Geezers and pleasers

Don’t let the gray hair fool you. The average age of the four men who make up Juicr Plus Schaplow Atty is 57.

But they still got game.

Hoopfest welcomes teams of all ages, and Juicr Plus Schaplow Atty welcomes Hoopfest.

“It’s homecoming,” 65-year-old Tom Ferch said of the tournament. “My son lives here.”

Ferch’s son is former Pepperdine star Shann Ferch, who plays on the NBC Thunder team.

Juicr Plus Schaplow Atty has played in the 3-on-3 tournament for the last seven years. The best they did was placing second three years ago, but they hope to change that this year and claim the 55-and-over bracket.

Fadeaway jumpers, back-door passes, hook shots, behind-the-back assists – these guys did it all, and claimed a 20-13 victory over the Four Stooges in their first game.

“(Tom Ferch) is a legend,” teammate Terry Schaplow said. “He’s 65 and he’s still lighting these guys up that are 30 years younger than he is.”

The team has played ball since back before their college years, when “Lincoln was president,” team member Ron Laferriere joked, but they never stopped playing.

Three to five days a week, three of the team members, who reside in Montana, play for fun against Montana State University players – and full court, at that.

Now the players are taking their competition to the Senior Olympics and to competitions such as Hoopfest. As long as they still have it, they’re going to use it.

“I lit up (former NBA star) Craig Ehlo in the celebrity game (Thursday),” Schaplow gloated.

Looks like they still have it.

Not just a competition

Team captain Brandon Eller had to find two replacements for his team Yiikes in the elite division, since two of his teammates are fighting in Iraq.

Eller and his best friend, Ben Platt, started playing in Hoopfest five years ago, and four years ago added Brian Rabbos and Sam Hogg, also best friends.

“The other two guys were the same version of Ben and I – it just made sense,” said Eller, 26.

Rabbos and Hogg were unable to get leave time to make it back for Hoopfest.

Eller’s attitude and perception of the tournament have changed now that he’s a few years older. He looks forward to Hoopfest as a way to bring together family and friends he lost touch with and compares the event to an online networking site.

“MySpace is such a phenomenon because it brings everyone back together,” he said. “(Hoopfest) is such a cool way to bring your friends and family back together.”

The last four years Eller and his team have won their bracket and only lost one game in their Hoopfest careers. But this time around, Eller isn’t as concerned for the victory as he is for the just enjoying the experience.

“Our goal this year, more than anything is to not so much win, but to have fun and look over and see what’s important – your family and friends.”

GU reunion

Even a year after graduation and playing ball overseas, Shannon Mathews still sports the GU attire with her former teammates in Hoopfest as the GU Blackouts.

Mathews, former star of the GU women’s basketball team, graduated last year and played basketball for a year in Holland in the Dutch League. She joined up with former GU teammates Raeanna Jewell, also from the class of 2005, Anne Bailey and Ashley Anderson.

“It’s so fun to play in Hoopfest,” Mathews said. “Especially back with our Gonzaga team. We’re really close and now we get to play together again.”

Last year at Hoopfest, the GU women took their bracket and hope to reclaim their glory and make it to today’s championship game.

“We just wanted to get out here and play and have fun,” she said. “And try to win too.”

One of the guys

Katie Marquess, 26, started playing in Hoopfest 14 years ago. After her first five years playing on an all-female team, she made the switch to coed and has been playing with men ever since.

“For me it’s better because I’ve played with guys my whole life,” Marquess said. “I’m super aggressive.”

Marquess’ team, the Balkemas, is made up of two women and two men, including her brother and two best friends.

“Our girls are better than our guys,” teammate Alex Hoffman said. “The girls are what make the difference in the coed games.”

Marquess said she started playing coed because she doesn’t know many women and she can’t shoot a women’s basketball as well as a men’s ball.

“It’s like shooting a golf ball into the hoop for me,” she said. “I like the weight of the big ball.”

All in a uniform

Teams differentiate themselves with jerseys, homemade shirts, store-bought shirts, or no shirts. But for the team Dogbone wanted a uniform that would grab onlookers’ attention.

With red beanies, a red-and-white striped shirt, fake moustaches, red suspenders, white shorts and red shoes, the team members of Dogbone resembled Waldo.

The players said since they didn’t find success at the 2005 Hoopfest tournament, they had to change it up, so they changed their look.

The Spokane-area players – Nate Gobble, Parc Crecelius, Tyler Walters and Zac Franklin – look forward to Hoopfest and feeling the “hometown love” from the crowd. They’ve been playing together for four years at the tournament and admit their look was meant to be a “crowd pleaser.”