Young Guns Prove to Be the Cream of the Crop - EST Summer League Team Recap

Youth is often talked about as a disadvantage in the athletic world – too young, not physically ready, not mature or experienced enough. However, that same youth can also become an advantage. The aptly named Young Guns squad, with 60% of its roster going into their sophomore years of high school, exemplified how youth can go a long way. The youngest team in the league also looked like the hungriest team in the league seemingly from its outset, and on playoff night, they certainly looked like they had the most in the tank, showing resiliency & then dominance en route to a pair of victories to earn the 2019 EST summer league championship.

It was apparent from the league’s opening night that this group had some extra juice, keeping both of their opponents in the thirties – a tough feat in a league with several scholarship level players on each team – on their way to two double digit wins. Offensively, the balance they showed in those two games – five players scoring six or more points apiece in each win – became a trademark for the team in red going forward.

Kaia Henderson had a fantastic 2019 campaign, helping push the Young Guns to an EST championship.

Night two was where they showed the grit of a winning team and ability to win in different ways. In what was a terrible start offensively vs. Outwork – only having 4 points on the board with just over 2:00 remaining in the 1^st half – they were able to not only dig through the rough patch but come out with a win. The following game was anything but that, as it was a shootout from the tip and they simply needed to outscore a red hot Lockdown team. They did just that, going 13/23 from beyond the arc in a 72-60 win.

The Young Guns continued to flourish and the wins continued to pile up, but they finally hit a road block in the back end of the summer. After running to a 7-1 record, the last night of the regular season was a struggle, as they dropped both games in what could be called disappointing fashion going into playoff night. The malaise seemingly hung around for the 1^st half of their semifinal game, with a very undermanned No Mercy leading at halftime of their semifinal game. Young Guns picked it up after intermission though, dominating the 3^rd quarter to gain separation and run to the finals. Facing Next Big Thing, a team with 6 on the roster & 5 in attendance that won the title last year, they never gave their opponents a chance. An early edge was maintained through the 1^st half, and the lead expanded in the 3^rd quarter, ballooning to as much as 18 to remove all doubt of who was coming home with the win. The eventual 57-45 victory for Young Guns was EST’s first ever double digit championship game.

Abby Lombardoni helped Young Guns become the league's top team as one of the lone rising seniors.

The balance of Young Guns was an integral part of their success, but it’s also safe to say that Kaia Henderson played a major role. The rising sophomore from New Hartford already has offers on the table from high major D1 programs, and she consistently showed why that’s the case in her 2^nd year on the Union College court in EST. When games got tight or when the team was struggling to get anything going, it was often Kaia that took it over and made things happen. That was evident with her dominant stretch in the July 1 game against Outwork, scoring 7 straight points in a 3 possession stretch to give her team much needed momentum. She had 10 in the quarter, one that they won 22-5. The championship game was another one of those moments – her 12 point, 9 rebound, 3 assist, 3 steal performance sounds strong to begin with in an EST game, but it doesn’t tell the half of how she was able to control pace & tempo, consistently making good decisions and making it impossible for a loaded NBT squad to chip into the deficit. She was 10^th in the league in points per game (9.9), 3^rd in assists (3.2), & 5^th in steals (1.9), and her 4.7 rebounds per game ranked highly among guards in the league. The most telling stat, however, may come from the win/loss column. Young Guns went 9-1 with Kaia in the lineup and 0-2 without her. A big time player that made things happen from start to finish.

You also can’t talk about the success of Young Guns without bringing up their post play. A pair of small school standouts – and like Kaia, both rising sophomores – were arguably the most effective forward tandem in the league this summer. Makenzie Smith (Broadalbin-Perth 2022) and Alexis Wright (Berne-Knox-Westerlo 2022) were major parts of the team’s foundation. Their statistical numbers were impressive – Makenzie averaged 7.9 PPG & 7.5 RPG (7^th in EST), Alexis averaged 9.8 PPG (11^th in EST) & 6.3 RPG – but like Kaia, the stats don’t tell the half of it. Their toughness and blue-collar work ethic were staples, as they won the battle in the trenches more often than not. Their impact wasn't any more evident than in the championship game, where going up against a pair of accomplished forwards including a Division I commit, the two combined for 35 points & 17 rebounds in a 57-45 win (Alexis had 19 & 10; Makenzie had 16 & 7). In a league that doesn’t offer anything material for success (no trophies, no medals, no free ice cream), the ‘compete level’ of players is on full display. Some have it more than others. How hard Lexi & Makenzie competed at all times, even when tired, was evident – and at times, it made all the difference.

Alexis Wright did big things consistently for Young Guns, finishing 3rd in the league in total points & providing added toughness for the champs.

If that wasn’t enough, add Payton Graber to the mix. The rising sophomore standout at Schalmont wasn’t there as much as the aforementioned names – 6 games compared to 12 from Smith/Wright & 10 from Henderson – but her presence was felt when she was on the court. Payton led them in points per game at 10.17 (6^th in EST), added 3.7 RPG, and she shot over 40% from the field & just under 40% from deep. Their July 31 loss against a Power Up team that was firing on all cylinders (nearly 50% from the field, over 50% from 3) could’ve been much worse if not for Graber’s 20 point outing (8/15 FG, 4/6 3P). She packed a powerful punch in the backcourt, and already having plenty of experience at this young age of having opposing defenses gear up for her, she was able to make it look easy at times with 1v1 situations.

But what pushed Young Guns over the top was that everyone made an impact. There were no weak links & everyone carried their weight. Maddie Meyer & Haley Burchhardt – like the ones above, both rising sophomores – provided even more heart and competitive edge to this group, and they both hit shots when needed. Meyer averaged 5.4 PPG, 2.2 APG (10^th in EST), & 2.1 SPG (2^nd in EST), and she made her share of big plays on both sides of the ball in close games. Burchhardt added 4.6 PPG & 3.2 RPG, and on top of the toughness that she brought, a much-improved perimeter stroke went a long way with her ability to make defenses pay for giving her room. Sydney Lusher (Oneida 2021) provided versatility with her ability to play on or off the ball at 5’10”, and she made several key plays throughout playoff day, with the team playing at another level with her on the court. Kiley Snow (Whitesboro 2020), Alana Batson (Whitesboro 2021), and Abby Lombardoni (Fonda-Fultonville 2020) provided great wing depth as reliable offensive weapons. Snow, who only was able to play in four games due to injuries, led the league in 3-point percentage, hitting 8 of her 16 attempts over those games. Batson had a couple standout stretches in games with her ability to not only shoot it, but put the ball on the floor & create going to the rim, and she averaged 5.5 PPG. Lombardoni, known at this point locally perhaps most as the one that went on a monstrous tear leading Fonda-Fultonville to the Section 2 Class B finals, showed she could do much more than score the ball, becoming one of the team’s most effective creators with her court vision & passing ability going off the dribble. She also had her moments scoring though – ask Lockdown from their July 1 game, where she reeled off 4 treys in the first 7 minutes.

Makenzie Smith made a statement in her 1st year in EST, averaging 7.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and becoming a dominant post presence on a winning team.

As a team, there wasn’t much of anything that you could say was a weakness. They led the league in team scoring at 52 PPG, but they were also in the top 3 in points allowed per game (45.6). Their ability to shoot it as a team was unmatched, with 8 of their 10 players knocking down 7 or more threes on the year. They won the battle of the boards in 8 of their 12 games. They made ballhandlers uncomfortable and forced turnovers, leading the league in steals by a comfortable margin. Combine all of that, and you get a team that finds ways to win regardless of the style of game.

The youngest team in the league handled business. They showed that they could win pretty, and they showed that they could win ugly. I don’t do all-league teams anymore because I’d rather not be crucified by angry family members – been down that road – but there would certainly be a few from this roster if that was still a thing. Only two graduate next year from this roster – Kiley Snow wraps up a two-year stint in the summer league, and Abby Lombardoni was one of only two 1^st year ESTers in the 2020 class. The future is bright for all of this talented group. If they showed anything, it’s that playing hard matters, compete level matters, the little things matter. Congrats to the 2019 edition of the Young Guns, who go down as one of the EST summer league’s more dominant teams to date.

Sydney Lusher, who's been one of the 'young guns' on teams for years now, took a different role as one of this team's elder statesmen. She made several key plays to help Young Guns come out with a championship.

YOUNG GUNS ROSTER

Abby Lombardoni (Fonda-Fultonville 2020) - 3.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 7 threes
Kiley Snow (Whitesboro 2020) - 6.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 50% 3P (8/16)
Alana Batson (Whitesboro 2021) - 5.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 7 threes
Sydney Lusher (Oneida 2021) - 3.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 44.4% FG
Haley Burchhardt (Schalmont 2022) - 4.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 9 threes
Payton Graber (Schalmont 2022) - 10.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2 SPG, 41% FG (25/61), 38.1% 3P (8/21)
Kaia Henderson (New Hartford 2022) - 9.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 10 threes
Maddie Meyer (Duanesburg 2022) - 5.4 PPG, 2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 2.1 SPG, 12 threes
Makenzie Smith (Broadalbin-Perth 2022) - 7.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG
Alexis Wright (Berne-Knox-Westerlo 2022) - 9.8 PPG (117 pts), 6.3 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 7 threes