YB Power 2030: Dropped the ball on game 2: JPS Fall league
- Cass Young
- Sep 29
- 4 min read
It is tough to start sluggish and concistently finish strong. It was clear for YBP'30 on game 2!
At times it is OK to begin slowly and turn it up later. But make no mistake, that should be the exception, not the norm! That was the case for the YBP'30 on Saturday evening at Fieldhouse USA, in Aurora. The shorthanded squad (missing starting PF in #1 Kam) started their first game of the double header against B&B Academy with low energy and a bit out of sorts. At halftime the group gathered up and began to compete. But it really took around 35 minutes for them to fully engage and push themselves on the 4th quarter to secure the 37 x 31 win against an energetic, fast, and well passing team.
On the second showdown, the squad faced a disciplined and unselfish PSB team who ran the floor very well and were very efficient at baiting the defense into over helping just to find the open man. Unfortunately for the YB squad, they had another slow start. But this time there was not enough gas left in the tank to pull back from the 10 point deficit that was on the board at the halftime mark. Led by the defensive efforts of Kolbee and Callen and strong drives to the bucket with unselfish decisions by PJ, The team did show a strong demonstration of character through the second half of the game, but just not enough to prevent a 39 x 37 loss.
At the postgame talk, coach Cass and the staff emphasized the importance of game day preparation. Sure we are talking 8th grade boys, but the work and habits that have the potential to make or break for aspiring athletes in any sport starts now. "The rest, hydration, mental focus on preparation, visualization, and overall confidence needed to perform starts early in the week, leading up to the night before game day". For the boys reading this, if you want to have your best overall performance, get your habits in order and learn from this experience.
Inspire yourself to inspire others
Big Kolbee has first suited up in the blue and gold with the YBP'30 squad in the summer of 2025. He is a dual sport athlete (tackle football) who is a workhorse and gives it all on every possession. Standing at 6'4" with a very strong frame, Kolbee is surprisingly light on his feet, has a very fast first step, and can stretch the floor with the mid to long range shot. However, this is not where he shines the most: Kolbee leads by example by using his athletic abilities to enable him to guard any of the 5 positions on the floor. More so, based on his work ethic and relentless effort, he silently pushes his teammates to try to match that level of effort and get better themselves. With the football season on its tail end, the YB staff is looking forward to fully integrating #8 into the team's offense, better understand how to use his strengths on that side of the ball, and fully utilize his abilities for the greater good of the team. So prepare yourselves...
Big guy with BIG effort...
Another important highlight from Saturday evening was the defensive play on the ball from #20 Callen. The 6' center has worked his tail off this past year, with strong work ethic in the off season. Well, that is starting to pay off and show results on the hardwood. During a time out, Coach Cass was inspired to highlight the fact that Callen was so focused on guarding his man 1:1 that it should inspire others to do the same. Callen was constantly finding himself switching ball screens and matching up against quick guards. Well, no problem there. Cal has been increasingly working on using his length and proper footwork to stay in front of guards and prevent open shots. That was a huge advantage for the squad on Saturday night.
Stop that train...
Ok, we got to shed some light on the improvement and momentum that SF #11 PJ is having. PJ's increased focus on working harder, getting tougher, and starting to actually begin to understand the physical gift that he has, is showing. It is showing on offense and it is showing on defense. PJ possess a rare mix of strength and quickness. However, although this is clear to others, it appears as thought he is just now starting to see it for himself. As coach Cass says: "HIT THE TRACK PJ". Referring to the fact that what is preventing PJ from being unstoppable, is his conditioning level. There were so many sparks of high intensity energy and effort on Saturday night that really helped the team be one basket way from a 2-0 night. Only if he could get it to be consistent and for extended period of time: boy that would be dangerous!
Make sure to check out the YB EVENTS link at the top of our page to see when these ballers will be hitting the floor again. Leave a comment and let us know what you think!
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