From staff reports
The Ruckus Premier youth basketball team claimed two tournament wins in May, giving them three for the year and setting the stage for a big summer.
Ruckus Premier traveled short-handed to Greensboro, N.C. over the May 13-14 weekend to compete in the Big Shots Atlantic Coast May Madness. On Saturday, Ruckus Premier beat Team Jumpstart, 46-15, and then later in the day finished off Young Visions, 74-51.
On Sunday, the director of the tournament, after being impressed with Ruckus Premier, asked if they could add another game to the schedule. They faced Local Legends 2027 Gold Team and won a very tightly contested game, 44-40.
The win vaulted Ruckus to the championship game where Coach LA Boggess said it was the best the team had played all year as they beat Roots Rocking 2027, 62-25. Prior to the championship game, Roots Rocking 2027 had defeated both teams it faced by more than 20 points.
Guard Ethan Foster led all scorers in the tournament with 100 points, averaging 25 points per game. The next closest scorer in the tournament had 47 points, averaging 11.8 points per game.
Earlier this month, Ruckus Premier went 4-0 in Charleston on May 6 and 7 to win the Exposure Basketball Battle At The Beach. On Saturday, Ruckus Premier beat PSB Charleston, 50-14, and then later in the day beat Lowcountry Premier Ballers, 43-11.
That night in the third game of the day, the game was cut short with the Charleston All Stars, and rescheduled to start the next day. Charleston All Stars did not show, and Ruckus Premier won a tight battle against Dynamic, 56-52.
The championship game had been the Ruckus’ Achilles’ heel in tournaments since their win in Tampa, Fla., in March, but not this time. In the championship game, Ruckus Premier downed the Carolina Shockers, 56-31.
Ruckus Premier is made up of players from Bluffton and Beaufort. From Bluffton are Darhon Major, Ethan Foster, Jackson Stroud, and Kiron Boggess. Devin Powers, Sam Bowen, Tyrese Smith, Michael Johnson, and CJ Champion reside in the Beaufort area. The team is coached by Boggess, who coaches middle and high school basketball at Cross School in Bluffton.
Ruckus Premier is in its first season having already competed in Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Left on the schedule are trips to West Virginia (June 3-4), North Carolina again (June 24-25) and a season-ending event in the Big Shots Myrtle Beach tournament (July 6-7).
The team is always looking for sponsors. If you would like to sponsor, or donate to the program, please visit http://www.ruckuspremier.com. Donations go toward uniforms and gear for the players, in addition to entry fees.
