 assists, with McDaniel having a team-high with 5. ATX would earn the right to play later that afternoon in the Texas A&M University Recreation Center for the NIT Consolation championship game. The opponent, interestingly enough, would be against a familiar team in Coach Carlton’s talented Austin Rising Stars 2014 team who had played some very good basketball to be able to survive to Sunday afternoon. His team is, arguably, the best 8^th grade team in the Central Texas area. Any hopes of the younger Stars team was short lived, however, as ATX would jump out to a quick 18-4 lead to begin the game. Josh King would come up big again in the championship game, starting off quickly by connecting on 2 of his first 3 shots from long range. King would go on to score a game-high 21 points on an efficient 6-9 shooting from the field and 6-7 from the charity stripe. He would do his damage while playing a team low, 15 minutes. Leonard Allen was perfect from the field, scoring 7 points on 3-3 shooting. He would also add 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Andrew Hill would enjoy a nice, overall game with 6 boards and 8 points on an efficient 4-5 shooting. Byrd would actually lead the team in rebounding from his guard position, grabbing 10 rebounds to add along with his 5 pts and 3 assists. Likewise, Gonzales would grab 7 boards from his guard position to add with his 7 points and 4 assists. McDaniel (11) and Scott (13) also scored in double-figures. Overall the team would shoot 43% from behind the arc and 57% from the field. The team would also shoot 14-20 from the charity stripe. ATX wins going away, 83-62 and claims the GASO/NIT Consolation championship. It was a nice way to finish off the weekend after the disappointing loss to the Tigers the day before. Congrats to ATX 2013 players and their families who are now an impressive 34-4 for the season!

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7 June 2010
Sophomores Josh King and Leonard Allen invited to play on respective HS Varsity teams during summer league

Austin, TX – The returning Pflugerville Hendrickson Varsity is scheduled to compete in a summer league in the month of June. Games will be played out in various Round Rock gyms. Some of the additional participating teams are Pflugerville HS, Round Rock Westwood, Round Rock HS, Leander HS, McNeil HS, and Austin Anderson. Hendrickson looks to return 9 seniors for the 2011 season. Josh King, who just completed his freshman year, was invited to fill the single, open position on the 10-man roster for the summer league, making Josh the only non-senior on the team. King has competed well in his first 3 games with the team. He has scored 7, 7, and 12 points as well as grabbing several boards and dishing out 2-3 assists per game. King is positioning himself well to compete for one of the three open positions on Coach Reid’s varsity squad next season. Likewise, 6’10” Leonard Allen has also been invited to compete with the Round Rock Varsity squad during the month of June. Allen is expected to definitely play varsity ball next season with the Dragons where he should make a substantial impact for their team.

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5 June 2010
ATX 2013 Families enjoy Great Lake / pool party out at Lake Travis

Jonestown, TX – ATX 2013 families took the opportunity to get out and enjoy some sun out at John Shipley’s great pool that sits out on the edge of Lake Travis. It was a great opportunity to lounge around in the pool, take a boat ride, or ride the Jet Ski. There was a lot of great food and drink as well. Thanks so much to Ship, Tanner, Katrina, and Curtis for getting everything prepared so that everyone could have a great time.

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30 May 2010
ATX loses USSSA / Ira Poole Memorial Championship in OT to Rising Stars 2013

Austin, TX – ATX 2013 participated in the USSSA / Ira Poole Memorial tournament that was held at Anderson High school over the Memorial Day weekend. ATX 2013 competed in the JV division which, arguably, featured four of the better 9^th grade teams in the Central Texas area, all of which were placed in the same pool – Austin Rampage, San Antonio Mustangs, Rising Stars 2013, and ATX 2013. ATX opened pool play early Saturday morning against a familiar foe in the Austin Rampage, a team that always does a great job of pushing the basketball up the court. ATX managed a 27-23 lead at half, due in part to the offensive effort of Isaak Gonzales who had 9 points the first half. The Rampage would make a nice run early in the 2^nd but ATX would respond. ATX would hold on for the 50-38 win, their 2^nd win over the Rampage this season in as many attempts. Gonzales and Josh King each scored in double figures with 14 and 10 respectively, with Gonzales going 3-3 from behind the arc. Leonard Allen had a nice game with 4 pts, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Andrew Hill similarly had a strong game with 3 pts, 8 boards, and 3 blocks. ATX would then face the Rising Stars 2013, a team that some believe is easily one of the top 5 teams in the state. The Stars began the game shooting light out. They would shoot a remarkable 62% from behind the arc and 50% overall from the field in the 1^st half. Add in poor shooting by ATX in the 1^st half and you have a recipe for a 21-pt lead at halftime for the Stars. ATX would go on to lose only their 2^nd game of the season, 30-57 to the talented Stars team. King would again lead ATX in scoring with 10 pts. The Stars would shoot a blistering 54% for the game from behind the arc. In addition they shot 15-18 from the charity stripe. ATX would move on and open up pool play on Sunday morning against Coach Val and his San Antonio Mustang squad. Although usually undersized, the SA Mustangs always come prepared and generally shoot the ball well. ATX was fortunate to start the game well, going on to enjoy a 24-13 halftime lead. The Mustangs would make a run but the size of ATX would be too much as ATX would out rebound the Mustangs 42-26 for the game. Cory Scott (16), King (12), and Gonzales (10) led the team in scoring, with King adding 10 boards and recording his first double-double for the season. Gonzales would add 5 assists and 4 steals as well. Aaron McDaniel had a nice game with 7 pts and 7 boards. The win would give ATX 2^nd place in their pool and would advance them to the upper bracket for the remainder of Sunday’s games. ATX would open bracket play 2 hours later against a 10^th grade TX Gymrats team. This would be a game where ATX would take their opponent for granted which would almost come back to haunt them. ATX would grab an early 9-2 lead but then would unintentionally back off their intensity, allowing the Gymrats back into the contest. Mid-way thru the 2^nd half the Gymrats would actually secure a small lead. ATX would respond, by ratcheting up their defensive intensity and overall play, lead primarily by Jay Byrd. Foul trouble also caught up to the Gymrats with two of their players eventually fouling out. ATX would outscore the Gymrats by 13 down the stretch to secure a 63-54 victory. Byrd would come off the bench to score 12 pts on 6-9 shooting. He would also add 6 boards. Allen would add 11 pts, 11 boards and 5 blocks. Cory Scott found the hot-hand at the right time, scoring 12 of his 16 pts in the 2^nd half which helped to ignite ATX 2013. Adrian Williams had a team-high 4 assists and 2 steals and he also continued to play stingy perimeter defense. The win would setup a rematch with the undefeated Rising Stars for the tournament championship. The rematch would end up being the game of the tournament. This would be a tough, defensive struggle for both teams in a game that featured 25 blocks between the two teams combined. The Rising Stars held a slight 19-16 lead at halftime. The 2^nd half would continue to be a closely contested game for the duration, with the Stars enjoying a 4-7 point lead for most of the half. ATX would play from behind the entire game before taking their first lead with a Gonzales jumper with 2:05 left in regulation. Several lead changes would occur in the final two minutes. ATX would have a 1-point lead, with the ball, with 1 minute left but an untimely turnover would give the Stars hope. This turnover was followed by a HUGE, questionable call that would give the Stars 3 free throws with 41 seconds remaining in the game. The Stars player would make all 3 free throws, giving the Stars a 2 point lead with 40 seconds remaining in regulation. Tough defense by both teams would results in multiple turnovers by both teams in the last 30 seconds. ATX’s Cory Scott would make a steal with 2.3 seconds left and score with no time remaining to send what was already an exciting game into overtime. In OT, the Stars would strike first and would retain that lead for the duration of the 3-minute overtime period. They would hold on for the 55-49 win over ATX 2013. The teams would shoot almost the identical field goal percentage for the game, however, the difference would be that the Stars would log an additional 12 offensive rebounds. It was an exciting game to watch to say the least. Leonard Allen played a superb game in a losing effort, recording a triple double with 11 pts, 15 boards, and 13 blocks. Tanner Thrift and Andrew Hill battled tough down low, grabbing 11 boards and scoring 4 pts between the two of them. It was a tough, disappointing loss for ATX 2013, however, ATX should be commended for playing from behind the entire game and yet they still had multiple chances to secure the victory down the stretch. Great job ATX! Next up for ATX is the Great American Shoot-out in Bryan/College Station in two weeks.

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16 May 2010
Different tournament, same outcome – ATX 2013 wins

Austin, TX – The ATX 2013 team came into the weekend winning each of their first 5 tournaments and winning 21 out of their last 22 games. They had been playing great basketball as a team and this weekend would be no different. They competed in the JV division of the MAYB/Greater Austin event that saw games played out at Austin High School on Saturday and the HoopZone facility on Sunday. The families of ATX 2013 would host this event. ATX would open up pool play against a young 9^th grade G’town Fury team. The Fury played hard and tried to compete but they would be no match for “big blue and white machine.” ATX grabbed an early lead and would cruise to an easy 58-17 victory. Andrew Hill, Cory Scott, and Aaron McDaniel would all score in double figures for ATX. Leonard Allen would dominate inside, grabbing 10 rebounds and delivering 7 blocks. Jay Byrd had a nice game with 5 boards and 5 assists. ATX would move on to play a 9^th grade A-tex Wildcat team for their 2^nd pool play game. The wildcats were a feisty, scrappy bunch that competed very well for their size. A-tex would keep it close early, with ATX winning 25-19 at halftime. But the pressure defense that ATX applied would eventually wear down the Wildcats, allowing ATX to win 53-35. ATX forced 19 turnovers while only committing 7 of their own. McDaniel and Josh King would lead ATX in scoring, with 13 and 10 pts respectively. Byrd had another nice game with 8 pts, 5 boards, and 5 assists on zero turnovers. Next up was a 10th grade Texas Ambassador (Ivany) team that was thought to possibly give ATX a challenge. The Ambassadors hit a couple of 3’s initially, to grab an early lead, only to see it was to be short lived. ATX would apply some full-court pressure to up temp the game. ATX’s team defense would hold their opponent to under 35% shooting for the game, while they themselves shot over 55%. That would be the difference in the game. ATX would grab a 36-18 lead at half and would grow that to ultimately win easily, 70-43, despite losing both Tanner Thrift and McDaniel late in the 2^nd half due to injury. Allen, King, Scott, and McDaniel would each score in double-figures, with Scott leading the way with 16 pts. Isaak Gonzales had a nice, all around game with 8 pts and 7 assists. Byrd also added 7 assists. Sunday’s pool play would open up against the SV Rangers, a team ATX had played in the past, traditionally a 9^th grade team that had added some 10^th grade players to their roster, players with some decent size in 6’5” and 6’4”. ATX would look to really utilize their size down low and pound the ball inside. Allen was fortunate to draw some early fouls on the Rangers which would limit the Rangers options down the stretch. ATX would grab a 30-15 lead at halftime, and would grow that lead to 19 at one point early in the 2^nd half. ATX would look to conserve their energy somewhat in the 2^nd half in order to prepare for the championship game that would take place later that afternoon. ATX would win 42-27, capturing 1^st place in their pool and vaulting them into the championship game. To the SV Rangers credit, they played VERY GOOD basketball in that they only committed 4 turnovers for the entire game. Unfortunately the pesky perimeter defense from Adrian Williams, Byrd, and Gonzales made things extremely difficult for the Rangers on the offensive side of things, holding them to under 25% shooting for the game. ATX themselves only committed 6 turnovers but shot 41% from the field. Allen would have an efficient game with 11 pts on 4-5 shooting, 7 boards, and 3 blocks. ATX would move on to play Team Score in the championship game, a JV team out of Dallas. This was a fast, athletic team that liked to get up and down the court and double-team the ball whenever possible. ATX found themselves in a close game, up 21-18 at halftime. Team Score would manage to keep it close for most of the 2^nd half. McDaniel, who had enjoyed a great tournament up to this point and had been leading the team in scoring the last few tournaments, had to leave the game with 4 minutes left due to an ankle injury. Other teammates stepped up well in his absence to help close out the game. With less than 2 minutes remaining, ATX found themselves with the slimmest of margins – just 2 points. But their experience and poise down the stretch would be the ultimate difference in the game. They would get some big defensive stops thanks to Byrd and Gonzales, and Josh King would go 5-6 from the free throw line down the stretch to seal the deal. ATX would outscore Team Score 12-2 in the final two minutes of the game and win 48-36 to claim the MAYB/Slamma Jamma IV tournament, their 6^th consecutive tournament championship in a row. Scott and King led the team with 13 and 10 points respectively. Allen had a strong game with 14 rebounds and 6 blocks. It was an overall great team effort for the weekend. THANKS also to all the parents and siblings that helped out with concessions and door admissions this weekend. It was a very successful tournament all around. ATX is now an impressive 26-1 for the season, a remarkable achievement by anyone’s standards. GO ATX!

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7 May 2010
ATX 2013 recognized in Pflugerville Pflag

Pflugerville, TX – The ATX 2013 team was recognized in the recent issue of the city newspaper, the Pflugerville Pflag. It was a nice, full-page article and picture that recognize their great season thus far, including their big win at the Houston Hoops / H-town Classic earlier in the season. You can read a scanned copy of the article here. Congrats to ATX for getting recognized in this way!

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2 May 2010
ATX steam roll in The Woodlands, go 4-0 to win Prime Time tournament (JV division)

The Woodlands, TX – The ATX 2013 team ventured out on their 2^nd road trip of the season, playing in a Prime Time event in The Woodlands, Texas, a suburb of Houston, Texas. This was a 7-team tournament with teams from the greater Houston area and Louisiana. ATX opened up pool play early Saturday evening against Louisiana Crossover, a JV team who was just starting their spring/summer basketball schedule. ATX would dominate this game from the opening tip, eventually causing 21 turnovers and only committing 7 of their own. A 25 point lead at halftime would eventually swell to a final 68-24 lopsided victory. Aaron McDaniel led the team offensively with 16 pts and 3 assists. Cory Scott chipped in 12 pts. Josh King had a nice well-rounded game with 6 pts, 7 boards, 5 assists, and 6 steals. Tanner Thrift would grab 9 rebounds as well as add 3 blocks. Adrian Williams and Leonard Allen also contributed with 8 points. ATX would go on to play their 2^nd pool play game later that evening against Oak Elite, a Houston JV team. Again it was apparent early on that ATX’s inside/outside punch would be too much for Oak Elite. ATX showed great team defense and unselfish offensive play as they would create 27 turnovers on the defensive side and rack up 24 assists on the offensive side of the ball. McDaniel would again come off the bench to lead all scorers with 16. Allen would add 9 pts, 5 boards and 3 blocks. Jay Byrd had a very efficient game, contributing with 12 pts on 5-6 shooting, and also having 3 assists and 2 steals. Starting point guard, Isaak Gonzales, had a nice game with 7 pts, 5 assists, and 5 steals. ATX would play their final pool play game Sunday afternoon against Legends Phenomz, another JV team from the Houston area. Both teams started out slow, missing quite a few shots early on. ATX would creep out to a 11 point lead mid-way thru the 1^st half and then would pour it on to close out the half with a 16-4 run, taking a 44-21 lead at halftime. Legends Phenomz would shoot lights out the 2^nd half, finishing the day with 12 made 3-pointers. Phenomz would outscore ATX 39-35 in the 2^nd half but would still lose 79-60. ATX would again force 20+ turnovers against their opponent yet would commit only 8 of their own. Allen would have a double-double with 12 pts and 13 boards. Scott would add 16 pts on efficient, 7-14 shooting. McDaniel would add 15 pts and 6 assists. Gonzales would enjoy a nice, stats-stuffer game: 4 pts, 5 boards, 5 assists, and 6 steals – a very nice, overall performance. The win would advance ATX to the championship game against the Katy Mustangs. This would be the second game in a row that ATX would start off slow. Both teams struggled to find any offensive flow or rhythm. Team defensive would again spark the ATX offense, enabling ATX to edge to a 34-20 halftime lead. Like many teams, Kay was able to hang close initially, but the strong play of the ATX bench and the multiple offensive weapons would prove to be too much. ATX would outscore Kay 33-7 in the 2^nd half alone, cruising to a 67-27 win and the overall tournament championship. Andrew Hill had a nice game to lead ATX in scoring with 14 pts on 6-8 shooting from the field as well as grabbing 5 boards. Allen would add 9 pts, 4 boards and 3 blocks while Josh King added 11 pts, 4 assists and 2 steals in the championship game. ATX continues to play some great basketball. Congrats to the ATX players and their families for another strong tournament showing. Next up for ATX 2013 is the ATX-hosted MAYB event scheduled for May 15-16^th in Austin.

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23 April 2010
Adrian Williams of ATX 2013 honored with basketball MVP of Connally HS freshman

Pflugerville, TX – The ATX 2013 saw one of its own, Adrian Williams, get honored by being selected as basketball MVP of his freshman team at Connally High School. This came as no surprise as Adrian was a leader both on and off the court for his team this past season. On the basketball court, Adrian was a tenacious on-ball defender. Offensively he had the capability of taking you off the dribble as well as drilling the mid-range to long jumper if left open. Adrian has improved his bball game immensely the last two years and now he is seeing big dividends. Congratulations to Adrian and his family for receiving this basketball honor!

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23 April 2010
Adrian Williams takes numerous track honors

Pflugerville, TX – Adrian Williams of ATX 2013 participated in the Pflugerville ISD district track meet this past week and left with several awards. Adrian took 1^st place in the 800m, 2^nd in the mile and 2^nd also in the 4x4. This was an outstanding accomplishment for Adrian, especially considering that he had never before ran track. Way to go Adrian!

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18 April 2010
ATX 2013 continue basketball roll, take the Houston Hoops / H-town Classic Platinum Championship

Houston, TX – The ATX 9^th grade team continued on their role of playing great basketball as they ventured out this past weekend on their first road trip of the season which landed them in Houston to participate in the Houston Hoops / H-town Classic. This was a field of over 25 of the best teams in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Louisiana. ATX would open up pool play against a very talented and athletic team, Franchize Air Force One. Air Force One would take a very early lead which would turn out to be short-lived. A strong offensive 1^st half by Leonard Allen and Josh King coupled with great team defense would allow ATX to capture a 30-14 lead at halftime. ATX’s defense would wear down Air Force One and would prove too much as ATX would go on to cruise to a 53-26 victory. Several ATX players would contribute offensively – King (9), Cory Scott (13), Allen (12), Andrew Hill (8), and Jay Byrd (6). Tanner Thrift was a beast on the boards. Air Force One was a formidable team, despite the score. They would go on to win four bracket games in a row later in the weekend to win the lower, GOLD division bracket. Next up for ATX was the stronger of the two Houston Cowboys teams that had entered the tournament. I guess the team was finally due for a poor performance after winning their first 13 games in a row. ATX would have a very uncharacteristically poor-shooting game from both behind the arc and from the line. Despite their poor shooting woes, which included going 9-25 from the free throw line, they still would have a chance to win. After being down 25-23 at half-time, ATX would fight back gaining a brief share of the lead. ATX, down by only 2, would have the ball inside in the hands of Allen with 15 seconds left in the game for the possible tying score. A questionable no call on a point-blank shot would allow the Cowboys to regain possession and ultimately win 52-48. Aaron McDaniel would lead ATX with 15 points in the losing effort. It was a disappointing first loss of the season for ATX, however, it would serve as a wake-up call which would spur them onto winning the next 4 games in a row, including the championship game of the higher platinum bracket. ATX would open bracket play as the #2 seed in their pool and would face a #1 seed in Hammond Elite, a Louisiana team that had already beaten a good Gulf Coast Blue Chips (Vaughn) team in earlier pool play. ATX would get out of the blocks early. Before they knew what hit them, Hammond would find themselves down 19-1 to start the game, which essentially meant game over. ATX would coast to a 50-28 lead to advance to the next round of the bracket play. The game against Hammond elite was a game that saw every ATX player score. Scott and Allen would lead the team offensively, scoring 10 and 11 points respectively. Byrd would also add 6 points. Tanner Thrift had a strong game as well, finishing with 7 boards and 3 blocks. The win would setup an early Sunday morning game against a familiar foe in Coach Henry’s talented San Antonio Rohawk squad, a long, athletic squad that ATX had faced in years past. This was a see-saw game early on. ATX enjoyed a 9 point lead at one time but the Rohawks would finish the 1^st half on a run, pulling to within 4 points, 21-17. But that would be as close as they got. ATX would ratchet up the defense in the 2^nd half while at the same time pouring it on offensively. ATX would outscore SA 35-13 in the 2^nd half alone, allowing them to cruise a surprisingly easy 56-30 win. Again the entire ATX squad would get in the box scores. Scott (8), Adrian Williams (7), McDaniel (10), and Allen (19) led ATX offensively. The team would shoot 8-10 from the charity stripe. Allen would add an additional 5 blocks on the defensive end. The win would catapult ATX into the semi-finals against Louisiana Bayou Flames, a big physical team that liked to get up and down the court quickly, a team that had already defeated a good Houston Shocks in their previous game. ATX would obviously go on to enjoy a great weekend but the reasons would not all be basketball related. ATX would see one of its own, Tanner Thrift, get confirmed in the Catholic Church later that Sunday. Thrift joined teammate Isaak Gonzales who was also confirmed just two weeks early. Thrift had been instrumental in the ATX victories up to this point in the tournament however ATX would have to look to find someone else to fill the void of the 6’5” power forward as the Thrift family would head back to Hutto, TX for his confirmation ceremonies after the Rohawk victory. Andrew Hill would be that player who would step up big, both offensively and defensively. The first half was a great display of basketball by both teams. ATX would maintain a slight lead for the duration, taking a 28-26 lead at halftime. Josh King would find the right time to get the hot hand from the perimeter, connecting on 5-8 shooting from behind the arc, with three of those coming in the 2^nd half. ATX would extend to a 15 point lead, only to see the Flames connect on seven 3’s of their own the 2^nd half to make it close. But in the end, ATX would ask Jay Byrd and Isaak Gonzales to lock down on the hot shooters of the Flames which is exactly what they did, stifling them down the stretch. This, coupled with the inside-outside punch of Allen/King, would prove to be too much for the Flames. ATX would hold on for a 68-61 win. ATX would again enjoy substantial offensive contributions from several players. King would lead all scorers with 23, while Scott (16), McDaniel (9), Hill (8), Allen (8), and Gonzales (4) also contributed. The team would also shoot 8-9 from the free throw line as well. The championship game would follow just 30 minutes later, a game that would have ATX face the TX Blue Chips (SILVER) a strong team out of Dallas that had just beaten the Houston Hoops (14U) in OT to gain a spot in the championship game. This would clearly be a game of survival of the fittest as both teams were noticeably fatigued. This was the 3^rd game for both teams in less than 6 hours. ATX would use some full-court pressure early to force some turnovers and gain a slight lead, a lead that they would never relinquish. King would pass the hot hand to Cory Scott for the championship game, with Scott hitting from both inside and out, and going for a game high 22 points. Andrew Hill continued to do a great job of filling the void of Thrift. Hill would pull down several rebounds as well as pitch in 7 points, all in the 2^nd half. The trio of Byrd, Gonzales, and Williams continued to apply a stingy perimeter defense that led to several steals and break away layups. Allen was two points shy of finishing the game with a triple double in points, rebounds, and blocks. ATX would maintain the lead for the duration of the game after initially securing a 28-16 halftime lead. The Blue Chips would get to within 7 but that would be as close as they would get. ATX would hold on for the 55-46 victory, securing the championship of the platinum division. It was an outstanding tournament victory for ATX 2013 and their families, arguably the best tournament victory in the history of ATX 2013. The future is looking bright for this team.

Way to go ATX!

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12 April 2010
ATX 2013 continue strong play, go 6-0 and take 1^st place in Platinum 9^th division of Central Texas Shoot-out

Kyle, TX – The ATX 9^th grade team participated this past weekend in the combined ATX / USSSA Central Texas Shoot-out, a tournament that included over 113 teams this year. Games were played out in South Austin and Kyle/Buda gymnasiums. ATX 2013 competed in the platinum 9^th grade division which included eight teams residing from Pflugerville, Austin, San Antonio, and Cedar Park. Tournament format included pool-play games followed by bracket play. ATX would open up pool play against the Cen-Tex Shooters, a newly formed team out of Cedar Park. ATX would open up an early lead and cruise to their easiest victory of the tournament, winning 54-15. All ATX players would get into the scoring action, with Cory Scott (11), Leonard Allen (9), and Tanner Thrift (7) leading the way. ATX would then move on to play a talented and very athletic Austin Rising Stars 2014 team. ATX would enjoy a 32-22 lead at half, and would extend that to 49-32 to secure their second pool-play victory. Allen (13) and Josh King (8) would lead ATX offensively. After playing the 9pm game on Saturday night, ATX would be one of the few teams that would be asked to play their 3^rd pool play game Sunday morning. ATX would battle the San Antonio Celtics, a team that ATX had faced and beaten last summer. ATX again got off to a strong start. ATX enjoyed a clear advantage inside on the low blocks. Their inside/outside game was no match for the Celtics. They would cruise to an easy 44-18 victory that included ATX shooting 11-13 from the charity stripe. In each of the first three games ATX was able to achieve a 20-point lead which allowed the clock to run continuously for the remainder of the game, making for a shorter game. ATX would again see balanced scoring across the team. Eight of nine players would land in the box scores. Andrew Hill started and played well in the absence of Tanner Thrift who had to miss the early Sunday morning game. ATX 2013 would open up bracket play as the #1 seed in their pool, facing a familiar foe in the San Antonio Wildcats. The pesky wildcats would try and keep it close early, but ATX would manage a barrage of 3 pointers early to take a 21-30 lead at halftime. Good team defense and a balanced scoring attack would again be the hallmark for ATX as four players would score in double figures -- Scott (14), King (13), Allen (13), and Aaron McDaniel (13). ATX would again win the free throw battle, shooting 11-14 for the game. ATX would finish the game strong, winning 65-42 which would advance them to the semi-finals to face the San Antonio Mustangs, a talented and well-coached team that had beaten ATX last year. The Mustangs would be short a few keys players, but you would not have realized that in the way they played. The Mustangs came out strong with a lot of intensity. ATX would crawl back after getting down early, managing a 24-23 half-time lead, thanks in part to McDaniel’s 8 point first half output. But the Mustangs would make a run of their own, managing a 6 point lead halfway thru the 2^nd half. ATX would ratchet up their man-2-man defense on the perimeter thanks to Jay Byrd, Isaak Gonzales, and Adrian Williams. They would also get strong bench play that would ultimately be the difference in the 2^nd half. Gonzales would score 10 of his 12 points in the 2^nd half and Williams would chip in 9 2^nd half points, helping ATX outscore the Mustangs 32-20 in the 2^nd half for an overall victory of 56-43. Allen and Scott would score 10 and 8 pts respectively. Collectively, the team would have another strong showing at the free throw line, shooting 9-11. ATX 2013 would move onto play their fourth game of the day, the championship game Sunday evening, against Stone Oak Irish, a relatively tall team, both on the low-post and on the perimeter. This was a very close contest for most of the game. The first half was a see-saw battle, with ATX edging out a slim 22-20 lead. The Irish however would make a run the 2^nd half and would manage a 6 point lead with 8 minutes left in the game. Starter King would leave the game due to injury with about 6 minutes remaining which seemed to weaken a chance for an ATX comeback. But other ATX players stepped up big!! ATX went to a smothering, full-court defense that really seemed to stifle the Irish. Defensive specialist Byrd locked down the star player for the Irish, limiting him to only 2 points down the stretch. ATX would outscore their opponent by 15 points down the stretch to win the game, 49-40. It was a great defensive effort and a great comeback win. Allen, Thrift, and Hill battled well on the boards for most of the game. Allen, as usual, had multiple blocked shots. King (10), Scott (11), and McDaniel (14) would all score in double-figures for ATX. This was a great, overall team effort and accomplishment to run the tables and go 6-0 for the tournament, extending their season record to a perfect 12-0. Congrats ATX! Next up for ATX 2013 is the H-town Classic in Houston, April 16-18^th.

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1 April 2010
ATX 2013 Freshman Cory Scott honored as Offensive MVP on Copperas Cove Junior Varsity Basketball Team

Copperas Cove, TX – The ATX 2013 saw one of its own, freshmen Cory Scott, honored this week as the Most Valuable Offensive player on his Junior Varsity basketball team. As a freshman, Scott was the starting point guard on his JV team this year. He led them in scoring, averaging 14 pts/game during the season. Scott has been an offensive threat in multiple ways. He is capable of driving / slashing to the basketball as well as being able to spot open for the open jumper. He also is quick to distribute the basketball to get his teammates involved. He obviously maintains all of these skills when wearing his ATX blue and white. Scott is currently averaging 8.5 pts/game thru the first two ATX tournaments of the season. Congrats to Cory and his parents for achieving this distinct honor at his High School.

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28 March 2010
ATX 9^th take tournament championship in the JV division of the MAYB / Slamma Jamma III

Austin, TX – The ATX 2013 team competed in their second tournament of the year, competing in the JV division of the ATX-hosted, MAYB / Slamma Jamma III event which was played out at Akins HS in Austin. This was an eight team division that consisted of a bracket play format that included some talented 9^th and 10^th grade teams from Austin, Hays, Buda, and San Antonio. ATX would be without starting point guard Isaak Gonzales for their two games on Saturday, giving other teammates the opportunity to step up, and step up they did. ATX opened up Saturday morning against the Capital Force, a 9^th grade team which consisted of kids primarily from the Buda / Hays area. The undersize Force came out and competed well, but from the opening tip it was easy to tell that they were no match for ATX’s inside/outside punch. ATX jumped out to a 12-3 lead and would never look back. ATX 2013 took at 42-27 lead into the 2^nd half, a half that saw their depth wear down on the Force who was only able to score 7 points in the 2^nd half. ATX would win going away, 71-34. ATX would enjoy a balanced offensive attacked with Leonard Allen (12), and Adrian Williams (15), and Josh King (21) all scoring in double figure. Starter Cory Scott pitched in 9 points. Williams, Scott, and King hit eight 3’s collectively against Capital Force. Later that afternoon would see ATX face the Austin Hoopz (10^th) in the winner’s bracket. The Hoopz would come out hot, hitting on their first four shots, all 3-pointers. They also had a 6’8” post player who was an effective rebounder. In contrast, ATX came out somewhat flat. ATX would get down by 9 at one point, but crawled back to within 3 at half, 24-21. The Hoopz, who lead the entire first half, would maintain a slight lead for almost the entire 2^nd half as well. ATX would take its first lead with 3 minutes remaining in the game, only to see that lead vanish the next time the Hoopz came down the court. Down by 1 point, ATX would see their defense force a turnover late in the game with 20 seconds left. An offensive rebound and put-back by Allen with 12 seconds left would put ATX up by 1. A final, last attempt by the Hoopz would come up short, allowing ATX to secure a 47-46 win in game that saw ATX lead for a total of 30 seconds during the game. ATX would be led offensively by Scott (11), and King (13). Jay Byrd, who started at the point, had a nice game with 6 points and several steals. Allen and Tanner Thift both contributed offensively with 9 and 4 points respectively. These two interior players, along with Andrew Hill, did a great job on the boards, limiting the Hoopz to a single shot most of the night. ATX went 7 for 9 from the charity stripe which also attributed to the win. The win would catapult ATX into the championship game against Team Express, a talented team made up of kids from south Austin and south Texas whose front line at times went 6’6”, 6’5”, 6’4”. ATX would welcome Isaak Gonzales back to the lineup for Sunday’s game but would unfortunately have to play without 6’5” Tanner Thrift who had other family commitments that afternoon. This was an exciting game, defensive, see-saw game that saw many lead changes throughout the duration. Neither team seemed to get up by more than 4 points, with the first half ending with ATX up 20-16. Early foul trouble for 6’3” forward Andrew Hill, including 3 in the first half, would force ATX to play small ball for most of the game. Aaron McDaniel slid down from the wing to play forward and had a tremendous game down on the low blocks. Team Express would score the first 6 points of the 2^nd half, quickly regaining the lead. But ATX would hang close for the duration. Unlike the first two games, King’s 3-point shooting had been off for most of the championship game, but he made it when it counted, including a trey with about 3 minutes left in the game which put ATX up 3. King would immediately steal the subsequent in-bounds which would later lead to 2 free throws, giving ATX the lead up 5. A steal and break-away layup by Scott late in the game and clutch free throws by Scott, Williams, and McDaniel down the stretch would help ultimately seal the deal for the ATX win. ATX would win 45-37 and secure the championship. As a team, ATX would shoot 11-16 from the free throw line. Newcomer Adrian Williams continues to show that he is a strong asset and addition to the team. ATX 2013 would be led in scoring in the final game by Williams (13), Scott (9), King (8), and McDaniel (8) however the game ball would go to Leonard Allen for his strong efforts in the championship game. Allen would have to play the full 40 minutes, with Thrift out for this game and Hill out most of the game due to foul trouble. While only scoring 5 points, Allen would battle tough on the boards for the duration and would have at least 6 blocks for the afternoon which ignited several fast breaks. This was a great team effort by ATX 2013 who competed well against the older teams. Congrats to the ATX players and families! Next up for ATX is the 13^th annual central Texas shoot-out in 2 weeks.

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21 March 2010
ATX 2013 has strong showing in season debut, capture tournament championship in JV division

Austin, TX – The ATX 9^th grade team had a strong showing in their first season outing. ATX would see their season debut take place in the combined USSSA/ATX-hosted event at LBJ High school which featured 8 teams split into two separate JV divisions. ATX competed in the higher of the two divisions in round-robin tournament format. ATX would open up against Coach Sparks’s well-coached and talented Austin Rampage team. This was a very close game from start to finish, with neither team ever leading by more than double digits. Rampage would take a 26-20 halftime lead, only to see ATX turn the tables in the second half. Foul trouble would hamper both teams, including Leonard Allen who was forced to sit most of the 2^nd half with fouls. Aaron McDaniel connecting on three treys from behind the arc in the 2^nd half and good free throw shooting down the stretch would end up being the difference in the game, as ATX would go on to win 49-46. Josh King (10), Cory Scott(12), and McDaniel (16) would lead the team in scoring for the game. Tanner Thrift had a solid defensive game and really picked up with slack with Allen out much of the game on fouls and Andrew Hill not present due to other personal commitments. Newcomer to the team, Adrian Williams, pitched in 6 points coming off the bench, and Jay Byrd and Isaak Gonzales played great perimeter defense for the duration of the game. Next up for ATX would be the Capital Area Rams (JV), a scrappy bunch that would play ATX well early on. After a 24-24 tie at halftime, ATX would begin to flex its muscles. They would capitalize on their size inside with Leonard Allen, who would score 10 points in the 2^nd half and 18 for the game. Everyone on the roster would contribute offensively, including Gonzales who would also score in double-digits with 11 points. ATX’s would win easily, 58-45. This would setup a game of unbeaten’s, as ATX would go on to face the Capital City Tigers, a game that would effectively be for the tournament championship. ATX would start out of the blocks quickly, opening up an initial 18-8 lead. They would extend that to a 40-23 halftime lead. ATX 2013 would relax a bit, allowing the Tigers to make a run, but ATX would ultimately hold on for the 69-59 victory. ATX enjoyed a great team effort on both the offensive and defensive end. All team members would score, with six of nine scoring 8 points or more: King (8), Scott (8), Hill (8), Gonzales (9), McDaniel (10), and Allen (16). It was a great, overall first showing for the 9^th grade squad. Next up for ATX is the ATX-hosted MAYB/Greater Austin event scheduled for March 27-28^th. GO ATX!

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27 February 2010
ATX 2013 attends Toros’ basketball game, watch ATX alumni CJ Jerrells compete

Austin, TX – The ATX 9^th grade team ventured out Saturday evening to the Austin Convention center to watch ATX alumni CJ Jerrells play for the Austin Toros. The team secured GREAT seats, directly behind the Toros bench so we all got up-front and close with the athletes. It was an exciting “shoot-out”, with Bakersfield edging out the Toros 107-96. CJ had 17 points, 7 assists, and led the team in minutes played. We had 25 folks from the ATX 2013 family attend.

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20 February 2010
ATX 2013 officially welcomes Adrian Williams to the team for the Spring/Summer 2010 season

Pflugerville, TX – The ATX class of 2013 officially welcomes Adrian Williams to the roster. Adrian currently attends Pflugerville/Connally High School, and starts for their Freshman ‘A’ team. Adrian is a quick, athletic guard that has the ability to play tough, perimeter defense as well has having the ability to knock down the ‘3’ from down town. Adrian and his family will be a welcome addition to the squad. Welcome Adrian! Coach King is still looking for 1-2 more talented young men to join his squad, players that are looking to advance their individual game and compete at the highest level at this age.

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16 February 2010
Isaak Gonzales and Josh King help lead Hendrickson Freshman ‘A’ to a 25-2 season, perfect 10-0 district season

Pflugerville, TX – The Hendrickson Hawks freshman ‘A’ basketball team just completed a history making season, going 25-2 and posting the best, overall record for any team in the history of the school. This came largely in part to the great play of ATX 2013 players Josh King and Isaak Gonzales. Josh King was co-captain of the team and started every game except one. He lead the team in scoring (11 pts/game), assist/turnover ratio (2.0), minutes played, steals (3.8), and was third in rebounds at 4.3 boards/game. Gonzales was the leading scorer off the bench (7pts/game), was 2^nd in both steals (3.3/game) and assist/turnover ratio (1.8). Both King and Gonzales were key to the success that Hendrickson enjoyed this season. Congrats Josh and Isaak.

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15 February 2010
Aaron McDaniel and Josh King participate in PYBA 2010 All-Star game, King chosen as game MVP

Pflugerville, TX – The ATX class of 2013 saw two of their own participate in what would be their last Pflugerville Youth Basketball Association (PYBA) all-star game this past weekend at Pflugerville High School. Josh King and Aaron McDaniel have both been playing in PYBA since a very early age, with Josh starting at age 7. This last weekend saw them both get selected to the PYBA all-star team which was 5 years in a row for each of them. They played in the oldest, 14-year old division. Josh was select as his team’s MVP for the all-star game for the second year in a row, along with his long-time friend and PYBA teammate Sean Mason. Sean and Josh first became friends at Little league baseball teammates at age 7. Congrats to Aaron, Josh, and Sean.

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8 February 2010
ATX 2013 look to finalize team for upcoming Spring/Summer season…..looking for low-post / interior player and possibly a shooting guard

Pflugerville, TX – The ATX class of 2013 looks to have its roster finalized in the next couple of weeks. Coach King and Coach Allen are looking for one low-post, interior player to come and join the award-winning squad for the upcoming Spring/Summer season. We might also have opening for a athletic, shooting-guard. Interested parents and players should contact Coach King directly via email. The team looks to begin practicing at the end of February, with tournaments beginning March.

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17 January 2010
Asante and King combine for 30 points, lead Hendrickson to an easy 72-33 victory over Hutto and Tanner Thrift

Hutto, TX – The ATX class of 2013 saw several of their own open district play with their corresponding teams Friday night, including a game that features Kofi Asante, Josh King, and Isaak Gonzeles of Hendrickson against teammate Tanner Thrift and Hutto. Questionable fouls early would send Thrift to the bench, leaving the Hutto defense vulnerable to the high-powered scoring offense of Hendrickson. The Hawks would take advantage with Tanner out of the game. Asante would finish with a game-high 18 points and 10 boards while King managed 12 points, 4 boards, and a season-high 8 steals. Gonzales chipped in 5 points and 6 steals of his own. The Hawks are now an impressive 16-2 and seem to be the odds on favorite to capture the district title.

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13 January 2010
ATX players Hill and Piper moved up to their JV teams

Austin, TX – The ATX class of 2013 saw two of its own freshman players get moved up to compete at the JV level. Andrew Hill was recently moved up to compete on Pflugerville/Connally’s JV while Bradley Piper was also moved up to Cedar Park / Vista Ridge JV. They join ATX teammate Cory Scott who has been the starting point guard for Copperas Cove JV since the beginning of the season. This speaks volumes about their abilities to compete at the high school level. Congrats to these players.

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12 January 2010
ATX 2013 player Cory Scott scores 17 including game-winning 3 to lead Copperas Cove JV over Shoemaker

Copperas Cove, TX – Cory Scott, as a freshman, continues to lead the way for the Copperas Cove JV team. As their starting point guard, he has to both run the offense as well as score points. He lit Shoemaker up for 17 points on Tuesday, including a game-winning 3 pointer with 1 minute left to play in the game. He’s currently leading the team in scoring with 14 points/game. Congrats to Cory for representing ATX well!!!

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12 January 2010
ATX “Triple Threat” of Asante, Gonzales, and King all score in double figures to lead Hendrickson past Manor 80-54

Pflugerville, TX – The Hendrickson Hawks 9^th grade ‘A’ team continue their dominance, extending their record to an impressive 15-2 thanks to the great effort of the ATX 2013 team members King, Asante, and Gonzales. Isaak Gonzales and Josh King help lead the Hawks past Manor, each scoring 14 points and adding 5 and 4 steals respectively while Asante added in 10 points and 7 boards. Congrats to these ATX players who are really seeing their hard summer efforts pay off

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23 December 2009
Tentative 2010 Spring/Summer Tournament schedule for ATX 2013

Pflugerville, TX – The Class of 2013 ATX team is beginning to eagerly anticipate their upcoming Spring/Summer 2010 season. The majority of the award-winning team will return for their 9^th grade season, however, there may be 1-2 openings in the roster for new players. Interested players and parents should contact Coach David King. The upcoming season will begin practices at the end of February with tournament play to begin in March. The 15U team will play approximately every other weekend for a total of 12 tournaments. A tentative schedule is shown below with actual dates:

March 13-14^th / MAYB / Cedar Park, TX (9^th/10^th division)

< School Spring Break -- March 15-19>

March 27-28^th / MAYB hosted by ATX /Austin (9^th/10^th division)

< Easter – April 4^th >

April 10-11^th / The 13^th annual Central Texas Shoot-out / hosted by ATX / Austin (9^th)

April 16-18^th / Houston Hoops H-town Classic / Houston, TX (9^th)

May 1-2^nd / PrimeTime / Houston (Woodlands) (9^th/10^th)

< Mother’s Day – May 9^th >

May 14-16^th / MAYB hosted by ATX / Austin (9^th/10^th)

May 28-30^th / Reebok Great American Shoot-out / Carrolltown (North Dallas) (NIT)

June 11-13^th / MAYB Summer Kick-Off / Wichita, Kansas (9^th/10^th)

June 26-27^th / TX Basketball, Inc. / Austin (9^th/10^th)

July 9-11^th / Reebok Great American Shoot-out / Denton, TX (NIT)

July 24-25^th / ATX hosted event / Austin (9^th/10^th)

August 7-8^th / USSSA / Austin (9^th)

*Out of Town

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19 December 2009
ATX sees team players pitted against each other in High School Games

Pflugerville, Texas — The ATX class of 2013 continue to see their players make a major impact on their school teams as the pre-season progresses. It is further indication that their hard work and commitment during the prior summer is paying off. Recently the Pflugerville hosted Coca-Cola/Gattis Pizza tournament classic showcased six players from the talented ATX 2013 squad. Opening round play pitted Round Rock HS (Leonard Allen) vs Pflugerville HS (Jay Byrd, Aaron McDaniel). This was a thriller, down to the very end. Allen ultimately prevailed in a 55-54 final, with Allen scoring 20+ points for the Round Rock Dragons. The semi-finals pitted Round Rock vs Hendrickson HS (Josh King, Isaak Gonzales) who had defeated Austin High in lopsided 60-42 tournament opener. Hendrickson took it to Round Rock early, and Allen picked up some very questionable calls which caused him to miss much of the game. Round Rock would see Hendrickson take advantage with Allen sidelined. The Hawks roll to a 69-42 win, moving on to the championship game against Connally HS (Andrew Hill). Andrew Hill helped lead the cougars to wins over Waco University and Akins to reach the championship game against Hendrickson. Once again the ATX “big men” had some unfortunate calls as Hill would be sidelined much of the game due to foul trouble. Connally would keep in close in the first half, but the Hawks would open things up in the 2^nd half, going on to win 70-54 to claim the overall tournament championship and increase their season record to 12-1. Josh King would lead all players with a game high 17 points in the championship game. Byrd and McDaniel would go undefeated after the RR loss, helping Pflugerville win the Consolation championship over Waco University. Pflugerville would also get their chances against Hendrickson a week later, and take advantage they did. Hendrickson would travel to play at Pflugerville the following Monday, only to see Byrd and McDaniel end “on top” of the Hawks, 82-73. Congrats to these players and their accomplishments.

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18 November 2009
ATX players see hard work pay dividends, land on High School Freshman / JV Teams

Austin, Texas — The ATX class of 2013 continue see their hard work to pay off as multiple players land on their high school teams. Congrats to those players and their families:

Hendrickson High Pflugerville High Vista Ridge High

Kofi Asante, Freshman ‘A’ / STARTER Jay Byrd, Freshman ‘A’ / STARTER Bradley Piper, Freshman ‘A’ / STARTER

Isaak Gonzales, Freshman ‘A’ Aaron McDaniel Freshman ‘A’

Josh King, Freshman ‘A’ / STARTER

Jalen Campbell, Freshman ‘B’ / STARTER Hutto High Round Rock High

Tanner Thrift, Freshman ‘A’ / STARTER Leonard Allen, Freshman ‘A’ / STARTER

Copperas Cove High RR Christian Academy Connally High

Cory Scott, JV / STARTER Ryan Lamb, Varsity / STARTER Andrew Hill, Freshman ‘A’ / STARTER

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22 October 2009
Thrift dominates, helps lead Hutto football to convincing 30-6 win over Killeen

Hutto, Texas — ATX basketball standout, Tanner Thrift, took to the grid-iron Thursday evening in Hutto, helping lead his team to a convincing 30-6 win over the Killen Kangaroos. Starting on both sides of the ball, Thrift made his presence felt almost immediately. Thrift would hall in two TD passes throughout the course of the game as well as personally blocking a punt which lead to another Hutto score. It was an outstanding, personal performance for Tanner. Way to go Tanner!

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24 September 2009
ATX’s own Jay Byrd, sets record with 103 yard interception return

Pflugerville, Texas — Congratulations to ATX’s own, Jay Byrd, who is believe to set a PISD record with his 103-yard interception return for a touchdown against Bastrop this past week. Jay Byrd, who already holds multiple track and field district records at the middle school level, would add his first record at the HS level in a rather non-conventional way. Bastrop was looking to score a TD against the Pflugerville Panthers but defensive cornerback Byrd would have nothing of it. Jay vaulted himself into the air and snatched the would-be touchdown pass and returned it 103 yards, end-zone to end-zone. Congrats Jay!

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18 September 2009
Congrats to Josh King for being voted as 9^th grade Homecoming Prince at Hendrickson High

Pflugerville, Texas — Congratulations go out to ATX’s own, Josh King, for being the single 9^th grade boy selected by his peers to participate in the Hendrickson High School Homecoming festivities. Josh was voted as 9^th grade Homecoming Prince. Congrats to Josh.

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1 September 2009
ATX 2013 end year with End of Season Swim / Dinner Party

Austin, Texas — The ATX 2013 basketball family enjoyed a great end-of-season party this past Saturday evening at the Blackhawk amenity center. Families started showing up at 5pm and stayed unto 8:45pm that evening. It was a great time of fun and fellowship as families had a great time in the pool and then enjoyed “Grandpa King’s” burgers, hot dogs, brats, and grilled chicken breasts. The parents and coaches also sent 45 minutes together in an official team meeting, discussing and reflect on the success of the past year as well as looking forward to what would be different next year. It was an overall great time to see the kids get together. See the team pictures link for all the pictures.

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