The 2011 Team Part II: The Coach Troy Era

Going into the Nothin’ But Net Spring League there were two big changes to Team Industry Basketball. The roster for Team Industry 14u dropped down to eight. David Jiminez, Enrique Ramirez, Zachary Monroy, Johnny Jaymes, Gabriel Perez, David Tolmachoff, Omar Orozco, and Patrick Young stayed behind as they were eager to join the Spring League. However, the biggest change came at the Head Coaching position. Head Coach Ron Atmore decided it was the best intentions to hand the team down to 21 year-old Assistant Coach Troy Beverly due to his commitments with Bassett Youth Soccer. Beverly gracefully accepted and the start of the Coach Troy Era was officially underway.

In-experienced at the Head Coaching position, Beverly knew it was going to be a tough task to continue the tone set by Coach Atmore. In practice, Beverly would continue the same amount of drills given by Atmore to bring a sort of familiarity to his players. Beverly also thought it would be a good idea to keep the “2 Guard” offense because the players had already received the basic continuity of the offense prior to the S.C.M.A.F. tournament.

With Beverly now at the helm, the Nothin’ But Net Spring League was well underway. The Spring League led by long time director Ben Mayfield, was a two month league that featured teams from the San Bernardino County, Inland Empire, and San Gabriel Valley. Following a seven game schedule, the league was followed by a four team playoff that featured a champions and consolation bracket. With eight teams featured, Team Industry’s first test of the season was against heavy favorite Yucaipa Thunder.

At the start, Industry struggled on both ends of the floor. Industry struggled in their Man to Man defense and had an even tougher time on offense as Yucaipa went Zone for most of the game. At halftime, Team Industry was down 16 points. Nervous under pressure, Beverly was trying to find ways to exploit Yucaipa’s zone. More importantly, Beverly thought it was a good idea to switch defenses and go Zone. Industry made a run for it in the second half and started to capitalize on Yucaipa’s mistakes. In the end, Industry came down 16 points and defeated Yucaipa Thunder by three. More impressively, Industry would win their next game the following week to another Yucaipa team, the Yucaipa Elite bringing their overall record to 2-0 under Coach Troy.

The following week, Industry lost their rematch against Yucaipa Thunder and lost to another potential favorite Inside Moves. Along the way, Industry brought more size to its already stacked forward rotation and added Aaron Ballard to the squad following their second loss of the league. Industry would rebound with Ballard and defeat PHB the following weekend. Now with their record 3-2, Industry had to take on the undefeated P-Town Blazers from Pomona. With an Industry loss, their chances of playing in the Championship Bracket would go down the drain. Industry responded well as they defeated the P-Town Blazers by 25 points. Industry played their final game of League play against HeadStart from La Verne in which they defeated by double digits.

Following their win against HeadStart, Beverly believed that win was enough to secure a spot in the Championship bracket. Despite a tight race, Team Industry would lock down the fourth and final spot in the Championship Bracket. As the bracket was complete, it was announced Team Industry would take on P-Town Blazers in a much anticipated Semi-Final Matchup. The winner would take on Inside Moves or league rival Yucaipa Thunder in the Championship Game.

To Be Continued……

Next Entry: “The 2011 Team (Part III): A Great Weekend To Be Great” – November 27, 2014