Team honored following 10-0 season

Members of the local boys junior varsity team and their coaches pose for a group photo.

Fifth graders from Mountain Home finished their season with a flawless 10-0 record as they participated in southwest Idaho's largest competitive basketball program.

The boys junior varsity team won an end-of-season, single-elimination tournament in the AAU program, setting the stage for the championship round, where they fell to Homedale.

During the two-month season, the Mountain Home squad "played through impressively," said Curtis Carlson, AAU coordinator with the Treasure Valley YMCA.

Finishing second in post-season action behind Homedale, other teams the local graders faced came from Middleton, Nampa Christian, Centennial, Borah, Boise, Mountain View, Timberline, Sky View, Eagle and Ambrose. Overall, Mountain Home was ranked second out of 23 teams in the division.

This year's team included head coach Vincent Brooks, assistant coach Paul White and players Jamie Sabol, John Tetrault, Manuelito Brooks, Sean Jackson, Giovanni Hale, Loren Wright, Nick Fulbright and Caleb White. Brooks also serves as the head coach of Mountain Home Junior High School's eighth grade team.

Founded in 1888, the AAU helps establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports. During its early years, it served as a leader in international sport representing the United States in the international sports federations.

The AAU also worked closely with the Olympic movement to prepare athletes for the Olympic games, the organization stated. In 1978, it focused its efforts into providing sports programs for participants of all ages, beginning at the grass roots level.