Irvington Community vs Paramount Brookside- Standouts

These are two of the smaller middle schools in the Indianapolis area. This was an excellent game that went down to the wire. Every player within this article stood out Thursday evening.    Jakobe was awesome! I enjoyed watching this young man play the role of scorer and facilitator. His ball handling skills allowed him to be an effective passer. Jakobe easily got around his defender and found teammates in scoring positions. The majority of his assists led to positive outcomes for Irvington. He used these same abilities to score the basketball. In some instances, he was able to get around his opponents and score floaters down the lane. Jakobe showed the ability to make big shots. Whenever there was an opportunity to knock down a three, he did so. He made a big one with 1:18 left in the game to give Irvington a one point lead. Defensively, Jakobe applied great on-ball pressure to opposing guards. He showed a knack for forcing opponents into turnovers and mistakes. Jakobe is a promising young player with a bright future.     I was thoroughly impressed with his play at the lead guard position Thursday evening. Johnson showed why he was the best play-maker on the court in their match-up against Irvington. Whether it was scoring, passing, defending or being a leader, Johnson was the catalyst to Brookside's success. In his one-on-one match-ups, Johnson easily drove around his opponents and made plays in the paint. He either scored or threw assists to teammates near the basket or on the perimeter. Johnson showed the ability to knock down a high percentage of his shots from mid-range. Whenever he had the opportunity to extend his range beyond the three-point line, he did so effectively. Johnson is a shifty guard who blew by opponents, made clutch plays and showed great leadership. In the last moments of the game, Johnson made the go-ahead basket to give Paramount Brookside the win.     Jaylen is a great all around player who did everything on the basketball court. Whether it was playing the position of point forward or in the low post, opposing defenses had no answers. Jaylen is an unselfish player who always looked to involve his teammates. His pin-point passing and verbal leadership played a vital role to Irvington's success. Jaylen showed the capability of being the team's primary facilitator or its dominant scorer. He is a good ball handler who often beat opposing defenders to the basket. Whenever he had one-on-one match-ups, Jaylen used a quick first-step to take advantage of his opponent. When he needed to knock down mid or long range shots, he proved it would not be an issue. On defense, he gets after it! Jaylen played excellent man-to-man and showed a tendency to block shots. I'm looking forward to seeing his personal growth as a player in the years to come.     Jaxson is a tough shooting guard who showed the ability to be a big time scorer. He was very effective on the offensive side of the floor. I watched a player who had no problems scoring from every level of the basketball court. Jaxson excelled at scoring floaters in the paint and knocking down mid-range jump-shots. When Jaxson had the opportunity to shoot threes, he did with extreme confidence. He is a great on the ball defender who pressed opposing guards into turnovers. I have a great feeling Jaxson will lead Paramount Brookside in three-point shooting as the season progresses. He is the type of player who could catch fire and become a major problem for opposing coaches and defenses. Jaxson plays with an aggressive mentality that could take him far in the game of basketball.     Darion did a little of everything on the basketball court. He's a hardworking player who did whatever Irvington needed to be successful. Whether it was scoring in the paint, knocking down threes, rebounding or defending, Darion was effective in every area of the court. He showed a knack for attacking the boards on both ends of the floor. The majority of his scores of came from grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring around the basket. Darion is a great passer who often found teammates cutting to the basket. He showed his athleticism by running the court and finishing in transition multiple times. Defensively, Darion was great at blocking shots and forcing turnovers. He is the ultimate team player! Coaches love having a person like Darion who puts the team first.     Amir is an excellent scorer who played aggressively throughout the game. Whether it was getting to the basket, scoring from mid-range or knocking down clutch three-pointers, Amir found ways to be effective within the Brookside offense. He showed the ability to make positive plays on the basketball court. There were moments in the game where he found teammates streaking to the basket. The majority of his assists led to easy scores. Amir is a great rebounding guard who had no problems attacking the glass on both ends of the court. He is a tough player who did not mind mixing it up with opponents. As I said, Amir is a scorer! His big in-game moment came as he made a three to tie with a minute left in the game. He is a good player who knocked down multiple threes, attacked the basket and played with purpose.

These are two of the smaller middle schools in the Indianapolis area. This was an excellent game that went down to the wire. Every player within this article stood out Thursday evening.