Syncere Rose Commits to Arizona Western College

Syncere Rose

Following a 1st round playoff lost for the Fairfield Falcons, Syncere Rose had no idea where he would end up this fall for college. Awaiting acceptance letters to Virginia State, and Howard University, Rose decided to play AAU for Team Rampage (Vallejo, CA) with hopes of earning last minute interests from colleges.

Team Rampage Varsity Elite head coach Brandon Bracy, was able to put together a tough schedule, as they faced three of top programs on the west coast such as Splash City, Team Arsenal, and the Oakland Soldiers. After facing these programs, Team Rampage was able to play in the Adidas Compton Magic tournament in Southern California. During this tournament, Rose had a breakout performance against California Supreme Red (Los Angeles, CA) which drew interest from Arizona Western College. "Syncere was on a mission", coach Bracy said. "He guarded guys 6'10" even though he only stands at 6'1", and created a lot of 2nd chance opportunities for us on the offensive end".

Arizona Western head coach Charles Harral watched Rose's performance against California Supreme and decided to offer Rose a chance to be a part of the program. "Most guys panic at the end of their senior year", coach Bracy said. "The fear of nothing coming to the table, forces kids to make decisions they don't really want to make. Syncere trusted the process, worked his tail off, and got what he deserved late in the game" coach Bracy added.

Rose will be the 8th player from the Team Rampage program to play basketball at the collegiate level, but will be the first player from the program to go out of state to play basketball.

Bracy's Skills Combine

Team Rampage head coach and trainer Brandon Bracy, will be hosting a skills combine for high school boys June 28th-30th. The combine will feature fundamental skill work, agility and conditioning drills, player evaluations from coaches, media coverage and more.

During this combine players will have the opportunity to improve their skills, while also gaining exposure in front of college coaches and scouts. The combine will take place at Nor-Cal Courts in Martinez, California from 10am-1pm. To register, click this link http://www.leaguelineup.com/forms.asp?url=northbaytriangle&sid=181376775 or call Coach Bracy (707) 816-1196.

Team Rampage Continues its Growth

At the end of the 2016 AAU season, the Team Rampage AAU basketball organization finished with two varsity teams. At the start of the new 2017 AAU season, the Team Rampage program now has seven teams in high school alone. The seven teams include three varsity teams, three 16 and under teams, and one 15 and under team. Director Hodges and Head Coach and Trainer Brandon Bracy has worked hard to build the program by bringing quality coaches and trainers to the program.

The Varsity division features Coach Bracy's Elite team, Team Rampage Silver coached by Rodriguez High School Alum and current junior varsity head coach Mike Badger, and Team Rampage Black coached by Hogan High School Alum Chris Edens. The three varsity teams are filled with talent all over Northern California, and will be playing during the NCAA live period to gain more exposure.

For the 16 and under division, former Professional Overseas player Ron Kinney coaches the elite team, while James Harris coaches the Silver team. Harris brings a great background as a player and a trainer, while Tara Smith will coach the 16 and under Black team. Coach Smith coached for the Fairfield Ballers last year, before finally coming over to coach for Team Rampage this 2017 season.

Rounding up the seven high school teams is the 15 and under division, coached by former Vallejo High School star athlete Amos Carter. Carter played for the Apaches(Now the Redhawks) from 2000-2004 and played along side former Duke player and McDonald's All-American Demarcus Nelson. Coach Carter will be assisted by Steve Urias, who is also the head coach of the Benicia Middle School.

The 2017 season will be an exciting season for the Team Rampage program as it will continue to grow moving forward. Director Hodges has also confirmed that there will be age groups 8-14 coming this fall as well.

Jacob Long's Hot Streak

Max Preps Photo

A year ago Deer Valley guard Jacob Long was a small sophomore who was a spot up shooter for the Wolverines. After having a couple breakout games to close out his sophomore season, Long decided to join the Team Rampage Club (Vallejo, CA) in the middle of the AAU season. Long was one of two sophomores who played on the 17 and under Team Rampage team. Team Rampage Varsity Head Coach and trainer Brandon Bracy saw the potential in the young sophomore. "Jacob can shoot with anybody, and has a really quick release." Bracy said. "His jumpshot and shooting ability reminds me a lot of myself" Bracy added.

After finishing up the AAU season, Long continued to train with Coach Bracy, as he developed his ball handling skills, and shooting off the dribble. The hard work for Long is paying off tremendously as he has put up 3 straight 20+ games for the Wolverines. It started with 27 points against Antioch, then a 20 point performance against Bay Area powerhouse Freedom High School, and would follow up with 22 points against rival Pittsburg High School. Long is going all out to help lead Deer Valley into the playoffs as they have a 16-7 record overall, but only hold a 3-4 record in league.

Team Rampage Strengthens Up Staff

Fat Mark Photos

Exactly two years ago in the spring of 2015, Team Rampage director Antonio Hodges brought on a young 23 year old by the name of Brandon Bracy, to be the Head Coach of the Team Rampage program. With a strong local buzz, the interest level of the kids who wanted to play for Team Rampage continued to grow. As Hodges continued to mentor Coach Bracy, Bracy's skills as a trainer and coach developed as he was able to gain interest from players and parents, outside the solano county area as well. With the growth of the program, Hodges knew that he would need to bring in more coaches and trainers that have the love for the game, and could coach under his program.

Two years later, Team Rampage has managed to bring on two trainers and coaches that Hodges believes will be a great addition to the program. The first addition would be Ron Kinney who comes from Cleveland, Ohio. Kinney played for Walsh University (NCAA Division 2) in North Canton, Ohio from 2008-2012, before playing professionally overseas in Italy. Kinney also tried out for the Sacramento Kings organization after his experience overseas. Hodges expressed his excitement for Kinney, and how he could help the Team Rampage program. "Ron will be great asset to our program as he is an excellent trainer, and will be able to use his professional experience to help our youth".

Another key addition to the staff is James Harris, who comes from Oakland, California. Harris graduated and played for Saint Mary's high school in Berkeley, before moving on to play for the College of Alameda. Harris also participated in a few NBA Development league tryouts before deciding to train and coach full-time. James trains kids mostly in the Oakland, Richmond, and Hayward areas. "James has a passion for developing kids, and understands the process of preaching the fundamentals" Hodges said. "His teaching methods match what we are trying to teach our youth" Hodges added.

With the additions of Harris and Kinney, the Team Rampage staff looks to enter the AAU season with a team of excellent trainers and coaches. Kinney and Harris won't be the only additions however, as Team Rampage also plans to add former Vallejo High Superstar athlete Amos Carter. Carter plans to coach the 15 and under group, while Kinney and Harris will take on the two 16 and under groups. Brandon Bracy and former Napa Valley College athlete Chris Eidens will take on the two varsity groups. Team Rampage looks to start their season next month.

Vallejo High's Bright Future

Just Blaze Photo

Vallejo High's basketball tradition runs deep, as many talented athletes have played for the school. From New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and DeMarcus Nelson to former NBA 1st round Brandon Armstrong, Vallejo High has always been able to produce great basketball talent. However, despite the rich tradition Vallejo High's basketball program has not been able produce talent or wins over the last two seasons. In two seasons, Vallejo has only won one league game and has not had a player make the all-league team. With the struggles of the program of late, there is a level of excitement with the upcoming players.

Vallejo's Varsity team features two sophomores Deontae Jenkins, and Damon Fowler. Jenkins has started most of the year for the Redhawks, while Fowler has provided minutes off the bench. Along with the two sophomores on varsity, Vallejo's junior varsity has a record of 14-4. That team features sophomore Tajon Fredrickson who has been the leading scorer for the junior varsity team. Along with Fredrickson, the junior varsity also features Marvin McBroom, Jerick Garcia, and Jose Cabrera. With the combination of the Jenkins and Fowler on varsity, along with the talent coming up from junior varsity, there is a sense of hope with Vallejo High. Team Rampage Director Antonio Hodges spoke highly of Vallejo's future during the Vallejo vs Bethel rival game. "Vallejo has a great upside with their young talent. This spring and summer will be crucial for their overall development". Hodges has also confirmed that most of the young talent will be playing for Team Rampage to help develop and gain exposure.

Bethel's Strong Sophomore Class Storms Past Vallejo

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After losing a starting lineup that featured all seniors a year ago, Jesse Bethel (Vallejo, CA) has reloaded with 4 sophomores and a few juniors that have started the rebuilding process for the Jaguars. Sophomore Jacob Sharpe who transferred from Salesian High School, has been Bethel's leading scorer for the season. The other 3 sophomores are Jori Taylor, Jovon Jackson, and Julian Manasala. Manasala and Jackson came up big in their win against crosstown rival Vallejo High School, as Manasala scored 17 points off the bench, and Jackson was able to provide excellent point guard play. Dion Moore, Craig Holden and Markus Daniels, are the juniors that have made an impact for the Jaguars.

Jesse Bethel overall has struggled with a 4-16 record on the season so far, but with a heavy core of juniors and sophomores, they believe they can bring the winning tradition back to Bethel. This offseason will be key for how much this team can get better, as players will look to develop their overall games. Dion Moore and Jacob Sharpe, are the two players from Jesse Bethel that has played with Team Rampage (Vallejo, CA) during the summer and will look to continue to play this offseason. Jackson and Holden could also join their teammates with Team Rampage, while others will look to play for other local AAU teams. Regardless of the record, Bethel has a bright future and will continue to get better. They will take on Vanden this Friday at Vanden High School.

Wood's Junior Varsity Duo Combines for 45 in Win

Fat Mark Photo

Will C. Wood (Vacaville, CA) visited Napa High School last night, as Wood's junior varsity team carried a 3-0 league record. However, they would find themselves in a tough battle as Napa kept the game close for most of the game. After a slow first half, Wood's duo of Johnathon Cobbs and Angelo Harris were able to pick up their play and carry Wood to a victory to move to 4-0 in league.

Cobbs finished the game with 25 points, while Harris added 20 for the wildcats. Wood will take on cross-town rival Vacaville High School this Friday at home. Cobbs and Harris will look to continue their excellent play to start the league, by winning 5 straight.

Armijo's Elijah Johnson Comes Up Big Against Napa

Fat Mark Photo

For the Armijo Indians (Fairfield, CA) the 2016-2017 season hasn't been great, as they came into last Friday's game against Napa High School with a 3-12 overall record, and 0-2 in league play. At halftime, Armijo found themselves down 14 when Senior guard Elijah Johnson sparked a rally that forced an overtime.

Armijo was able to pull off the win 71-64 in overtime with their great defensive play, and Johnson carrying most of the scoring load. Johnson finished the game with 29 points, while Cameron Joseph scored 12, Deven Robinson with 11, and John Grayson added 10.

For Johnson, he is averaging over 20 points a game for the Indians, and is known for his amazing athleticism that electrifies the crowd. Johnson is still undecided in regards to what college he would like to go to, but hopes this spring and summer playing with Team Rampage (Vallejo, CA) can get him some extra exposure, and allow more programs to see his talents.

Wong's Successful Senior Year

Wanapaleia Wong

For the St. Patrick-St. Vincent's (Vallejo, CA) Girls basketball team, this season has been a success due to the most part of their preseason record. The Bruins went 14-2 in preseason entering league play, with 13 of their wins defeating their opponents by 14 or more points. Despite the preseason success, the Bruins have gotten off to a slow 1-2 start in league, but that hasn't stopped senior guard Wanapaleia Wong from having a great senior season.

Wong who has been on varsity since her freshman year, has averaged over 15 points a game, over 5 rebounds, and almost 4 steals a game through the first 19 games of the season. Her biggest game came against American Canyon high school, where she scored 22 points and brought down 11 rebounds to carry her team to a victory. Although she has been able to put up great numbers for the Bruins, Wong still wants to maintain her play, and help her school earn more league victories as they prepare for the playoffs.

Wong has hopes of playing college basketball as she has taken visits to Division 2 level schools outside of California, but has not committed to any school yet. For Wong and her family, they are looking to find the right program for her to commit to in the future, while she finishes off her senior year and continues to train with Team Rampage Varsity Head Coach Brandon Bracy. St. Pats will play at Pinole Valley High School tonight at 7pm.

Fat Mark Creating a Lane For the North Bay Area

Fat Mark

Back in 2012, "Yay Area's Finest" was popular in the Bay Area for their highlight tapes of the top high school players in the Bay Area. They even had an all-star game amongst the top players in the Bay Area. In that all-star game, Tajai Johnson, Larry Wickett, and Rodney Cook, represented Vallejo and the northern part of the Bay Area. Since then, the Northern Bay Area which features Vallejo, Napa, Benicia, Fairfield, Vacaville and more, hasn't had too much spotlight on their players. Some believe the talent hasn't been the same, others believe the talent has been slept on compared to the other cities around the Bay Area. Today, Mark "Fat Mark" Insixiengmay has been able to provide the North Bay Area some attention due to his film production.

Fat Mark started off recording his two son's (Damien and Demarcus) basketball games with his phone, while using apps to edit the photos and videos. After experiencing a love for filming, he decided to take it serious, and film with professional level cameras. After filming several videos of his sons, Team Rampage Varsity Head Coach Brandon Bracy decided to bring Fat Mark on to record his workouts for "Bracy's Skills Clinics". Over a 2/3 month span, Fat Mark's buzz with filming for Coach Bracy had grown and spilled into the high school basketball season.

Fat Mark went on to film Solano County's top talent including players Trey Pugh, Dakkari Hughes, Vandell Shaw and more. By creating highlight tapes and action photos of them, he would then go on to do team highlight tapes on Vanden, American Canyon, St. Pats, and even Salesian. Coach Bracy expressed Fat Mark's talent by stating, "Mark loves what he does, and has the work ethic to become much bigger than what he is right now. His buzz has continued to grow, and all of the kids ask for him to come film their games".

Fat Mark will also be filming for Team Rampage this upcoming AAU season, to create an even bigger buzz for the North Bay. For Highlight tapes or action photos, contact Fat Mark at (925) 567-4273.

Wood's Future Duo

Will C. Wood High School (Vacaville, CA) has been able to maintain success with their basketball program as many players have went on to play College Basketball at a high level. In 2008 Wood had a duo that featured Bennie Murray and Mike McChristian, who both went on to play Division 1 basketball. Today, Wood's junior varsity team features a young promising duo by the names of Angelo Harris and Johnathon Cobbs.

Angelo and Johnathon are both sophomores and are showing amazing growth in their game. Johnathon has averaged over 25 points per game, while Angelo has averaged over 15 points a game. Many believe they can contribute at the varsity level this year, but with the large amount of returnees Wood's varsity has, the coaches decided to keep the two on junior varsity.

Cobbs and Harris trains with Team Rampage Varsity Elite Head Coach Brandon Bracy, in which they will also be playing for the 16 and under Rampage team. "These two are dedicated to the process of development, and I am excited to see their games moving forward" Coach Bracy said. Team Rampage Director Antonio Hodges also cosigned their ability. "Those boys have a tremendous upside, and have a great approach to the game" Hodges said. "They are very mature for the age, and have a high basketball IQ". Wood's junior varsity team is 3-0 in league play.

Vandell Shaw's Great Start

In High School basketball today, it is hard to find players who are willing to commit to the defensive end first. Most high school players define their success on the court as good as the amount of points they score, or how many highlight plays they make. However, for Fairfield High School Senior guard Vandell Shaw, committing to the defensive end has made a name for himself. Shaw takes pride in guarding the top guards in his league such as Vanden's Phoenix Shackleford and Benicia's Trey Pugh.

As Fairfield High School is off to a 3-0 start in League play including grabbing an upset win over powerhouse Vanden High School, it has been Shaw's offense that has caught attention of local scouts. Shaw has averaged close to 15 points a game in league play, including his 21 point performance in their victory against Vanden.

There is still a lot of basketball left to play, but Fairfield's hot start has been pretty impressive after missing the playoffs a year ago. With Head Coach Eddie Wilson's hard nose coaching style, Fairfield will continue to be a threat moving forward.

North Bay Triangle Camp Has A Great Turnout

Fat Mark Photos

On Sunday January 15th, the North Bay Triangle basketball camp took place at American Canyon High School (American Canyon, CA). The camp featured ages 8-14, with kids coming from many different schools and AAU teams, such as the Vallejo Knights, Nor-Cal Aces, Nor-Cal Power, Vallejo Generals and more. The camp also featured Team Rampage Varsity Elite Head Coach Brandon Bracy, who was the Head Trainer of the camp. With good training from Coach Bracy, up-close camera action from Mark "Fat Mark" Insixiengmay, and over 30 kids in attendance, the North Bay Triangle Camp was a great turnout.

Camp Director Antonio Hodges stated, "We are thrilled to have Coach Bracy as the head trainer of the camp. The kids and parents really enjoyed him, and he is dedicated to making everybody better". With many kids coming from different AAU programs, the camp was extremely competitive as the kids were able to play games with each other at the end. The Mother of Vallejo Knights guard Juwelle Jack, Rhea Macam-Jack said, "I have been supporting our son Juwelle for 5 years as an AAU basketball player, and this basketball camp is the best so far". Many other parents praised the camp and Coach Bracy's style of teaching drills, and explaining how the drills translates into the game.

The next North Bay Triangle Basketball Camp will take place on May 7th, at American Canyon High School.

A Chance To Make a Name

For the 2016-2017 St. Pats Varsity team, there is a huge difference in age on this team. Their projected starting lineup could consist of all seniors, while the bench could include two freshmen, two sophomores, and a few juniors. One of those sophomores who is also a returner is Chance McMillan. Chance saw a limited role last year for the Bruins as he only averaged 3 points a game. Things have changed this year, as he could be a key component to the season for the bruins.

Due to the St. Pats football team winning the state championship, three key players missed the first few weeks. This created an opportunity for McMillan to earn quality minutes on the floor. Through the first 13 games of the season, McMillan has averaged just under 8 points per game and has started a few games for the Bruins.

St. Pats will head into Conference play with all of their pieces ready to make a run at winning the league title. They will open up with Albany High School at home, January 10th at 7pm.

-Brandon Bracy