Saturday, November 18, 2017

TCS vs. NJHSA November 16th, 2017

Assists Steals Off Rebounds Def. Rebounds Total Rebounds Points
Peter Yamasaki 1 4 3 7 10 29
Joey Lee 3 4 3 2 5 8
Kyle Eliasen 1 1 6
Nikita Sifonios 1 3 4 7 3
Dan Champagne 3 1 5 2 7
Chris Lee 1 4 3 3
Andrew Yamasaki 1 1 1 1
Josh Soca 1 2 2
David Zecca 1 1
Steven Cable

The Trinity Trailblazers started off their season in style! The visiting home school team put up a great fight throughout the contest, but came up short at the end. Trinity couldn't buy a basket for the first 12 minutes of the game, only amassing 12 points halfway through the second quarter, but with a flurry of activity that all changed. The 'Blazers were able to get set in their signature press with about 1:30 left before halftime and cause a couple of quick turnovers that translated into 6 quick points. The home team took an 18-13 advantage into the locker room at half. The third quarter picked up right where Trinity left the second, with stifling defense, ruckus presses, and easy transition buckets. The lead blossomed to 14 and your Trailblazers maintained that lead throughout the remainder of the game. Peter Yamasaki started his senior year strongly, posting a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Joey Lee had a well rounded game contributing 3 assists, 4 steals, 5 rebounds and 8 points. Nikita Sifonios, Kyle Eliasen, Chris Lee and Dan Champagne put in solid efforts to help solidify the victory. Trinity was missing their starting point guard, Nicholas Yamasaki due to an injury, but he is expected to return after the Thanksgiving break. 

Conference play commences on November 28th with a home game vs. American Christian. 

1-0 (0-0)

Monday, February 27, 2017

TCS vs. Bergen Christian MCAA Tourney Consolation


Assists Off. ReboundsDef. ReboundsStealsBlocksPoints
Peter Yamasaki134118
Nicholas Yamasaki41132
Joey Lee113515
Chris Lee134212
Ian Stempert1336
Nikita Sifonios1111
Dan Champagne21
Team Totals:9111813144

The Trinity Trailblazers finished the year off in dazzling yet fitting fashion. Saturday afternoon produced an event that had everyone who was watching have high heart rates and sweaty palms. Bergen Christian, the #3 seed coming into the tournament, faced off against #4 Trinity Christian in an instant classic. Bergen, with a lack of depth, desperately needed to slow the pace to a snail crawl in order to preserve the starting 5 while Trinity desired to play at a much quicker pace with a press that created havoc in the back court and quick transition buckets. Something had to give. Trinity had witnessed first hand the slow pace only a week and a half before against Bergen and on Saturday was prepared. 

The first quarter saw a quicker pace which led to several baskets in the opening moments and both teams were playing at a high level. The second quarter saw a continuation of the quick pace which slowly began to eat into the Bergen Christian players because they were not able to expend the energy and still have enough to finish strong. The 3rd quarter observed a see-saw effect with both teams grasping the lead, Trinity's efforts spearheaded by Peter Yamasaki and  Bergen Christian's by Josh Gyesky. Both players had brilliant games, making pinpoint passes and causing turnovers while also able to convert with big shot after big shot. Peter Yamasaki had help from Chris Lee who matched his career high of 12 points in a contest. The 4th quarter began to see attrition contribute to the outcome with Trinity's bench playing much stronger than Bergen Christian's. Trinity was able to build a 6 point lead with only a couple of minutes remaining, however, Gyesky a senior at Bergen refused to go quietly in the night. Down the stretch he manufactured a 8-0 run by himself with a 3 pointer, mid-range jumper, layup, and free throw that put Bergen Christian ahead, 38-37. In the last 30 seconds of regulation, Trinity fouled another Bergen player and sent him to the line for a one-and-one. He missed the shot which Trinity rebounded then promptly pushed the ball up the floor. Upon crossing half court, Trinity called time out to set up the final play. With about 12 seconds on the clock Peter Yamasaki drove to the basket and shot the ball but missed. Nikita Sifonios tracked the loose ball down and in the process was fouled which sent him to the free throw line. The Trailblazers were down 37-38 still so they needed at least one of these to go in to at least force overtime. Nikita drilled the first shot which gave him a second opportunity but he unfortunately missed. Bergen rebounded the ball and had approximately 10 seconds to go the length of the court and get a good look. They called timeout to set up the final play of regulation and to try to win the game. They were able to successfully cross over half court but the player was unable to get the shot off, the ball still on his fingertips in the act of shooting when the buzzer went off. The refs accurately waived the shot off and the game went to overtime. 

Overtime saw an exchange of shots and free throws, none bigger than Peter Yamasaki's with 4.8 seconds to go. He coolly made both shots from the charity stripe and effectively put Trinity ahead 44-41. Bergen in-bounded the ball and raced up the court to get off a shot which they did as time expired again but the shot was hotly contested by Chris Lee, a bruising force, who was able to affect it just enough that the ball sailed wide right. The buzzer sounded and Trinity was victorious! 

The tournament appearance was the first time in recent Trinity memory and a 3rd place finish was a fantastic start for rookie head coach, Nathanael Schrader. Josh Gyesky of Bergen Christian led all scores with 20 points. Peter Yamasaki was in hot pursuit and finished with 18. Peter Yamasaki and Joey Lee were nominated as Conference All-Stars at the awards ceremony and Trinity received a trophy for placing 3rd overall in the tournament. 

Final Score: TCS-44, Bergen Christian- 41

Final Record: 17-11 (10-6)

The Trinity Trailblazers would like to thank Chris and Joey's parents, Mr. & Mrs. Lee, for filming the games this year and allowing the coaching staff to dissect game film and extract stats.  

TCS vs. Veritas Feb. 24th MCAA Tournament 1st Round

Due to technical errors there are no stats for this game.

The #4 seed Trinity Trailblazers met #1 seed Veritas Friday night with the opportunity to play in the championship game on Saturday. Veritas was too much for Trinity from the opening tip off and led comfortably throughout. Jake Doorley, of Veritas, scored a game high 20 points, matching Trinity's total game score. Trinity's young squad of mostly underclassmen struggled against the senior-heavy undefeated Veritas team and the final score showed it.

The loss pits #4 Trinity vs. #3 Bergen Christian on Saturday. The two teams split the regular season with both winning on their home court.

Final Score: TCS- 20, Veritas- 51

16-11 (10-6)

Up Next:

Trinity faces Bergen Christian on Saturday, Feb. 25 in Parsippany. The game is set to tip off at high noon. 3rd place overall is at stake in this upcoming contest.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

TCS vs. AL Nutley Play-In Game Feb. 21st, 2017


Assists Off. ReboundsDef. ReboundsStealsBlocksPoints
Peter Yamasaki335319
Nicholas Yamasaki51216
Joey Lee72115
Chris Lee33228
Ian Stempert3318
Nikita Sifonios
Kyle Eliasen 2
Team Totals:147218256

Tuesday night brought excitement and heart-pounding activity from the opening tip to the final buzzer. Your Trinity Trailblazers started off fast and furious, hammering their opponent with a barrage of shots both inside and out that caused the contenders to quickly burn two timeouts. As the paced settled into a more realistic and sustainable tempo, Trinity was able to maintain a comfortable lead of 7-10 points until about 4 minutes left in the second quarter. Peter Yamasaki, arguably one of the best guards in the conference found some foul trouble and was forced to sit and watch from the bench. The other guards, Nicholas Yamasaki and Kyle Eliasen did their part, but Nutley pushed back and was able to eat into the lead off of a couple of missed shots from Trinity. In the final 5 seconds of the half, Nutley pushed the ball up the court and found a player open on the baseline. He was able to drain the shot as time expired and Trinity entered the half holding on to a 5 point lead. 

The 3rd quarter opened up and the teams battled like a couple of sharks that smelled blood in the water. Baskets were shot at a furious rate and Trinity was able to build a their lead back to 11 points, but Nutley wasn't done yet. The opponent mounted a 4-0 run in the closing moments of the penultimate quarter and drew within 7. The 4th quarter remained much of the same with both teams making mini runs of 3-4 points only to see the other team respond in kind. Abundant Life Nutley lost one of it's better players due to fouling out, but they still were able to bring the game within 3 points with only a couple of minutes remaining. Emotions ran high with the crowd urging and willing the Trailblazers and Warriors to give everything they had. Cheers rang throughout the gym with the game yet to be decided. With a 1:30 remaining and trailing 46-50, AL Nutley began to foul in hopes of a Trinity missed free throw and a 3 pointer for Nutley. The plan was unsuccessful because Peter Yamasaki coolly sank 6 free throws in a row to seal the victory for Trinity. 

Joao Franco of AL Nutley was the game high scorer with 20 points. Peter Yamasaki led Trinity with 19 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Joey Lee produced 15 points and 7 rebounds. Nicholas Yamasaki stepped up big when Peter sat the bench and led the troops admirably. He dished out 5 assists to accompany his 6 points. Both big men for Trinity, Ian Stempert and Chris Lee, were the "unsung heroes" doing the little things that unfortunately don't show up in the stat book. Chris was tenacious on defense causing turnovers and 5 second calls. Ian took a handful of charges that erased several shot attempts from Nutley. Both worked hard in the paint and really clicked together all night. 

Final Score: TCS- 56, AL Nutley- 46

16-10 (10-6)

Up Next:
Tuesday night's win puts Trinity in the MCAA Conference Tournament in Parsippany. The Trailblazers take on Veritas in a #1 vs. #4 seed showdown. This will be the second game of the evening with a tip off at ~5:00 PM.

Directions:
https://goo.gl/maps/7y2DUSwAKyF2

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

TCS vs. Bergen Christian Feb. 15th, 2017

Due to technical difficulties, we are unable to provide game statistics.

In a drag out, gut check game, Trinity fell just short in overtime against Bergen Christian. Bergen Christian controlled the tempo for most of the game and created a sloggy, slowed pace game which limited shot opportunities and transition buckets for the Trailblazers. At the end of the first quarter the score resembled more of a baseball score than basketball, 3-2. Trinity continued to fight but struggle and was behind 12-10 at the half. The third quarter brought a little bit more energy, but frustration mounted while anxiety levels rose. The game remained tight throughout the final quarter of regulation with teams trading baskets in a one point nail biter.

With 2.5 seconds left in regulation and trailing 22-24 Peter Yamasaki in-bounded  the basketball, came off a screen and shot the designed 3 to win the game. Peter missed, but was fouled in the act of shooting as the clock expired and he went to the line with an opportunity to win. Unfortunately, Peter missed the first but came up big with the other two shots and sank them both which forced overtime. The game plan remained the same for the Bergen Crusaders, with a slow paced low scoring affair. Trinity hit a big 3 to put them ahead 27-24, but Bergen answered with a 3 pointer of their own. After a couple of foul shots, Bergen was able to ice the game with only a handful of seconds remaining. Trinity turned the ball over on the final in bound play and the game was decided.

Final Score: TCS- 27, Bergen Christian- 33

15-10 (9-7)

Up Next:

Trinity will host their play in game in an effort to reach the conference tournament on Tuesday night. The opponent and tip off time is TBD so please check the Trinity Website this weekend for final details.

http://www.tcsnj.org/?i=4839&mid=1000&id=85585

  

Monday, February 13, 2017

TCS vs. Parsippany Feb. 13th, 2017


Assists Off. ReboundsDef. ReboundsStealsBlocksPoints
Peter Yamasaki322313
Nicholas Yamasaki1118
Joey Lee1224
Chris Lee16
Dan Champagne53
Ian Stempert1232
Nikita Sifonios11
Kyle Eliasen
Joe Boch1
Josh Soca
Team Totals: 67146126

On the night that honors seniors at their last home game, the Trailblazers fell short. Parsippany came to play and started out aggressively and Trinity was no match. The Trailblazers hung tough for the first half, but the 3rd quarter witnessed a 17-5 run by the Patriots and Parsippany never looked in the rear view mirror. Ryan Crombie of Parsippany was the game high scorer with 29 points. 

Trinity still holds on to the #3 seed right now and faces their final regular season opponent Wednesday. The Trailblazers take on Bergen Christian in Hackensack, NJ at 4:00 pm. This game has playoff implications and final seeding so Trinity needs to come to play and sweep Bergen Christian for the season to secure their spot at #3 in the conference. 

Final Score: TCS- 26, Parsippany- 64

15-9 (9-6)

Directions for Wednesday's game:
https://goo.gl/maps/EfA3xv6uSw92

Saturday, February 11, 2017

TCS vs. AL Nutley Feb. 10th, 2017


Assists Off. ReboundsDef. ReboundsStealsBlocksPoints
Peter Yamasaki536628
Nicholas Yamasaki422511
Nikita Sifonios1
Joey Lee51224
Dan Champagne1
Ian Stempert1113
Chris Lee24110
Kyle Eliasen 11
Team Totals: 159171566

The "Cardiac Crew" was back in action Friday night in a classic thriller that wowed the crowd and left them unable to leave the edge of their seats. Both teams came to play knowing that home court advantage for the tournament "play-in" game was at stake. Nicholas Yamasaki started off scorching hot knocking down 3 of 4 from long range and forced several turnovers in Trinity's stifling press. Abundant Life Nutley refused to go away quietly, however, and made runs of their own to keep things interesting. The score was tied after one quarter and Trinity held a slim margin at halftime 36-30. Nutley came out strong in the 3rd quarter and caused Trinity to make errors while mounting an 8-0 run to bring them back into the lead. The remainder of the game continued to be hotly contested with neither team able to separate themselves by more than a couple of points. Entering the fourth quarter Ian, Chris, and Joey all had 4 fouls which placed Trinity in a predicament in juggling playing time. Peter Yamasaki anchored the offense on his way to a career high 28 points and came up with a plethora of big plays that kept Trinity ahead. 

The Trailblazers continued to battle in the closing moments despite losing first Chris Lee then Joey Lee due to fouling out. With less than two minutes remaining Ian connected on a huge layup which Peter followed up with a couple of free throws. With Trinity leading 65-62 and only 17 seconds remaining Nutley was forced to foul Peter Yamasaki and make him earn his points from the charity stripe. Peter missed one but found the bottom of the net on the second and iced the game by putting the Trailblazers ahead by 4. Abundant Life Nutley answered in the closing seconds with a 3 pointer to pull within one but it was too late. With 3 seconds remaining Peter found Nick on an in-bounds play and the sand ran out in the hour glass; Trinity was victorious!

Game high scorer with new career high: Peter Yamasaki with 28 points. 

Final Score: TCS- 66, AL Nutley- 65

15-8 (9-5)

Next Up:

Senior Night on Monday, Feb. 13th! #3 Trinity goes head-to-head against #2 Parsippany at home. Tip off is at 4:00 pm.

The season closer is Wednesday, Feb. 15th at Bergen Christian with tip off set for 4:00 pm