News

August 7, 2011
The Panthers headed to Chicago for the final games of the Summer AAU Season, with one goal in mind. Defend our title and have a chance to play a very good ABC Knights team from Milwaukee that knocked us out of the AAU Nationals in July. As planned both teams went 6-0 and met in the Championship Game of the Summer Classic. Unlike the outcome at Nationals, which was a 4 point loss to the ABC Knights, the Panthers dominated from start to finish with a convincing 46-33 victory, thus defending our title in this tournement. Now it's a couple months off before practice begins and we start our Winter season.

July 17, 2011
The Panthers completed their first trip to the National AAU Tournament in Clarksville, TN, as the Representative AAU Champion from the State of Iowa. Facing pool play teams from Texas, Illinois and Indiana, the Panthers went 2-1 and were the #2 seed from their pool, advancing to the Championship Bracket play for the Top 25 teams in the Nation. In bracket play, the Panthers faced last years #8 Oklahoma Swarm and #13 ABC Knights from Wisconsin. Both teams provided great competition, with the Panthers coming out on the short end of the score, in very close and competitive games. The Final Outcome: a #21 finish in the Nation and a great experience!

July 5, 2011
The fundraising is over and now it's time to head south! We have spent the Spring and early Summer months conducting team fundraising and gathering sponsors to support our trip to Clarksville, Tennessee for the 2011 National AAU Tournament. Thanks to many generous individuals and great corporate sponsors (see our sponsors on the homepage), we will be departing for the big event to represent Iowa and Cedar Rapids against 50 of the Top 7th Grade teams in the country. Follow us on Facebook for daily updates starting on Monday, July 11.

February 27, 2011
An outstanding Winter AAU Season comes to a close with another State Title for the 7th Grade Panthers. The two day State Championship run began with two Saturday wins, placing us as the #1 Seedof the Championship bracket. Sunday's quarter and semi-final games featured lop-sided wins over the Barnstormers and NW Iowa Select Hoopla. This set the stage for the Championship game versus the very talented All Iowa Attack. The Panthers used tenacious defense and balanced scoring to jump out to a 20 point halftime lead and never looked back. The final score was Panthers 69, All Iowa Attack 40. Now the Panthers head into Spring with a break, before getting back together this summer to prepare for a trip to the National AAU Tournament in Clarksville, TN in July. Go Panthers!

February 20, 2011
A final tuneup before State AAU, had the Panthers competing in the Mid America Sports USA Basketball Championships 8th Grade Tournament. Competing against two 8th grade teams that the Panthers 7th graders have never beaten, yielded a big win with a basket at the buzzer to beat the CR Rush and big free throws at the end of the game to beat the CR Bulldogs by one point. So with the regular winter season complete, it's off to the Iowa State AAU tournament in Des Moines to defend our State title.

February 13, 2011
The Valentine's Bash, sponsored by Beyond The Baseline at the Field House in Davenport, provides a great challenge for the Panthers every year, as we play up in a higher age division and this year was no exception. Facing talented teams from Moline and the surrounding area proved to be good competition, getting two wins in pool play, allowing us to enter the semi finals against a very good Cedar Rapids Magic team, whom we had yet to defeat. The battle came down to the last minute, with the Panthers prevailing 24-20. The victory sent us to the Championship against our 8th grade Panthers team. Another battle ensued and was a back and forth game, with the 7th graders leading much of the way, but in the end, the very talented 8th grade team pulled it out 30-24 to win the Championship. Next weekend finds us playing one last 8th grade tournament in preparation for the 7th Grade State AAU Tournament on February 26 and 27.