The Orange and Blue teams help Hooptown wrap up 15th season

The Hooptown Orland Park summer basketball league turned 15-years-old this season and two champions were crowned Aug. 7 at the Orland Park Sportsplex.

Jerry Castro organized the league when his then-fifth-grade son, Rob, wondered why there were no summer leagues around. Castro remembers the league’s modest beginnings.

There were four teams. And the games were played outdoors at Perminas Park.

"Trees would get in the way," Castro said. "It was fine when they were younger but as they got older, it got dangerous out there. When it rains...so then we moved to Sandburg High School."

The league continued to grow and eventually moved to the Sportsplex in 2002. At its heyday, the league had several boys and girls age divisions and local cable TV would broadcast some of the games. Stars such as Bobby Frasor (who went on to play at the University of North Carolina) and Erin Cattell (DePaul) played in the league.

This year, there were 12 teams in two boys divisions and although the scheduling didn’t work out for TV this year, Castro is confident it will return next year. Players from the Orland, Homer Glen, Tinley Park and Palos areas are heavily represented.

Two of Castro’s children, Rob and Angelina, played in the league and his other son, Jerry, won a championship Aug. 7 in the 11^th-, 12^th- and college-age league.

The Orange Team, which trailed 31-21 in the title game but rallied for a 78-68 victory over the Green team, featured the younger Castro, Wally Bafia, Brian Dace, Adam Maus, Brett Maus, Alex Pastore, Pratik Patel, Mitch Thompson and Tyler Thompson. Jim Thompson was the coach.

The team finished 8-0 in the regular season and won three playoff games.

Green featured Adam Davids, Tim Gibson, Daniel Hacker, Matthew Sharp, Billy Shemerdiak, Sean Shemerdiak, Tom Tunney, Phillip Vazquez and Manny Zaharapoulos. Ralph Sharp was the coach.

In the 8^th- 9^th- 10^th-grade division, the Blue squad hit five 3-point baskets in the second quarter en route to a 62-45 victory over the Yellow team.

The Blue team featured Nick Beci, George Boykin, Sean Dwyer, Jerome Fola, David Giles, Nick Hnatusko, Nikko Jackson, Clayton Quasny, David Szaflarsk and T.J. Vorva. Rodney Quasny was the coach.

The Yellow team featured Alex Harris, Daniel Isass, Dimitri Magaris, Matt Meyering, Cain Moore, Ehab Rafati, Mike Scatena, Tom Thanasouras and Zachary Niemiera.

Niemera and Matt Dunne won the 3-point shooting contest in their age groups.

Another season is in the books for Castro, who said he is amazed at how big this league has become.

"I was in downtown (Chicago) by Lake Michigan with my wife and saw three kids riding bikes with Hooptown shirts," Castro said. "I thought that was really neat."

By Jeff Vorva

Triblocal.com reporter

 Triblocal,com photos by Jeff Vorva

The Orange team went undefeated in the older-age division.	The Blue team went on a 3-point shooting barrage in the title game of the younger age division of the Hooptown summer league.	Matt Dunne, left, hit 11 3-point shots to win the older-age division contest and receives an award from Jerry Castro.
Zach Niemiera, left, hit 10 3-point baskets and wins an award from Hooptown founder Jerry Castro.	Hooptown founder Jerry Castro started the Hooptown league 15 years ago on an outdoor court.

POST YOUR COMMENTSREPORT INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT