Bulldogs hoopsters go undefeated in region play

By Jacob Gondrezick and Alex Mancini

Special to the Intermountain Catholic

SALT LAKE CITY — The Judge Memorial Catholic High School boys’ basketball team finished the 2011-2012 regular season the holders of a 15-6 overall record, including a 10-0 run in region play and earned the Region 10 championship. This marks the 17th region championship for the Bulldogs, who were defeated in the first round of the 3A state playoffs on Feb. 18.

"We had a very tough pre-season schedule this year," said senior captain Jacob Gondrezick. "One of our goals at the start of the season was to go into region play with a strong record, and that tough schedule really prepared us well for region play."

Fellow senior captain Alex Mancini agreed. "Those pre-season games helped everyone on the team understand what their individual roles were, what responsibilities we had. As we got into region play, that made a big difference."

Even before the school year started, the boys’ basketball team was selected as the winners of a national contest to find "Rockin’ Refuel’s Most Rockin’ Team." ESPN analyst Jay Bilas teamed up with Rockin’ Refuel to launch the national contest. Contestants were judged by their competitive spirit and teamwork.

"There were many great entries, but Judge Memorial’s entry stood out because of their fight to win and their no-quit philosophy," Bilas said.

The team visited St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis for an all-expenses paid, two-day basketball fantasy camp. St. Vincent is one of the country’s premier athletic training facilities, training more than 300 professional and amateur athletes. While there the Judge team attended practices with professional basketball players, including the Utah Jazz’s Gordon Hayward, conducted drills designed to increase their speed and agility and meet with registered dietitians to learn about proper pre-game and post-game nutrition to enhance their game performance.

"That experience at St. Vincent was incredible," said Gondrezick. "Everything about it was top-notch, from the facilities, to the people we worked with, to the basketball and conditioning drills. I think it set us up really well for our season."

Gondrezick and Mancini have been playing together, or against each other, in PARA and AAU basketball since the third grade. In fact, all five Judge Memorial seniors are graduates of diocesan middle schools: Miles Ellis, Our Lady of Lourdes; Gondrezick, Blessed Sacrament; Mancini, St. Vincent de Paul; Elliott McGill, Madeleine Choir School; and Christian Stark, J.E. Cosgriff Memorial.

"We seniors know each other’s games pretty well, especially Jacob and I," said Mancini. "We have really good chemistry and that makes a big difference in how we play."

The senior captains have different views on their team’s strengths: Gondrezick thinks their outside shooting and defensive mentality have put them on top, while Mancini credits their mental toughness and competitiveness.

Dan Del Porto, head coach for the Bulldogs and a 1985 Judge alumnus, said this year’s team is a "pretty special group, one of the most hard-working group of young men I have been around in a long time. Their record reflects their effort."

"It has meant a lot to me to be part of Judge basketball," said Mancini. "The tradition and history are unlike anything else in the State. And for my family, it’s been awesome."

Athletics are a Mancini family tradition. Alex Mancini’s father, Tad (Class of 1974), played basketball for the Bulldogs, while his sisters, Megan (Class of ’08) and Mikelle (’10) play tennis for the University of Tampa and Villanova, respectively.

"Being part of Judge basketball, going through the region undefeated, and earning the team’s 17th region title, all of that has been really great," said Gondrezick. "It’s been a good senior year."