Coach Debbie Coby of the Moriah School knows basketball talent. In her five years as the head coach of the Moriah girls basketball team she has been blessed with gifted ball players. In her first year she had a seventh and eighth grade squad that lost a close championship game. Year two saw her team win it all, and this year’s team was one basket away from making it back to the championship game.

This year was the first time that Moriah fielded a sixth-grade girls’ team, and Coach Coby did not disappoint. Not only did this team run the table, but they soundly beat all opponents without its “core four” (Molly Schwalbe, Becky Tauber, Leila Deluty, and Charlotte Turner) playing in the second half of games. These girls had limited time because the league has a mercy rule that when a team is up by 20 or more points they must pull their starters. The core four scored more than 200 points in 10 games, but didn’t get to play more than 10 minutes during any of these games. Over 200 points in less than a100 minutes is really impressive.

Moriah Principal Dr. Elliot Prager says that the athletic ability is only part of the story. “Above and beyond the athletic prowess of our players, and above and beyond the tremendous team spirit and sportsmanship demonstrated by every one of our teams, we are told by other schools that have played us what wonderful middot our students demonstrate on the court and off. There is no greater compliment than that.”

This sixth-grade team matched up with a very good Har Torah team for the championship game. Both teams entered the game undefeated, but only one would walk away with its perfect record intact. It was a hard fought game; Coby’s team that had averaged 40 points during the regular season, had a hard time scoring against Har Torah’s tough defense. In the end, however, the extra rest that “Moriahs Core Four” had accumulated during the season came in handy. The well-rested group triumphed in a 28-14 victory. Coach Coby told the JLBC, that she gives a tremendous amount of credit to the Har Torah team and coach. She further said that, “It’s been a pleasure to coach such a talented group of girls,” and she is already looking forward to next season.

By Steve Gutlove