Newport-Mesa Tar Heels Win All-Net League Championship!

The Newport-Mesa Tar Heels boys’ seventh-grade All-Net team capped a great winter season by going 12-2 and capturing the regular season championship in National Junior Basketball’s All-Net Division.

On the final weekend of the regular season, the Tar Heels knocked off the Irvine Hornets in the early game, 53-35, behind a strong defensive team effort and the efficient rebounding of Cole Norris, Brett Greenlee and Riley Gaddis. Pacing the Tar Heels on offense was Kevin Fults who had 10 points to go along with six rebounds and Max Stanley who scored eight points and went two-for-three from three-point range. Point guard Logan Miller directed the Tar Heels’ offense and provided three clutch steals.

In the afternoon game Sunday, the Tar Heels faced one of the league’s tallest players (6-foot-3) and a gritty Placentia Storm team. The game was tightly-contested until the final period when the Tar Heels broke the game open with 26 points to finish off the Storm, 66-46.

The Tar Heels’ Max Kline led all scorers with a season-high 21 points. He hit three thre-point shots and was eight of 12 from the free-throw line. Grady Kimme added a season-high eight points and four rebounds and Norris had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Charlie Evans and Hagen Truninger held the Storm’s big man down in the second period and combined offensively for nine points and 10 rebounds.

The Tar Heels are coached by Scott Stucki and Eric Fults and will compete this weekend at the NJB Super Sectionals tournament in the Orange County area.