By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The Waterloo Vikings worked their way through three victories to capture the eighth annual Bailey Simons Memorial Alumni Basketball Tournament championship.

Waterloo’s Kam Shockley and Crestwood’s Mason Jakacki rise up for a rebound during Saturday’s tournament championship game.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

Eight teams from seven communities supported the one-day, single-elimination tourney that was hosted at Rootstown High School and Rootstown Middle School.

All of the money raised from the team fees, gate fees and raffle baskets act as the primary fundraiser for the Bailey Simons/Frank Family Scholarship, which is given in honor of Bailey Simons, a Rootstown High School cheerleader, who died in an automobile accident in February 2015.

To date, the tournament has helped raise more than $20,000 to aid 16 scholarships that have been awarded to graduating Rootstown seniors.

On Saturday, the Vikings dethroned the Crestwood Red Devils, who had been the tournament’s two-time reigning champions, 48-40 in the final.

Waterloo’s title run came with a first-round victory over Garfield, semifinal triumph over Mogadore before defeating the Devils.

Crestwood’s path to the title game included a first-round victory over Streetsboro and a semifinal win against Rootstown White.

In the title game, Kyle Shockley led Waterloo in scoring with 15 points, with Kim Shockley adding 12 points. For Crestwood, Trent Jakacki scored 13.

Mogadore’s Zeddie Pollock (center) goes up for a shot in a crowd during the Wildcats’ first-round victory over Rootstown Blue on Saturday.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

The roster for Waterloo’s title team included Kam Shockley (2017), Caleb Francis (2020), Max Adelman (2020), Vaughn Dorsey (2020), Kyle Schokley (2021), Donny Walker (2021), Luke Simons (2022), Ryan Wise (2023), Navarre Alhassan (2023).

See a complete set of box scores from the tournament below.

FIRST ROUND

WATERLOO 64, GARFIELD 61

WATERLOO (64) — Caleb Francis 4 2-2 11; Max Adelman 1 0-0 2; Navarre Alhassan 4 2-2 12; Kyle Shockley 6 0-0 14; Luke Simons 2 0-0 4; Ryan Wise 1 1-2 3; Kam Shockley 8 1-2 19. Totals 26 6-8 64.

GARFIELD (61) — Tristan Gedeon 6 0-0 14; Tom Bissler 3 0-0 8; Dalton Fall 3 0-0 9; Seth Morgan 0 1-2 1; Austin Peterson 1 1-2 3; Ryan Brown 4 0-0 12; Anthony Workman 5 1-2 14. Totals 22 3-6 61.

Three-Point Goals — Waterloo (7): Ka. Shockley 2, Ky. Shockley 2, Alhassan 2, Francis 1. Garfield (14): Brown 4, A. Workman 3, Fall 3, Bissler 2, Gedeon 2.

Field’s Coleman Begue dribbles up the court during the Falcons’ first-round matchup with Rootstown White.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

ROOTSTOWN WHITE 56, FIELD 53

FIELD (53) — Levi Lowden 4 1-2 9; Clark Bookman 4 1-2 9; Jacob Gartner 7 1-1 19; Caleb Wohlwend 2 4-4 9; Coleman Begue 1 3-4 5; Dane Rice 1 0-0 3. Totals 19 10-13 53.

ROOTSTOWN WHITE (56) — Adam Bailey 0 1-2 1; Tyler Lane 1 0-0 3; Chandler England 4 0-0 11; Connor Formick 6 0-0 16; Jason Urchek 3 2-2 8; Tom Nader 3 0-1 6; Josh Lane 2 2-2 8; Kyle Barkhurst 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 5-7 56.

Three-Point Goals — Field (6): Gartner 4, Wohlwend 1, Rice 1. Rootstown (10): Formick 4, England 3, J. Lane 2, T. Lane 1.

CRESTWOOD 66, STREETSBORO 62

STREETSBORO (62) — Avery Van Reeth 3 0-0 9; Rocky Orr 3 0-0 6; Nick Wilson 5 1-1 11; Zach Harris 2 5-6 11; Devin Reese 8 4-4 23. Totals 21 10-11 62.

CRESTWOOD (66) — Trent Jakacki 6 0-0 13; Mason Angle 5 2-2 13; Aaron Czerny 7 0-0 14; Mason Jakacki 6 0-0 15; Blaze Angle 1 0-0 2; Matt Czerny 2 0-0 4; Cole Fannin 2 0-0 5. Totals 19 2-2 66.

Three-Point Goals — Streetsboro (10): Reese 3, Van Reeth 3, Harris 2, Wilson 2. Crestwood (6): M. Jakacki 3, T. Jakacki 1, M. Angle 1, Fannin 1.

Rootstown’s Jason Urchek pulls in a rebound during a first-round matchup with Field on Saturday at Rootstown Middle School.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

MOGADORE 88, ROOTSTOWN BLUE 55

ROOTSTOWN BLUE (55) — Nate Moore 3 0-0 6; Jack Steger 3 1-2 7; Scott Steger 4 0-0 9; Donny Birkett 1 0-0 2; Adam Whitacre 2 0-0 4; Dom Shipp 3 0-0 8; Xavier Birkett 1 0-0 2; Nick Wancik 6 0-0 17. Totals 23 1-2 55.

MOGADORE (88) — Eli Robertson 1 0-0 2; Stephen Stott 11 0-0 30; David Wolverton 8 0-0 16; Zeddie Pollock 6 0-0 16; Lukas Swartz 5 0-0 12; Kole Jaber 3 0-0 9; Kody Jaber 1 0-0 3. Totals 35 0-0 88.

Three-Point Goals — Rootstown (8): Wancik 5, Shipp 2, S. Steger 1. Mogadore (18): Stott 8, Pollock 4, Kol. Jaber 3, Swartz 2; Kod. Jaber 1.

SEMIFINAL

CRESTWOOD 77, ROOTSTOWN WHITE 54

ROOTSTOWN (54) — Adam Bailey 2 2-2 6; Tyler Lane 2 0-0 4; Cahndler England 4 0-0 9; Connor Formick 6 0-0 15; Jason Urchek 4 0-0 10; TJ Riggie 2 0-0 4; Josh Lane 2 0-0 4; Kyle Barkhurst 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 2-2 54.

CRESTWOOD (77) — Trent Jakacki 4 0-0 10; Cole Fannin 2 0-0 6; Mason Angle 6 0-0 14; Aaron Czerny 9 2-2 20; Mason Jakacki 5 0-0 12; Blaze Angle 2 0-0 6; Matt Czerny 4 1-2 9. Totals 31 3-4 77.

Three-Point Goals — Rootstown (6): Formick 3, Urchek 2, England 1. Crestwood (10): T. Jakacki 2, M. Jakacki 2, B. Angle 2, M. Angle 2, Fannin 2.

Waterloo’s Kyle Shockley puts up a shot in the paint on Saturday during a first-round victory over the Garfield G-Men. Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

WATERLOO 48, CRESTWOOD 40

WATERLOO (48) — Caleb Francis 2 3-4 7; Joe Adelman 2 0-0 4; Navarre Alhassan 1 0-0 3; Kyle Shockley 5 5-6 15; Luke Simons 2 2-2 7; Kam Shockley 5 0-0 12. Totals 17 10-12 48.

CRESTWOOD (40) — Trent Jakacki 6 1-2 13; Cole Fannin 1 0-0 3; Mason Angle 1 2-2 4; Aaron Czerny 4 0-0 8; Mason Jakacki 3 0-0 7; Matt Czerny 2 1-2 5. Totals 17 4-6 40.

Three-Point Goals — Waterloo (4): Ka. Shockley 2, Alhassan 1, Simons 1. Crestwood (2): Fannin 1, M. Jakacki 1.