St. Demetrios Basketball Teams Are Champions
BY LENA VARIS

The St. Demetrios Greek American High School of Astoria senior boy's basketball team became 2005-2006 Metropolitan Greek Orthodox Basketball League (MGOBL) champions.

For the junior and senior boys' basketball teams at St. Demetrios Greek American High School of Astoria, the 2005-2006 Metropolitan Greek Orthodox Basketball League (MGOBL) season turned out to be dramatic and ultimately triumphant. Both teams demonstrated once again that commitment, teamwork and excellent coaching is the combination that leads a team to success. Head coach for the Astoria "A" Junior team was Costas Eliades, assisted by Tony Antoniou and George Christides. The Senior team head coach was Nick Vlavianos, assistant coach Perry Tsilogiannis.

As always, the season started with high expectations for the Astoria Junior and Senior team, as they are annually high seeded playoff teams, and consistently Championship contenders.

The Senior team finished their season with a 10-2 record, and tied for first place. After winning playoff games against Hicksville and Jamaica, two very tough teams, it came down to playing the championship game versus St. Nicholas of Flushing, a team they were tied with for first place and that handed them one of their few losses during the season. The championship game was held March 18.

The junior boy's basketball team at St. Demetrios Greek American High School of Astoria were undefeated and earned the championship title in the Metropolitan Greek Orthodox Basketball League (MGOBL) 2005-2006 season.

"To say the game was anything less than thrilling would be an injustice, Our team played together as a true team does throughout the game," Vlavianos said. The game came down to the last seconds with Astoria trailing by 2 points with approximately 10 seconds to go. Astoria inbounded the ball, took it upcourt and into the hands of Chris Victora. With approximately 2 seconds in the game, Victora pulled up and shot a 3-pointer. The buzzer went off while the ball was in the air, and Victora still made the winning game shot to give Astoria a 1-point lead victory of 50-49.

"Our team's motto for the year was 'Family'," Vlavianos said. "Throughout the season and in the end we did what a true family does and that is we stayed together, helped each other on and off the court and we celebrated our championship together as a family. Speaking for the coaching staff and the team, we thank everyone who supported us throughout the season and a big 'Thank You' to everyone who was at the championship game that gave us the emotional support that we needed to get through the game and become champions. While enjoying this sweet victory, we are looking forward to defending our title next year. We hope to see more of our fellow community members at the regular season games as well as the playoffs next year. All of our programs have a bright future and we ask that you be a part of it and give our kids the moral and emotional support that a community of our stature is expected to give."

The Junior "A" team started off the season with high expectations. However, no one could have predicted that such a perfect season was about to take place. The season commenced with a win against St. Nicholas of Flushing and took off from that point with win after win, week after week. As each dramatic game unfolded and the season progressed, the expectation of a "Perfect Season" began to grow. The Junior "A" team steamrolled through the regular season with a 14-0 record. The team had a double-digit lead at some point of the game in all but two of its games. With their perfect regular season, the Astoria Junior "A" team earned the Number 1 seed for the playoffs. As the Junior "As" headed into the playoffs, Head Coach Eliades pro

claimed "O.P.S.", an acronym for Operation Perfect Season, as the team's motto.

The team was led by 6'4" center and league Most Valuable Player George Karolidis, lightning quick point guard and team captain Louie Toras, and the athletic and agile Constantine Pappas. Theo Stathakis and Perry Fisher also contributed heavily, as did Mr. All-Out Hustle Anthony Sideris. Younger players Johnny Petropoulos, Tony Misoulis and Dimitri Kapelonis, as well as sophomore Dimitri Varis, also played exceptionally well. "The team roster was rounded out by first-year GOYA players Alex Constantinides, Jimmy Sinis, John Tziastoudis and John Vakalopoulos, who all showed marked improvement throughout the year," Eliades said.

At the Junior "A" championship game on March 18 Holy Cross of Brooklyn played a great game. It was close until the middle of the 4th quarter when Astoria pulled away and won, 52 to 41, to complete an undefeated and perfect season. As the team and its Astoria fans celebrated the win and the perfect season, the players were rewarded with championship jackets that Eliades had ordered the week before the regular season had ended, so certain was he of victory.

What would have happened if the Junior "As" had lost? "There is no reward without risk," Eliades responded. "Losing was never an option with this team and it never entered my mind. My players met every goal and challenge I put before them throughout the season, which in turn gave me confidence and provided me with an inner peace that this team was going to meet our ultimate goal of an undefeated championship. Prior to our first playoff game, I set our motto for the playoffs, Operation Perfect Season, and now we can say operation complete!"

Eliades added that all his players are not merely talented, but also a great group of kids with high moral character. "Most of the key players on the Astoria 'A' roster will be returning next season, as such it is very likely that this year's accomplishment is only the beginning of what may become another Astoria dynasty," he concluded.