The Middle School Girls’ Basketball season kicked off in early January and the large, 20-player squad has been playing with enthusiasm and a focus on honoring God on and off the court, according to its new head coach, faculty member Daniel Vasquez. As of January 20, the team had posted a winning record of 4 and 2 in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League, and is improving and gaining confidence with every game.
“This team is such a joy to coach,” said Vasquez, who is assisted by ACS 2021 alumnus and former standout Varsity Girls’ team member Sydney Pearson, and Jen Domsic, whose 7th grade daughter, Caelyn, is a team member. “They are very coachable, tenacious, and relentless,” Vasquez said. “They want to be better and we often have to force them to leave the court because they just cannot get enough basketball.”
Vasquez also described the team as a group of girls who want to honor Jesus. “They are showing this with their attitudes and lifestyles on and off the court,” Vasquez said.
The team’s theme verse is Proverbs 31:30 — “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Vazquez said the team members have all memorized the verse and are learning to live in the fear of the Lord together.
A number of players have been excelling over the past six games and are helping lead the team to victory. 8th grader Shelby Tomlinson is the team’s top scorer and also leads the team in steals. 8th grader Kalee Tardif is the second-highest scorer and is also strong on the boards and in steals. 7th grader Malena Meyer leads the team in rebounds, is the third-highest scorer, and has chalked up over 7 steals. 7th graders Caelyn Domsic and Solia Pecou are also top rebounders and 8th grader Isabella Santos, in her first year on the team, is excelling on defense and getting lots of steals.
The 20 members of the team are: Kendall Bouchard, Sophia Capito, Natalie Dickson, Caelyn Domsic, Isabelle Edwards, Mia Gaffney, Lucy Huff, Gracie Leon, Grace Lushina, Ja’Niyah Martin, Layla McCarthy, Malena Meyer, Nadia Pearson, Solia Pecou, Nina Purdy, Sophia Rose, Isabella Santos, Kaila Smalls, Kalee Tardif, and Shelby Tomlinson.
The team has eight more games to play in the season, including two homes games the week of January 23 — playing Folsom Middle School on Wednesday, January 25 at 3:45 p.m. and Assumption Regional Catholic School on Friday, January 27, starting at 3:30 p.m. Come on out and cheer our team on to victory!
Pictured below are photos from the January 18 home game against Egg Harbor City Community School, which ACS won 17-4.
The ACS Middle School Boys’ Basketball Team is off to a memorable start, making school history on December 14 by winning the championship in the Dixie Howell Junior High Basketball Tournament in Ocean City, the first time for an ACS middle school team competing in that tournament. Congratulations to the team and to two ACS players who were recognized for outstanding achievement in the tournament — 8th grader Ethan Costello was named Tournament MVP and 8th grader Micah D’Anna was named MVP of the championship game.
