2002 - 2003 Gladiator Season

Game Summaries
Gladiators 13 - 15U
Helen Diane Foster
Mullaly Recreation Center

This Gladiator team consisted of Joseph Latimore, Thomas Cooksey, Isiah Walker, James Cade, Christopher Marshall, Hakeem Todman, Steffon Hawkins, Jeffrey Childs, Jamell White and Paul Scotland.

May 9, 2003
Gladiators 33 - C.A.W. - 32
Gladiators Record: 1-0

Christopher Marshall and Jeffrey Childs lead the Gladiators to a dynamic 33 - 32 victory over C.A.W. In a game that should not have come down to the final possession, the Gladiators barely escaped with the victory. Jeff Childs and Chris Marshall played well in their 1st action with the Gladiators this year. The Gladiators were punished on the inside by the C.A.W. big man as he was a monster on both ends of the court. Although the Gladiators were able to establish leads as large as 13 points, C.A.W. never gave up and keep on fighting. In the fourth quarter, with the Gladiators leading by 8 points, C.A.W. made their run. With less than a minute to go the lead was down to 1. The Gladiators shot entirely too many jump shots and did not take care of the ball. On C.A.W.'s next possession, their point guard was able to penetrate down the lane and dish a gorgeous pass to their big man for the easy lay up and their 1st lead. On the Gladiators next possession they turned the ball over and had to foul C.A.W with 7.1 seconds remaining. C.A.W. missed the front end of a 1 and 1 free throw situation. The Gladiators were able to grab the rebound and call time out. Jeff Childs was able to find Chris Marshall cutting to the hole for the easy lay up and game winning basket. This was a team effort as everyone was involved.

May 13, 2003
Gladiators - 64 JHS 145 - 27
Gladiators Record: 2-0

Joe Latimore and Chris Marshall lead a team effort as the Gladiators cruised to a 64 - 27 victory JHS 145. This was the Gladiators most satisfying and complete victory of the season. Jeff Childs once again ran the offense like a well oiled machine. It seems as though the Gladiators could not miss as they shot well over 60% from the field. Everyone played well at both ends of the court. James Cade redeemed himself with a strong game off the glass as well as adding some offense. Steffon Hawkins continues to improve and is no longer content with just sitting on the bench. His all around game play is making a strong point for more playing time. The Gladiators next game will be against the MULLALY A-Team. This game will determine who will be the No. 1 seed come playoff time. It should be a good game as both teams are undefeated.

May 23, 2003
Mullaly (A) - 37 Gladiators - 33
Gladiators Record: 2-1

The Gladiators dramatic comeback fell short as MULLALY was able to hold on to a 37 - 33 victory. Chris Marshall and Thomas Cooksey lead the charge as the Gladiators, down by as many as 15 in the 4th quarter, staged a dramatic comeback. The Gladiators put themselves in a big hole in 1st quarter by missing their first eight shots, most of them layups. For almost 4 minutes the Gladiators went scoreless before Steffon Hawkins finally converted a layup off a give and go move. MULLALY, on the other hand, was on fire, especially from 3 point range where they shot 70% (7 - 10). In their customary 2-1-2 zone, the Gladiators were ineffective. This forced the Gladiators into a man-to-man press for the remainder of the game. This started to wear down MULLALY as there were no more open 3s. This meant that MULLALY had to fight for every possession. The Gladiators started making their shots including a big three point basket by Joe Latimore. With the Gladiators down 33 - 28, Jeff Childs hit a big trey to close the gap to 2. Although the Gladiators played tough defense MULLALY was able to score. After a time out and the Gladiators down by 4, Coach Tony Afflick called an isolation play for Chris Marshall. The play worked to perfection as he made the layup while drawing contact from the defense, but the refs did not call a foul. Visibly upset that no foul was called, the Gladiators did not get back on defense and allowed MULLALY to ice the game with an easy layup as time ran out. Down 25 - 11 in the 4th, the Gladiators outscored MULLALY 22 - 12 in the final quarter. After the game, several players were still very upset at the outcome of this game. Coach Tony Afflick, however, was very proud of his team for not giving up and fighting to the end. The Gladiators are the third seed and must win next Tuesday and Friday if they are to advance to the championship.

May 27, 2003
Gladiators 2 - C.A.W. - 0 (forfeit)
PLAYOFFS - 1ST ROUND

May 27, 2003
Mullaly (B) - 61 Gladiators - 37
PLAYOFFS - SEMI-FINALS

The saying is "be careful what you ask for". The Gladiators wanted to play the Mullaly (B) squad and they got more than they bargained for as Mullaly (B) spanked the Gladiators 61 - 37 to end the Gladiators season. In the most important game of the year, the Gladiators decided not to show up both physically and mentally. Missing from the Gladiators lineup were Steffon Hawkins and star forward Chris Marshall. The energy that both these players bring was definitely missed. PG Jeff Childs attempted to singlehandedly provide that missing energy at both ends of the court. This seemed to hurt the Gladiators more than help them as Childs picked up three quick fouls in the first half. This took away his aggressiveness. Mullaly (B) punished the Gladiators both inside and outside. They could not miss form 3 point range and when the Gladiators came out to guard them, their PG was able to penerate and find Mullaly's big man for easy baskets. The Gladiators were also killed off the glass on both ends. This was an unfortunate loss for the Gladiators. In a very short period of time, this team was starting to gel together. There is a lot of potential on this team and good things in store for the future.

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