It was the wee hours of Friday morning at MacsLive HQ as we wrapped up Thursday and braced ourselves for an eight-game Friday. Then came a notification: “Jack Dweck from MDY liked a YLP (Yeshiva League Pass) post at 2:15 AM.”
Wait a second. He has a Sarachek Tier I quarterfinal game against the second-ranked Shalhevet Firehawks at 1:30 PM at the MSAC. Why is he up? Was he too excited to sleep? Was he still buzzing from MDY’s gritty win over seventh-seeded North Shore? Maybe he was still riding the high of Yankees Opening Day, where he and his teammates watched a 4-2 victory over the Brewers. We didn’t know what to make of it.
We later found out Dweck’s post-midnight-like spurned one of the most outstanding individual performances in the prestigious tournament’s history, leading MDY to a stunning 58-51 upset over the Firehawks and punching their ticket to the Final Four.
Dweck was everywhere. The junior sharpshooter put up 23 points in a legacy offensive display, rising to the moment in a clash that demanded everything from him and his teammates. The naysayers (including yours truly, honestly) thought fatigue would set in at some point, but it never did. The 10-seeded Warriors, who had to start the tournament in a play-in game against fellow Brooklynite Flatbush Falcons, are now officially the lowest-seeded team to ever reach the semifinals in Sarachek history.
It wasn’t just about Dweck, though. This triumph defined a fearless group that matched the intensity of one of the best programs in yeshiva basketball and delivered a statement win on the biggest stage.
A Battle From the Start:
Shalhevet opened in a 1-2-2 press, looking to disrupt MDY’s rhythm. Joshua Chabbott answered by draining a corner three to get them going, and while the Firehawks took an early 6-5 lead, it was clear that this would be a physical, grind-it-out affair. The pace was breakneck, but neither team could capitalize early. Shalhevet led 12-9 after one, with both teams playing gridlock defense. MDY found its groove in the second quarter, as Chabbott nailed another contested jumper, while Valectorian Phil Sherr’s inside courageousness started making an impact. Then came a game-changing defensive adjustment. MDY dipped into their patented rat press to force Shalhevet into turnovers. Sherr finished at the rim, giving Magen David a 22-21 advantage. Moments later, Chabbott drilled a deep three, sending the Warriors into the half up 25-23.
Firehawks head coach Ryan Coleman stepped in front of the camera at halftime, offering a blunt and honest assessment of his team’s first half. He wasn’t in the mood for sugarcoating. “You knew if they sent me here to do this interview, I wasn’t going to like much. I’m only here in New York for Golan.”
As always, his focus was on his players, particularly his star guard, Aidan Bitran, who had been the engine of Shalhevet’s offense all season but struggled against MDY’s defensive schemes. “Josh Chabbott is a great player, and great players hit tough shots. That’s what he’s doing right now. You just have to make him work for everything, and sometimes, no matter what you do, great players still make shots.” Coleman was irate about his team’s offensive execution, knowing they were leaving points on the floor in a trench warfare. “Defensively, we’re fine. Not great, but fine. But on the offensive side? We’re not doing what we need to do. We have to be better.”
Even as his team trailed at intermission, Coleman knew this game was far from over. Yet, in the second half, Dweck ensured the Firehawks wouldn’t get to turn things around.
The Jack Attack:
Dweck answered if anyone questioned how much sleep mattered during tournament week. He came out on fire to start the second half, burying a corner three to push the lead to 28-25. Then, after MDY forced back-to-back turnovers, with their box-and-one on Bitran, he hit a pull-up mid-range jumper and another three from the corner for a 35-27 Warriors lead.
Magen David was running, gunning, playing confidently and feeding off their momentum. Sherr got a steal and a layup. Meyer Sakkall split two defenders for a crafty finish before Dweck drove straight down the lane, absorbed contact and finished through the foul. You could feel it—the upset was real. A handoff into a left-handed finish for Dweck put MDY back up five. Then Dweck pulled up from mid-range again—cash. Shalhevet dared him to shoot—and he kept making them pay.
With 3:51 left, the gunslinger’s latest three, his third straight, made it 51-44 MDY. “I don’t understand how he’s doing this. He’s so small,” said some players from the top-seeded, reigning champions and final four-bound YULA Panthers who were observing the madness. They learned that big things come in small packages, thanks to the best Jewish “Jack Attack” in the nation. He showed them again with a baseline reverse layup, putting MDY up 53-46 with 2:20 left.
Still, the Firehawks kept fighting. Bitran hit a huge three to pull within 53-51 with just over a minute left. Sherr answered right back, driving hard for a clutch bucket. The Warriors executed their box-and-one to perfection one last time before sealing things 58-51 at the free-throw line.
For the first time in Sarachek, a team from the play-in round has reached the Final Four. It took a historic performance from Dweck, a lockdown defensive effort, and a squad that refused to back down to make it happen. Postgame, Dweck summed up his legacy game: “Big upset here. I made some mistakes earlier, and Coach Spike and Benny gave me words of wisdom. I took it to heart.” What were those words in a nutshell? Be confident, be aggressive and be you. Don’t try to do much; play your role, and that’s what Dweck did. Ironically, Spike admitted he doesn’t remember what he says in timeouts sometimes. “I just scare them so they don’t make a mistake” he joked to the fans behind the Warriors bench as they finalized their victory.
Meanwhile, Chabbott talked about the desire to rest over Sarachek Shabbat and reload for Sunday through sleep. That might be true for him, but for Dweck, sleep was optional—and so was losing.
