Throwback 2010: The Originals

Our first team was in KAC (14-17), summer of 2010. We were supposed to the Rockets (I think), but the league gave our uniforms to the wrong team. We ended up with jerseys that read SONICS, and Cody Ogoso immediately said we can't be the Sonics since they moved to Oklahoma City. He said we had to be the Thunder and I said whatever you like.

This was a drafted team (not by me) and it turned out this was a great mix of guys who loved to play basketball together. We won the league title after winning our first five or six games. These guys were a lot of fun. One day in a close game, Kerl or Karl came flying downcourt to PIN a layup on the glass, and then we went fullcourt in just 3 or 4 seconds with Shawn Cambra catching a long pass, passing to Kevin, who hit a 3 at the buzzer. The guys charged the court like we won the NBA championship. 

This is where it started. Cody, Colby, Mike Pimentel and Josh played in the next league. Everybody else either graduated or dropped out of basketball. Josh played on the next few Thunder teams in 15U before focusing on marching band. Tai Boyd went to play for OTB, but I think if he had stayed with us all the way through high school, he would've had way more fun. I think Kerl T. Moraga and Karl Moraga would've been great defenders at McKinley, but they played soccer and judo instead. 

If you look at the photos closely, you'll see a very young Kyle Moraga scrimmaging with the guys. He was around 5th grade, I think. We had no idea he'd turn out to be such a devoted student of the game, and a terrific player for our team later.