“Welcome To Varsity (2012)”

tpbeverly
Dec 26, 2014
3 min read

In the month of April, Coach Troy received a phone call from fellow comrade Ronald Atmore discussing future plans of Team Industry Basketball. Beverly thought it was the best intentions to take a break for a while and completely focus on other commitments. However, during that phone call, Atmore began discussing two brothers from Don Bosco Tech that would like to train on the weekends. Their names were Fhorest and Chancce Padilla. Beverly happily agreed to train the two brothers prepare for their Summer Leagues at their High School.

In a span of three months, Beverly would train the two on weekends for an hour and a half going over ball handling, shooting, and strength and conditioning. While in their third month of training Beverly had the idea of once again putting Team Industry back together. However, in order to compete, Industry had to compete at the Varsity level due to Fhorest entering his senior year at Bosco Tech. Industry’s season would start in mid-August going all the way til mid-October. The two brothers agreed to join and the search for players was on again.

The search for players this time around was not easy. However with a little luck, Team Industry expanded their roster within two weeks. Along the way, Team Industry picked up some old pieces from the Richmond Team including The Price Brothers and Angel Torres. In addition, Team Industry reached out to two members of the 2011 Team Enrique Ramirez and Omar Orozco. Team Industry would have nine players by the end of July with their first tournament starting the second week of August.

As the first practice began, things started off a bit shaky. However, Team Industry made it to their first tournament known as the Bring The Noise Tournament in Upland. There, Team Industry began their season taking on future rivals Redlands Storm, Pomona High School, and a very young, but experienced team from the Inland Empire known as The Big Ballers. Team Industry finished in third place going 2-1 with their only loss coming at the hands of the Big Ballers.

Following the Bring The Noise Tournament, Team Industry had its sights set on finally competing in Palm Springs. This time it was the Labor Day Showdown. However, with the two weeks leading up to Palm Springs, Team Industry faced a familiar problem. Three players suddenly dropped from the roster. However, lightning did not strike twice. Instead, Team Industry added two guards to its roster. Their names were Matthew Arguello and Edvin Peraza.

Without dropping out from the tournament, Team Industry went full on in the Labor Day Showdown with their first opponent being another Team Industry rival a team from Arizona known as Jump Athletic. Despite losing to a very good Jump Athletic team by five, Industry would rebound defeating ETE Hustle by 20 points the next game. Team Industry finished the tournament 2-2 winning the Consolation Championship.

However, it was the exhibition game against Cathedral City High School that made Coach Troy realize Industry could have the potential to be a very good club team in the future. But then, Team Industry suffered a big blow one week later. Big time forward Kevin Price suffered a serious knee injury that sidelined him for two months and the rest of the fall season.

Industry’s Fall Season become a rocky one as Team Industry finished .500 to close the 2012 season. Team Industry went 1-2 in the Labor Day Tournament and went 3-3 in the Nothin’ But Net Fall League brining their overall 2012 record to 8-8.

Even though, Kevin was injured throughout the second half of the Fall Season, Team Industry Basketball had a lot of positives to take away from 2012. Despite key losses to teams on paper Industry shouldn’t have lost to, 2012 was the start of something major. But as 2013 approached, Team Industry was looking to further expand its name as a program on the horizon. Even though things wouldn’t be perfected until 2014, 2012 gave spectators a team to watch out for come 2013.