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| Written by Marc Aceves | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Friday, 20 June 2008 | |
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Results from Week 1 Monday, June 16 Scores: Team A 86, Team B 82 Team F 45, Team E 41 Team C 109, Team J 65 Team C 75, Team D 47 Team G 84, Team H 55 Standings Team C 2-0 Team A 1-0 Team F 1-0 Team G 1-0 Team I 0-0 Team B 0-1 Team D 0-1 Team E 0-1 Team H 0-1 Team J 0-1 Ever wonder where high school and college players go after turning the tassel on their athletic glory days? It turns out that many of them — some even into their 50s — are still making tough plays on the hardwood.  GO GET IT: Birdie Rodriguez (left) and Joel Gonzalez chase after a loose ball during play in the city’s adult summer basketball league. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator “That’s the way to hustle,” one player yelled. “C’mon, let’s play some D!” another urged. Uniformed referees closely patrolled the game. “White team — push,” declared referee Tony Lomeli Jr., the high school’s boys basketball coach. “Two shots.” It had all the hallmarks of a varsity high school game, though the pace was a little slower and many of the players were slightly thicker around the middle and thinner on top than the average high schooler. The supporters in the stands were different, too. It’s not too often you hear “Nice shot, Dad!” at a high school contest. The men on the court were playing their weekly game of hoops in the Patterson Tigers Adult City League. All profits from the league directly support the PHS boys basketball team.  ONE ON ONE: Jose Fernandez (left) pulls up for a shot, while Mike Anderson (right) goes for the block during Monday’s opening game of the Patterson Tigers Adult City League. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator His teammates chuckled at his attempt. As the hefty player rose to his feet, he had to snicker himself. The competition sometimes is fierce, but fun is the name of the game. “A lot of these teams have been playing together for a long time,” Aumoeualogo said after the game. “I think that we can match up well with a lot of these teams, but we’ll have to play hard.” A modest gathering of family members and friends showed their support for team members on the league’s opening night. The players, in cut-off T-shirts, tank tops and gym shorts, sprinted up and down the court, their shoes squeaking loudly, as they set up 3-point shots and tried to guard and block players of the opposing team. Lomeli, who also helps organize the league, hopes to raise the level of competitiveness. So far, most players have been young men, evenly balanced between recent high school graduates, college students and non-student adults. There are, however, a few seasoned athletes sprinkled throughout the lineups. Lomeli says his goal was to create a large weekly series of games for people of any size, age or experience level to compete and improve their play. Some, though, seem better than others. “I see some really good things from our team,” player Marlin Johnson said. “Not to be arrogant or cocky, but we’re going to take the whole tournament. There are some good players and teams out here, but I haven’t seen anybody that scares me.” Hope for a widely competitive basketball league appeared to develop Monday, with squads battling to open the season on a high note. According to league participant Ryan Minton, adult leagues often have no practice time and little opportunity to teach the fundamentals or even plan offensive and defensive strategies. Instead, players count on one another’s basketball knowledge to guide them on where to stand and what to do on the court. “We just showed up,” Minton said. “We haven’t really practiced at all. “We used to play in high school, but this is really the first time in a couple of years that we’ve gotten together as a team.” To reach Marc Aceves at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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