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

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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

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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

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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.