Fun Times!

[Kathianne]

Went to Boys' Sectional Basketball Game with my girls. Last year Chicagoland Jewish High School knocked them out, not this year! REMATCH!

http://www.highschoolcubenews.com/news_article/show/358161?referrer_id=677720



Mooseheart wins first sectional title in program history
03/08/2014, 10:00pm CST
By Josh Wegle

Erasing the bitter memory of last year's playoff collapse on its home floor against the same Chicagoland Jewish team, Mooseheart rolled to the school's first sectional title, 50-35 at the Class 1A Serena Sectional final.

http://i58.tinypic.com/2zq4l02.png

Mooseheart's wait is over.

Erasing the bitter memory of last year's playoff collapse on their home floor against the same Chicagoland Jewish team, the Red Ramblers rolled to the school's first sectional title, 50-35 at the Class 1A Serena Sectional final.

Mooseheart (26-5), which blew a 10-point late lead in last year's sectional semifinal, never trailed Saturday.

"One of my kids said it best: We left with broken hearts last year," Mooseheart coach Ron Ahrens said. "We focused all year on wanting to play Chicagoland Jewish. We wanted to play them. There was no motivation I had to give."

Mooseheart had never won so much as a regional until last year. What the program lacks in tradition it more than makes up with size.

Specifically, that would be the towering trio of 7-foot-1 Akim Nyang, 6-10 Makur Puou and 6-7 Mangisto Deng, who came from war-torn Sudan to the small school between North Aurora and Batavia in May 2011.

They dwarfed an opponent whose tallest starter is 6-2.

Puou alone had 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks, 8 points coming in a first quarter that saw Mooseheart roar out to a 16-2 start.

Chicagoland Jewish burned three timeouts, to no avail.

"It's simple," Ahrens said. "If we could break the press, get the ball to our wings and get the ball to our big guy down low they had nobody who could guard him."

The Tigers (15-9) chipped away at the lead, getting to within 30-20 midway through the third quarter on Josh Newlander's fourth three-pointer.

It never got closer.

Puou scored 11 of his 27 in the fourth quarter, turning away Tiger hopes for a rally to match last year.

Mooseheart advances to play Eastland in a Tuesday supersectional in DeKalb.

"It's great, so great. We've been working so hard for this," Puou said. "This is for the fans who came out to support us."

Newlander scored 19 for the Tigers.

[jimnyc]

Didn't realize you liked sports, Kath? Good for them though! A little time and a little practice and sometimes you get a second chance at things. :)

[Kathianne]

Always supported whatever the kids were doing. Mostly soccer and running as they were older, as far as sports went. Mine were a bit nerdy, shocking that. ;)

[gabosaurus]

Kath, do you have a child at this school or is it a school that you used to teach at? I am not familiar with Illinois, but I know that California is divided into sections and then broken down into classes by enrollment. There are state tournaments in some sports but not in others. My sister qualified for sectionals twice in cross country but never made it to state.

[Kathianne]

Kath, do you have a child at this school or is it a school that you used to teach at? I am not familiar with Illinois, but I know that California is divided into sections and then broken down into classes by enrollment. There are state tournaments in some sports but not in others. My sister qualified for sectionals twice in cross country but never made it to state.

Hey Gabby! I finally got a job, at Mooseheart! (http://www.mooseheart.org/) I'm a family-teacher and live there. Long story! I have 10 girls, ages 12-17. Check out the link, funny thing that I'm the 'conservative.' LOL!

I'm teaching 'social skills' and it's the most challenging position I've ever held. Long days, but really just the right time for me to do something like this.

[gabosaurus]

Sounds like quite a wonderful place. I hope you enjoy teaching there. I am guessing it is very rewarding.

[Kathianne]

Sounds like quite a wonderful place. I hope you enjoy teaching there. I am guessing it is very rewarding.

It is, very. ;) Nothing I could have done with kids, though some do so. Like I said, right time, right place.

[Kathianne]

The team and the entire school, (minus the 1-5 year olds), were in Peoria today. We won, so back tomorrow for 1 or 2nd place!

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/54671103/ns/local_news-peoria_il/t/mooseheart-team-overcomes-hardship-make-it-ihsa-state-tournament/


Mooseheart team overcomes hardship to make it to IHSA State tournament

By WEEK Reporter
March 13, 2014

PEORIA, Ill. -- There is a unique high school basketball team making their first-ever appearance in the March Madness tournament in Peoria. This team has come a long way to get here and not just geographically.
The Mooseheart Ramblers are a small team representing Mooseheart, IL at the IHSA State Basketball Tournament for class 1A.


"It's a great feeling for me, for my family in Sudan, for my team for my community," said senior and starting forward Makur Puou.


"Our kids come from backgrounds that are at a disadvantage, and what we offer is an advantage," said Mooseheart coach Ron Ahren.


Mooseheart, Illinois is 1000 acre town dedicated to raising kids from broken or missing families. They have one goal.


"To help raise good young adults leaders. Help them to do things they'd probably never be able to do. For one, help them get an education," said Ahren.


That's why Makur Puou is here. He left his hometown Sudan in Africa for an education at Mooseheart.


"I grew up in war. It was hard at that time but everything came normal and everyone was focusing on having a better life and forgetting about what they've seen," said Puou.


In the three years he's been in the US, he's come a long way.


"When I got here, I didn't know how to speak English, but they tried their best and found the best teachers," said Puou.


These boys are not alone. They literally have millions of fans. Moose Lodges world-wide provide the funds that support the whole town. These boys have a Moose Lodge in Pekin, Ill. It's the second largest lodge in the state. More than 2,000 members pay dues to support the town.


"They mean so much to us, and they are giving back," said Pekin Moose Lodge governor Vic McDonald. He's been a member for more than two decades.


And Makur Puou is the Sunshine Child there. The woman of the lodge send him extra support and sponsorship.
"They take care of my health and anything I need. I'm so grateful," said Puou.


Puou is paying them all back with his attitude.


"He wants to enter to learn and he wants to leave to serve," said Ahren. "At some point he's going back to his country to make it better."


"That's my goal," said Puou. "That's what I came here to do. I want to win in all."--a state championship, an education and a better life.

[gabosaurus]

Congrats to Mooseheart and good luck in the state championship game!!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/ct-spt-0315-prep-bkb-1a-state-semi-2-mooseheart-un-20140314,0,5381241.story

[gabosaurus]

Congrats to Mooseheart on winning its first Illinois 1A state basketball championship!! :clap:

[Kathianne]

Congrats to Mooseheart on winning its first Illinois 1A state basketball championship!! :clap:

Was totally awesome! First time they've won anything at state! Something like 161 kids in school, that's from PS-12th grade!

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Was totally awesome! First time they've won anything at state! Something like 161 kids in school, that's from PS-12th grade! Congrats on winning. A win such as that surely required talent and much dedication. Such dedication should be taught and presented as a guide for more kids these days! Sure looks like you were blessed as I had hoped and predicted would come to pass. A sure sign that you deserved it IMHO.... -Tyr

[Kathianne]

Congrats on winning. A win such as that surely required talent and much dedication. Such dedication should be taught and presented as a guide for more kids these days! Sure looks like you were blessed as I had hoped and predicted would come to pass. A sure sign that you deserved it IMHO.... -Tyr

LOL! I wish I had anything to do with such, but at near 60 and just about 5', alas. ;) It was more like I get to enjoy the excitement! Nothing like winning to make everyone show school spirit! They have 4 players over 6'4", one over 7', (actually 2 but one IHSA won't let play!)

Several of the players are from Sudan, longest for I think 3 years. Until coming here, they hadn't heard of basketball! Needless to say, the free throws aren't where they should be, but as one of my kids' posters said, "We all have more than 100 serious issues to deal with, free throws just aren't one of them!" LOL! They most definitely won on height.

Was a crazy two days though! I'm exhausted. 3 hour bus ride each way. 2 basketball games each day. 10 kids to watch, (ahem, not your typical suburban kids either). We get home, then there is totaling up behavior counts, figuring out 'privs', 1/2 hour into that, we get a call to meet at 'Victory Bell' in 10 minutes to meet the players coming in. So, we do that and we're back home by 9. Start dinner. One of the burners on electric cooktop will not turn off! No plug, hardwired into 220 box. Call maintenance, they turn it off at circuit breaker, (behind locked door). LOL! Instead of 'lights out' by 10pm, it was more like 11:00.

Two church services tomorrow, one Catholic, one Protestant. I am SOoooo looking forward to Monday & Tuesday off.

Next weekend looks crazy too! Military Ball-all high school students are in Navy ROTC for HS. Thus, all go to the ball. Four girls to get ready. 6 middle schoolers to keep entertained while the older ones are busy. :laugh2:

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

LOL! I wish I had anything to do with such, but at near 60 and just about 5', alas. ;) It was more like I get to enjoy the excitement! Nothing like winning to make everyone show school spirit! They have 4 players over 6'4", one over 7', (actually 2 but one IHSA won't let play!)

Several of the players are from Sudan, longest for I think 3 years. Until coming here, they hadn't heard of basketball! Needless to say, the free throws aren't where they should be, but as one of my kids' posters said, "We all have more than 100 serious issues to deal with, free throws just aren't one of them!" LOL! They most definitely won on height.

Was a crazy two days though! I'm exhausted. 3 hour bus ride each way. 2 basketball games each day. 10 kids to watch, (ahem, not your typical suburban kids either). We get home, then there is totaling up behavior counts, figuring out 'privs', 1/2 hour into that, we get a call to meet at 'Victory Bell' in 10 minutes to meet the players coming in. So, we do that and we're back home by 9. Start dinner. One of the burners on electric cooktop will not turn off! No plug, hardwired into 220 box. Call maintenance, they turn it off at circuit breaker, (behind locked door). LOL! Instead of 'lights out' by 10pm, it was more like 11:00.

Two church services tomorrow, one Catholic, one Protestant. I am SOoooo looking forward to Monday & Tuesday off.

Next weekend looks crazy too! Military Ball-all high school students are in Navy ROTC for HS. Thus, all go to the ball. Four girls to get ready. 6 middle schoolers to keep entertained while the older ones are busy. :laugh2:

Stay active. Its good for the soul and good for the body! And being around young people while having a mission to help/influence those young people will help keep you young. Which was why I always so actively stayed a part of my many nieces and nephews lives. Several have told me how much it helped them but myself I think they actually helped me more..-Tyr

[Kathianne]

Stay active. Its good for the soul and good for the body! And being around young people while having a mission to help/influence those young people will help keep you young. Which was why I always so actively stayed a part of my many nieces and nephews lives. Several have told me how much it helped them but myself I think they actually helped me more..-Tyr

All very true! I will be glad though with warmer weather, this job is pretty physical and I'll be glad to be able to get out and walk. This morning we walked to the Field House, about 1/2 mile. I was carrying 12 water bottles, 12 clip boards, 24 cardboard cards, my own lunch and drinks and my purse. It was heavy and there was ice! The kids were carrying blankets, posters and such. Let's just say that sleeping isn't a huge problem this evening. ;)