Coached by Terrance Vanlier and Gary Barnes, the team finished strong in a pool of highly talented competitors. Losing a valuable teammate with a tournament ending injury early on, the team stayed strong and fought hard without Von’Tavion Alexander. Speaking to the fortitude and talent of the team, they lost by two points to a FINAL FOUR team, Swish Basketball from Chicago.
The team consisted of athletes from Williamson, Davidson and Rutherford counties.
Results are listed below for the games:
- Game 1: Louisiana Jaguars 48 Upward Stars 39
- Game 2: Upward Stars 57 Dynamic Disciples 24
- Game 3: Swish Basketball Chicago 39 Upward Stars 37
- Game 4: Upward Stars 54 Florida TGFB 26
- Game 5: VA Havoc 35 Upward Stars 32 (VA Havoc won the Classic 16 Bracket)
Upward Stars’-5th Grade Premier Team Members include: Von’Tavion Alexander, Jorden Barnes, Damon Fann, Michael Faragalli, Jahka Foxx Jr., Caden Herron, Ryan Oliver, Jacob Page, and Hudson Taylor, Noah Magee**, and Andrew Roberson** (*Played on the team this spring within 5th Grade Division; however, did not qualify for 11U team based on new AAU age guidelines). Coaches: Terrance Vanlier and Gary Barnes
“This team had a terrific spring tournament season, going 23-5 and winning 4 championships! The future is very bright for Upward Stars, as this team will continue to improve and establish their reputation as one of the best teams in the state of Tennessee.
“Upward Stars-Nashville had a solid week at the AAU Division II National Tournament last week in FL. The team consists of several athletes from Williamson County, Davidson County, and Rutherford County,” shared Lance Akridge, Director of Upward Stars.
Upward Stars is an organization whose mission is “Promoting the Discovery of Jesus Through Sports,” for additional information regarding the organization, visit Upward Stars.
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