Written by Elijah Soufer

On Wednesday, January 31st, the Valley Torah varsity basketball team stepped onto the court for the highly anticipated league championship showdown. Throughout the season, the VT Wolfpack had showcased their prowess, boasting an impressive record of nineteen wins and four losses, and now faced off against the formidable Faith Baptist Contenders located in Canoga Park. 

The first quarter was a tight contest, with each team trading off points. By the end of the first, the score was 20 to 13 with VT in the lead. In the second quarter, the game was still very tight with both teams trading off shots. Benjamin Mahhgerefteh’s amazing performance from the three-point range helped the Wolf Pack to a one-point lead of 31 to 32.

The third quarter increased tensions for both teams, yet Valley Torah’s players demonstrated their skill and determination on the court while under pressure. Unfortunately, toward the end of the third quarter, the Wolfpack’s star player, Ethan List, faced a serious injury while doing a crossover 40 feet from the basket. Everyone’s hearts stopped while he writhed in agonizing pain on the court. After being on the floor for a couple of minutes, he thankfully got up thanks to the help of his father and Coach Lior Shwartzberg depicting unconditional support between the players and our amazing Coach. The quarter ended with a score of 42 to 45 still in Valley Torah’s lead and with a shot from Benny with just seconds left after he crossed up three of the Contenders’ players. 

Passionate about supporting his team, Ethan List re-entered within the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. In the first half of the fourth quarter, Valley Torah went on a 21-to-4 run against Faith Baptist and the VTHS students began to celebrate their championship win. The game’s final score was 68 to 55 with an amazing ending to the season. As the game concluded, Valley Torah students ran to the court to celebrate their rightfully earned Championship win. The leading scorers of the night were Benny Mahgerefteh with 29 points and Gabe R’bibo, a senior who has been a staple in Valley Torah’s offense since his sophomore year, with 24 points.