Written by Joseph Elbaz

This previous weekend, our varsity basketball team known as the Valley Torah Wolfpack traveled across the country to Washington Heights, New York to be part of the annual Red Sarachek Basketball tournament hosted by Yeshiva University. High expectations were set for the team, and as we had won the two previous tournaments they had a lot on their shoulders. On Wednesday night at approximately 11:30P.M., the Wolfpack, joined by Rabbi Stulburger, flew out of LAX on their journey to bring back the trophy.

On Thursday the #6-seed Valley Torah Wolfpack played #11-seed Beth Tfiloh, a school in Baltimore with some impressive players. Many expected a big win for our Wolfpack, but that was unfortunately not the case. In the end, the Wolfpack lost by just 7 points in a back-and-forth game where star player Gabriel R’bibo had 30 points. His exertions were not enough to seal the victory and he and his teammates departed the Yeshiva University campus with disappointment in their eyes. Nevertheless, there was a Tier-2 trophy to be won and the team could not give up hope.

The team was well rested for their game after Shabbos on Saturday night where they faced off against the MTA Lions, a team they also played last year in the Glouberman tournament that takes place in the fall season hosted by Shalhevet. The Wolfpack came into this game with a killer mindset, and blew out the Lions by 22 points, with many of the younger players on the Wolf Pack making an appearance. After winning this game the hope was still there for a trophy to be brought back to Los Angeles, and many had high hopes going into the next game.

Sunday morning marked the day that Valley Torah faced off against their rivals DRS, who still had the taste of their defeat in the Finals two years in a row. The Wolfpack knew they had to defeat the Wildcats who had vengeance in their eyes and started the game off powerfully with the Wolfpack holding a 7-point lead at the end of the 1st quarter. The Wildcats were just too strong in the end and had an exceptional 3rd quarter where they took the lead. The game ended 49-53 and the Wolfpack were once again sent home in disappointment.

Waking up on Monday morning presented challenges to exhausted Valley Torah students, but there was a certain excitement in the air. The Wolfpack had won their final game and therefore were in 3rd place in Tier two of the Red Sarachek tournament. While this was a great disappointment, it did give some fans satisfaction along with the victory of the entire tournament by fellow Los Angeles school YULA. Although greater things were expected from the basketball team, they did not disappoint completely and brought back a trophy just a little smaller than the others sitting beside it in Coach Schwartzberg’s office.