HAMMOND – The Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Girls’ Basketball Championships were held on March 15 at Bishop Noll Institute. Students from various grade levels across the diocese, including those from Chesterton, Crown Point, Schererville and Whiting, traveled to the high school in Hammond for a day of friendly competition.
All basketball teams, whether the runner-up or the winner, returned to their schools with a trophy. Each player also received a medal as a reminder of his accomplishments during the season.
CYO Director John Curtain took time during the day to thank those at BNI and Andrean for hosting the championship games over the years. He also noted his gratitude for the referees, coaches, parents and others who assist with the program.
“It’s about effort, growth, teamwork and character,” Curtain told those gathered in the gymnasium. “These are young athletes who are still learning, and it’s a big moment for them.”
8th Grade
In the most contentious game of the day, the girls’ eighth grade team of St. Michael School in Schererville faced St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point.
St. Michael’s Jocelyn Grasha found the net for a three-point shot, and Hailey Filetti found the net from underneath to put the Warriors ahead early. However, the Wildcats responded and kept it tied at 11-11 at halftime. A few free throw opportunities occurred in the third, with Cecelia Parker of St. Mary and Adriana Dabrowski of St. Michael making shots.
The fourth quarter began with an 18-16 score, and as time ran down, energy filled the gymnasium as both teams fought to win the game. With just 1:50 remaining, the score was 25-26. A free throw by Gwenyth Patti and a steal that resulted in a basket by Ava Pineda put the Wildcats ahead. A short time later, Parker was again sent to the free-throw line and was able to add to the lead. A final basket by Pineda sealed the win 27-35.
Coach Brittany LaMere shared her appreciation for the hard work of the St. Mary’s team. Getting emotional during comments she made after the game, she told the girls she would really miss working with them as they graduated from middle school and prepared to enter high school. After the team received its medals and trophy, LaMere shared that she felt it was the girls’ love for each other that helped them get the “W.”
“In one of our last timeouts, one of the girls said, ‘Let's go win it for each other,’” she said. “And that's when I thought to myself, ‘We got this. We're gonna win.’
St. Mary’s Parker agreed, stating friendship and hard work earned them the first-place finish.
“We were really just going out there and doing it,” she said. “We were doing our best and putting in all the hard work. And now, after school and all those, all the good stuff, awesome.
7th Grade
The championship game in seventh grade likewise saw the St. Michael Warriors face the St. Mary Wildcats.
St. Mary took the early lead thanks to points scored by Lola Corley, which was added on to by teammates Mackenzie Beaver, Rachel Quasney and Anna DeVries. At halftime, the Wildcats were ahead 20-5.
During the second half, St. Michael began to battle back with Katie Litavec, Avery Mizimakoski and Gabriella Patikas among those making baskets. Despite coming back to within 10 at one point in the game, it ended 37-20 in favor of St. Mary.
Wildcat’s DeVries said it felt amazing to finally win after competing in the championship game the last two years, being the runner-up both times. She believes the team’s dedication helped them earn first place this year. She said the team was working harder and harder each practice in preparation.
“We knew it was going to be a tough atmosphere and a tough game,” DeVries said. “We came out here wanting to play our game, and we did that.”
Coach Kori Beaver said the team had been waiting for the day when they could compete in the championship. She acknowledged that she and Coach Tommy Finn pushed the athletic abilities of the girls because they knew they had the potential to come in first place.
“We appreciate that they gave it their all every single day in practice,” she said.
6th Grade
With the St. Patrick’s Day holiday approaching, a few days after the CYO championships, the St. Patrick sixth grade team from Chesterton hoped to put the luck of the Irish to work for them as they played against St. Thomas More from Munster.
Both teams appeared to be evenly matched as the score remained close for much of the game. Sixth grader Audrey O’Conner stole the basketball and put the first two points on the board for the Eagles. Adding to their score throughout the game were teammates Mikayla Turner, Arden Spike and Zoe Ishola.
Some loud cheers in favor of St. Thomas More could be heard coming from the stands, including “Let’s Go Eagles,” but the Irish remained focused. They stayed just ahead of their opponent with shots made by Anabelle Hicks, Willow Wharff and Winifred Payne. The final score at the sound of the buzzer to end the game – 17-21.
St. Pat’s Payne felt teamwork was the key to the win. She said practicing specific plays also proved to be important.
“We have a lot of plays, and I think we’ve been doing them very well,” Payne said.
Coach Chris Hicks believed the team was successful because they played good defense, passed the ball well and were able to make their shots. He noted the team took first last year, making them winners for back-to-back seasons.
“Having that familiarity with the girls helped, and they listen and are very coachable,” Hicks said.
5th Grade
Kicking off the CYO championship games earlier in the afternoon were the fifth grade teams of St. John the Baptist and St. Mary.
Fifth grader Paisley Walczak made a basket while being fouled and then made the extra free throw, putting the first three points on the scoreboard for St. John the Baptist. A short time later, St. Mary’s Camille Parker would make a basket, making the score 2-3. The first half of the game remained close, with the scoreboard reading 4-5 at the end of the first quarter and 8-10 at the end of the second.
In the third quarter, layups by Johannah Alvarez and Mila Casillas of St. John the Baptist widened the lead for the Trojans. A strong desire to keep possession of the ball by both teams led to a series of jump balls and fouls in the fourth quarter, which sent Parker and Casillas to the free-throw line on multiple occasions. Despite their best efforts, this St. Mary’s team lost to St. John the Baptist 14-24.
SJB Coach Derek Cornejo said some of the girls “played up” last year, competing against fifth graders as fourth graders, and they still made it to the championship game. He said they lost by only a few points at that time, so they came to the final game this year with something to prove.
“They went undefeated the entire season,” Cornejo said. “They weren’t free; the girls had to earn them, but they really played with a lot of pride.”
The coach told the team afterward that he was very proud of them and “to enjoy the moment as it's something that does not happen every day.”
Fifth grader Giana De La Huerta felt a sense of pride in herself, sharing that she suffered an injury to her heel but was able to continue playing. She was also proud of her teammates, who she said worked hard, reiterating that they never lost a game during the season.
“Everyone on the team is really nice and competitive,” she said.
For more information about the Catholic Youth Organization, call (219) 736-8931 or visit www.nwicyo.org.
