Sunday, December 13, 2009

Hays Tournament Championship San Antonio Lee 79 Del Valle 77

Paul Garnica puts on another phenomenal show in the Championship Game of the Hays Tournament. 2011 W 6'8" Karim York of Del Valle oozes potential and reminds me of another past Del Valle star in current New Mexico Lobo, A.J. Hardeman.
My final stop on my 3 days smorgasbord of high school tournaments was at Hays HS where the favored Del Valle Cardinals took on San Antonio Lee for the hardware. I've coached over 700 games and likely easily viewed another 3000 over the years, watching high school prospects. Paul Garnica's latest game definitely belongs in the Top 5 performances I've ever witnessed.
A day after Northern Colorado Coach B.J. Hill saw Garnica post a triple double, I was on hand as Paul dropped 47 points on a talented Del Valle team. Although the sheer number in itself is impressive, it's how this kid keeps putting up numbers that amazes. Lee is full of undersized kids who scrap hard. They rally around Garnica and fully expect him to do the scoring, but at the same time he is not selfish and has the other kids believing in their role. They are currently 17-1.
Garnica scored 23 of his points from the free throw line. He also scored several triples from NBA range but the majority of his field goals came from getting to the rim, sometimes in transition and sometimes while being doubled. It really didn't matter. Three Del Valle players fouled out trying to guard him. He was doubled at all times while they attempted to deny him the ball.
Lee broke out to a big scoring second quarter which gave them a 51-31 lead at the half. By the middle of the 3rd Q, both of Lee's undersized posts had fouled out and Garnica was the biggest Lee Volunteer on the floor listed generously at 6'0" in the prgram, but more likely 5'11". Del Valle are no slouches and likely will have two D-1 players when the smoke clears in 2010 G 6'3" Braylon Thomas (brother to former Baylor Bear Curtis Jerrells) and 2011 W 6'8" Karim York who has mid to high major written all over him. Not to mention G Rodney Lee who is a cat quick D-1 football talent who hounded Garnica and traded good natured smack talk with him all game. Del Valle look like they would put Lee away when with 2:30 left in the game they led 76-71. With both team in the double bonus, Garnica willed his team to victory with 2 key steals the last one with 16 seonds left and Del Valle threatening to close it out.
In addition to Garnica's 47, 2010 G Braylon Thomas scored 21 and 2011 W York had 15 and double digit rebounds. I'll have an update later on Garnica's # needed to break Devin Brown's career scoring record for the City of San Antonio.