Weimar 8th-graders win 4 of 5 at NorCal TOC

Boys Basketball, by Journal Sports StaffSACRAMENTO ? The Weimar Hills Middle School?s boys eighth-grade basketball team continued its outstanding season by winning four of five games at last weekend?s prestigious NorCal Jr. High Tournament of Champions played at Mira Loma High.The Warriors, 26-4 on the season, split a pair of opening-round games on Saturday then defeated three straight league champions to end up with the consolation trophy.The 22-team event drew teams from as far south as Fresno and from as far north as Redding.Weimar Hills opened the tourney by defeating Gray Middle School of Yuba City, 49-28. Ari Iventosch?s nine points and seven each from Russell Mooney and Kevin Gorges paced the Warriors.In the second round, Weimar Hills ran into Sutter Middle School of Sacramento and its 6-foot-6, 230-pound center, Eugene Crockett. After battling the Miners early, Sutter ? which gained Monday afternoon?s championship game ? pulled away to a 57-38 win despite 16 points from Iventosch.On Sunday, the Warriors bounced back with a 63-37 dismantling of large school Shasta County champion Sequoia of Redding, as Iventosch tallied 16 points and Spencer Ziebarth added 15.On Sunday evening, Weimar Hills continued its tourney run by edging past Elk Grove District Champion E.A. Kerr, 37-35. Ziebarth finished with 17 points and Mooney added 12 to lead the Warriors.Monday afternoon saw Weimar Hills cap its fine tourney by turning back San Juan Unified-North champion Pastuer of Orangevale, 50-48. Kevin Kleppe tallied 15 points, including three 3-point field goals while Ziebarth and Iventosch followed with 13 and nine points, respectively.Iventosch, who tallied 53 points in Weimar Hills? five games, was named to the all-tournament squad.Weimar Hills also received solid defense and rebounding during the weekend from Russell Stone, Brian Barbier, Dustin Harper, Joey Bena, Nathan Capuchino, Kyle Sipherd, Ricky Bayne, Eric Spears, Josh Kershner and Ronnie Davidson.The Warriors will now head to the 34th annual Crescent City Tournament of Champions, in the northwest corner of the state, March 1-2.