WESTON – High-flying dunks soared by means of the air and signature 3-point photographs rained down from all areas of The Rivers School gymnasium Tuesday evening, however what mattered most on the court docket that night had nothing to do with the outcomes of any basketball recreation.
Entering the weekend of the tenth Annual A Shot For Life Challenge, the group dedicated to fundraising for most cancers analysis sponsored its first-ever All-Star Game as an experiment to see what sort of curiosity it might draw. And for the 17 chosen athletes throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island competing inside it, it was not solely an exciting present they’d put forth in a 153-150 rating akin to the NBA All-Star Game, however extra likelihood to come back collectively to assist a trigger a lot larger than the sport.
“It’s really an honor to be selected for stuff like this,” stated Worcester Academy’s T.J. Power. “We’re all here for the same reason. … It’s just cool to see all the good players put the egos and recruiting and everything aside and just come together for this cause.”
The boys recreation was the second of two all-star video games on the evening, with the women slate additionally ending in a dramatic end.
Power aided Team White towards the victory, scoring 19 factors simply a number of days earlier than he competes within the ASFL Challenge for a second yr. His output stacked properly with Milton Academy’s Austin Hunt (27 factors), Taunton’s Trent Santos (24 factors), Jai White (23 factors), and Dover-Sherborn’s Luke Rinaldi (21 factors). Bradford Christian Acdemy’s (R.I.) AJ Lesburt pushed Team Blue to the brink of a comeback with 32 factors, however couldn’t safe a win.
For ASFL CEO Mike Slonina, it was simply good to see his group’s athletes getting collectively yet another time earlier than the most important fundraiser estimated to generate between $70,000-$80,000.
“I thought this year was a group that would be really into this,” he stated. “Mass. high school basketball is really small, so all these kids are friends. I just think getting them all into the gym together one more time in the A Shot For Life logo, in addition to the ASFL Challenge, is something I’m really excited about.”
Cancer is a illness that impacts everybody in some form or type, so most of the athletes that partake discover nice pleasure in collaborating each time they will. That has helped construct a household bond that retains gamers like Power invested within the group.
“It’s more than an organization,” he stated. “I’ve met a lot of friends here. … Always getting texts through the year like, ‘Good job,’ and stuff like that. It’s really cool.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com