St. Pat’s All Stars have come so far

A basketball team that nobody expected to shine has won the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) championship game at Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School.

The St. Patrick’s Basketball Team has beaten the odds, according to Michelle Fonseca, mother of one of the nine players on the team.

It’s something to be proud of.

The championship “hasn’t been brought to St. Pat’s in 20 years,” noted Fonseca about the team adding, “This is the first year these two coaches even worked together.”

According to Fonseca, the St. Patrick’s basketball team was labeled as a “B division team” meaning that the eighth graders that form it, mostly teenage boys 13 years of age, have never played together in the past.

Police Officer Carlos Vazquez, who usually coaches baseball, decided to put together the team with the help of Assistant Coach Kenny Herman, saying that the quicker and faster game requires more strategy, thus someone with basketball experience such as Herman was needed.

“These kids never played organized basketball before,” Vazquez remarked. He said beforehand that he was hopeful that the team could bring home the trophy and, it turns out, his hopes were justified.

On Saturday, March 23, the players took home medals and pats on the back as they accomplished the unexpected, delighting Brooklyn with their success and winning the championship against Sacred Heart School from Queens.

“These kids deserve all the credit,” Herman noted. “They’ve worked hard to get to where they are. I’m very happy.

“It doesn’t mean as much to me as it does to them,” he added, emphasizing that he’s extremely excited about the team’s performance.

“I didn’t think it was going to go that far,” Vazquez exclaimed.

Seven of the nine kids attend St. Patrick’s school, with both of the coaches’ sons playing in the team.

“There is so much bad news out there; it’s great to give these coaches and kids the recognition they deserve,” Fonseca happily said.

“They were set up to lose; look how far they’ve made it,” the proud mama said. Some of the boys on the team will be attending Xaverian High School on an academic scholarship. They will be receiving championship jackets and a party thrown in their honor.