St. Perpetua 8th Graders Win Tournament of Champions
Submitted by Steve Coleman
Top, from left: Deven Kadlic, Isaiah Coleman, Krishna Prabaharan, Coach Carl, Coach Steve Bottom: Evan Wang, Murphy Baker, Scotty Murphy, Robert Montoya, Slade Woehrle, Ethan Wells, William Milosevich Photo provided
St. Perpetual eighth grade boys basketball team was this year's winners of the Tournament of Champions, becoming the top CYO team in the East Bay. In the first round, the Panthers fought back from a 25-10 halftime deficit to stun St. Joseph's (Fremont) with a 48-39 comeback win. In the semi-finals, St.Perpetua beat Our Lady of the Rosary (Union City) in a fierce battle by a score of 41-35. In the championship game, the Panthers squared off against Immaculate Heart (Brentwood), hosted by Heritage High School in Brentwood. After falling behind early, the Panther's man-to-man full court pressure was too much for Immaculate Heart. Saint Perpetua emerged victors by a score of 41-32. All the boys chipped in throughout the season and came together to make their championship run. The Panthers finished the season with a record of 15-3 (9-1).