Sports Center

Boys 7th Grade

HAFTR vs. HALB. After a tough loss against Flatbush last week, HAFTR defeated HALB 79–58. Stan led HAFTR with 18 points. HAFTR led the entire game with the help from Max with 16 points, Jason with 11 points, and Josh with 10 points.

Girls Varsity National

MDY vs. YOF. In an electric matchup from start to finish, the MDY Warriors battled Flatbush in a thrilling game that kept the crowd on their feet. MDY came out strong, dominating the first quarter 12–4, with sharp defense and smooth ball movement. By halftime, the Warriors held a solid 22–13 lead. Flatbush roared back in the third quarter, capitalizing on foul trouble for two of MDY’s top players, Eida and Souleiman, who were forced to sit. With the momentum shifting, Flatbush outscored MDY and managed to take the lead, ending the quarter up 27–25. But the fourth quarter belonged to the Warriors. With Eida and Souleiman back on the floor, MDY regained control, locking in defensively and pushing the pace on offense. The team closed the game on a dominant run, securing the victory with a final score of 39–30. Top scorers: for MDY Warriors: Danziger with 13 points and for Flatbush Saada with nine points.

Boys JV

MDY vs. YOF. In what is always an exciting matchup, MDY traveled to YOF for an early-season game. MDY opened with solid defense, while YOF stayed close with their three-point shooting. In the end, MDY’s defensive intensity and offensive efficiency gave them the edge, helping them move to 2–0 on the season.

Girls Varsity National

MDY vs. HAFTR. The MDY Warriors delivered an impressive team victory in their matchup against HAFTR, starting the game with focus and intensity. MDY opened with a full-court press, quickly establishing a nice lead, and closed the first quarter ahead. Once in control, the Warriors settled into a composed 2–3 defense, maintaining strong communication and discipline. In the second quarter, MDY’s defense continued to shine, limiting scoring opportunities and heading into halftime with the advantage. Despite the score, HAFTR showed admirable effort and continued to compete with heart, fighting for rebounds and pushing the pace whenever possible. HAFTR played with determination throughout the game, challenging MDY with their energy and never backing down. The Warriors, meanwhile, demonstrated exceptional depth, discipline, and teamwork from top to bottom. Top scorers: MDY with 15 points was Katie Souleiman and for HAFTR Shlowitz with 12 points.

Girls JV

NSHA vs. HAFTR. The North Shore Hebrew Academy girls came out strong, opening the game with confident ball movement and hitting a series of clean shots. Their rebounding was dominant early on, giving them control on both ends of the court. As the game progressed, HAFTR began to press and started to score, but North Shore stayed composed. The girls continued making smart passes, finding open looks, and converting their shots. Overall, it was a solid and well-earned win for the North Shore team.

Boys JV

HAFTR vs. YHT. Shorthanded HAFTR got out to an early 18-point lead in the first quarter led by a surge by Scharaga. YHT, led by Scherzer, then came storming back to eventually take the lead and was ahead going into the fourth quarter. HAFTR was strong defensively in the end and only gave up one field goal in the quarter eventually closing it out and winning 55–50.

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SportsCenter Overtime

NFL

NY Jets. That’s all Folk! In a wet and cold Met Life stadium the Jets faced off against a disappointing Atlanta Falcons squad, hoping to start another winning streak. The first half was a standstill with each team scoring a TD. In the second half, the fireworks started to happen. The Falcons scored on a long 95-yard drive to take a 14–7 lead. The Jets quarterbacked once again by Tyrod Taylor scored on a 52-year TD pass from Taylor to recently acquired WR AD Mitchell to tie the game at 14 apiece. It should be noted that Mitchell was labeled a “throw in” to the Sauce Gardener trade with the Colts in which the Jets also secured two first round draft picks. It turns out he was a player that the Jets indeed wanted. He certainly has the ability to shine with the Jets as a complement to injured WR Garrett Wilson. Based on his performance on Sunday of eight catches for 102 yards (including first TD of his career), he looks like a keeper. The Falcons kicked a go-ahead field goal so the score was 17–14 entering the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter started with a terrific punt return by the Jets, which set up the tying field goal by Nick Folk. After the Falcons scored a go-ahead TD midway through fourth quarter, Taylor marched the Jets down the field scrambling for a 10-yard tying TD run. Taylor converted on many third down plays as well as a fourth down to keep the drive alive. With the score tied 24–24 remarkably both the Falcons and the Jets had chances to win the game. The Jets received a punt with just 35 seconds left. The Taylor Mitchell connection pushed the Jets into Falcons territory. On the final play of the game veteran kicker Nick Folk drilled a 56-yard field goal to give the Jets a 27–24 victory, sending the wet but happy crowd into a celebration. The Jets are 3–9 and they are what their record says they are. Since their disastrous 0–7 start (which included a few games that they had the opportunity to win) they are 3–2 in their last five games. The competition is clearly not as strong but it takes a whole lot to win games in the NFL no matter who the opponent is. HC Aaron Glenn is slowly starting to turn around the culture in the Jets organization and the evidence is certainly showing on the field of play. They are keeping their focus solely on the schedule and their opponents and are continuing to compete and play hard in every game they play. There is the thought about “tanking” and losing games in order to get higher draft picks. That is clearly not on the radar for Glenn and the Jets as they look to keep the momentum going that will lead to wins and success for this season and beyond. The Jets will host the Dolphins this week and look to pay them back for an earlier loss in Miami.

NY Giants. The Giants are 2–10 and were put in an impossible situation facing off against the 10–2 NE Patriots. This was a classic showing of two franchises going in completely different directions. The Giants welcomed back QB Jaxson Dart from concussion protocol and were hoping for a spark. It was just too much to overcome the disciplined and powerful Patriots squad that humiliated the Giants in prime time 33–15. Patriots QB Drake Maye and MVP candidate in only his second year in the League, handled the Giants defense with precision and pinpoint accuracy, leading the Pats to a 30–7 halftime lead. The change of defensive coordinator for the Giants did not make any difference whatsoever. The Giants special teams were a disaster. They gave up a 94-yard punt return for a TD. With a chance to cut the score to 17–10, the Giants kicker’s foot got stuck in the ground as he approached to kick the field goal and that is where it ended. There was certainly no collapse in this game by the Giants defense, having blown five fourth quarter leads this season. Although it ain’t over till it’s over, this game was over at halftime. One of the key factors for the Giants is keeping Dart on his feet and not absorbing heavy hits which would be diffused by sliding instead of going head on into the defender. This will certainly lower the chance of him potentially suffering yet another concussion. Until he starts to work that into his playbook, the Giants will run the risk of him getting injured once again. The Giants will have a long time to lick their wounds as they enter a strange bye week this late in the season.

NBA

NY Knicks. The Knicks had an extremely positive week. They dismantled the Charlotte Hornets by 28 points in an NBA Cup Game to conclude their road trip. They returned home to face the Bucks in another NBA Cup Game and, led by MVP candidate Jalen Brunson, repaid the Bucks for an earlier loss. Finally, they were set to face off against the surprising first place Toronto Raptors who have two familiar faces on their roster—former Knicks RJ Barrett and Imanuel Quckley. Although Barrett is currently injured, the Raptors have been a surprise team so far early in the NBA season. The Knicks came out red hot, doubling the Raptors score and led 48–24 in the second quarter. Slowly but surely Toronto crept back in cutting the Knicks lead down to three points in the third quarter. The Knicks came back and did what they do best and came away with a 116–94 victory. With OG and Shamet still out, HC Mike Brown has inserted Josh Hart and Deuce McBride into the starting lineup, which has paid tremendous dividends. Although the bench is a bit “shorter,” all five starters finished with double figures. The Knicks still have Jordan Clarkson coming off the bench, as well as Mitchell Robinson, who in 17 minutes grabbed 15 rebounds. There is still no timetable for the return of OG or Shamet. The Knicks’ upcoming schedule features a trip to Boston against the Celtics and home games against the Hornets, Jazz, and another rematch against the Magic. Next week they will play the Raptors again in an NBA Cup quarterfinal with the winner going to Las Vegas for the semis and championship.

MLB

NY Mets. The NY Mets are presently the most active franchise in the MLB off season. Following up on their trade of Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien, they made another splash. They signed free agent relief pitcher Devon Williams to a three-year contract. This is indeed the same Devon Williams who flopped for the Yankees last year, losing his closer role with the team. He eventually straightened himself out and performed better towards the end of the season. He had good success with the Brewers as their closer for several years while Mets’ Director of Baseball Operations, David Stearns, was the Brewers GM. The Mets are hoping a trip across town will benefit him as the Mets makeover continues. They are still working on resigning all world closer Edwin Diaz. In the perfect world Williams will be the set-up man for Diaz and can occasionally close games should Diaz be unavailable. However, should the scenario play out that Diaz and the Mets do not come to an agreement, Williams will then be the fall-back option for the Mets closer. With the GM meetings taking place next week there certainly could be some more fireworks and surprises in the hot stove season.

5TJT Top Ten Week 13 (as of 12/2/25)

1. New England Patriots (LW #2)

2. Denver Broncos (LW #3)

3. LA Rams (LW #1)

4. Seattle Seahawks (LW #4)

5. Chicago Bears (LW #5)

6. SF 49ers (LW #6)

7. Buffalo Bills (LW NR)

8. Green Bay Packers (LW NR)

9. LA Chargers (LW NR)

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (LW NR)

This week’s NFL rankings show a great separation from the haves and the have nots. Some of the teams are making their case for post season berths, while other “favorites” have slipped up along the way including last year’s Super Bowl participants Eagles and Chiefs. There is still a handful of games to go and anything can happen.

The #1 NE Patriots dismantled the Giants in prime time to claim the overall top spot. They will have a late season bye. The #2 Broncos squeezed out an OT thriller 27–26 over the host Commanders but still sit on top of the AFC West. They will travel to Las Vegas this week to face the Raiders. After losing a tight one to the Panthers ending their winning streak 31-28, the #3 Rams are still a Super Bowl threat. They should have no problem this week facing the Arizona Cardinals. The #4 Seahawks, despite an off game by Sam Darnold, humiliated the Vikings 26–0. They will travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons. The #5 Bears are on a roll as they sit atop the NFC North with a record of 9–3 led by QB Caleb Williams defeating the Eagles 24–15. They will have a showdown this week in Green Bay against the Packers. The #6 49ers are back and so is Brock Purdy, leading them to a 26–8 toppling of the Browns. They will have a bye this week. The #7 Bills jump back into the Top Ten following a solid road victory over the Aaron Rogers-led Pittsburgh Steelers 26–7. They will host the Bengals this week, led once again by Joe Burrow, who led the Bengals to an outstanding victory against the Ravens. The #8 Pack is back, soundly defeating the Lions 31–24 behind QB Jordan Love. They will look to take over first place in the NFC North when they host the #5 Bears. The #9 Chargers also jump back into the Top Ten following their one-sided victory against the Raiders. Although QB Justin Herbert injured his non-throwing hand, he is planning on playing as they will host the sputtering Eagles Monday night. The #10 Jaguars slowly crept up in the AFC South to lead the division following a thrashing of the Titans 25–3. They will have a showdown this week when they host division rival Colts.

Key Games This Week

Cowboys @ Lions

Bengals @ Bills

Colts @ Jaguars

Steelers @ Ravens

Bears @ Packers

Texans @ Chiefs

Eagles @ Chargers

Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters in Israel.

Hewlett Woodmere Little League

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{Caption: Lil Rays

Congratulations to the Lil Rays (again) of the Hewlett Woodmere Little League Minors division on their hard-fought 7–5 championship victory over the Blue Jays. This year’s team was led by the power-hitting newcomers Zach Greenblatt, Zev Tepper, and Derek Samayoa. The lone holdovers from last season’s championship team, Abie Krinsky and Gavriel Plonka, scored the game winning run and put down one perfect bunt after another, respectively. However, the game MVP was Jacob Gurevitch, who despite going down with a serious injury showed up anyway, and made a game-saving catch at first base.

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{Caption: JSL fall week nine

{JSL Fall: Week Nine Recap

Playoff intensity was at its peak this week across the JSL by FM Home Loans! Overtime winners, Cinderella runs, clutch performances, and championship berths highlighted an action-packed slate of games. Here’s everything that went down:

K/P Hockey. Smash House kicked off the tournament with an overtime thriller, edging Yeled LI Panthers to advance. In a unique twist, Yehuda Aidelson stepped in for Smash House—despite normally suiting up for Yeled LI Panthers—and made a huge impact in the win. Maidenbaum earned a strong win over Marciano PD, powered by a dominant two-way effort from Nosson Tzvi Fogel, who controlled the blue line and added two goals. SD Shades took down Demo & Cleanouts behind Shimmy Biegeleisen’s three-goal performance, providing all the scoring his team needed to move on.

K/P Soccer. Maidenbaum topped 5 Towns Central with a buzzer-beating game-winning goal, capping off an exciting matchup where both teams played outstanding from start to finish.

Hockey Playoffs

First Grade. Posh Home & Bath, the undefeated #1 seed, opened their postseason with a convincing 12–7 win over Tikva Fire. Harry Wilheim delivered multiple goals and assists in another standout performance. 5 Towns Central also advanced, defeating SR Whee 12–7 in a game filled with hard play, teamwork, and great sportsmanship from both sides.

Second and Third Grade. Sushi Tokyo Ninjas kept their season alive with a gritty 4–3 win over Newman Dental, thanks to a massive two-goal performance from Dovy Stein. Styles Design Interiors punched their ticket to the next round with a 4–1 victory over Built by Nate, capped off by a beautiful wraparound goal from Gavi Prince to seal the win.

Fourth and Fifth Grade. Tal Academy’s Cinderella story continues! The #8 seed advanced all the way to the championship game, with Efraim Joseph scoring his first goal of the season after transitioning from goalie—an unforgettable moment. Styles Design Interiors also advanced to the finals with a 5–3 win over Wieder Orthodontics, led by Dovid Krigsman, whose precise court vision guided the offense.

Sixth–Eighth Grade. Emporio held off a late push from Wieder Orthodontics to win 6–5. Eli Sherman’s two goals proved to be crucial in the narrow victory. SD Shades, the top seed, earned a convincing 8–3 win over Sperling Productions, with Gavriel Abbitan adding another multi-goal playoff performance to his incredible season.

Basketball Playoffs

First Grade. Growtha advanced with a 10–6 win over Seasons, as Hillel Shulavsky played well and carried himself with great middos and attitude. Marciano PD defeated Posh Home & Bath 12–4, behind another strong outing from Moshe Obadia, who continues to shine in big moments.

Second Grade. Wieder Orthodontics rolled past 5 Towns Landscaping, led by Ephraim Lowy, who delivered another huge two-way performance. Rita’s topped Rip It thanks to Nechemia Oratz, who stepped up with a big all-around game to lead his team to victory.

Third Grade. Central Pizza Co. defeated Seasons Express 15–4, fueled by Nissi Berman’s offensive firepower and a highlight-reel coast-to-coast layup. Tikva Fire advanced past Elegant Lawns, with Danie Grabie once again scoring at will and finding open teammates throughout.

Fourth and Fifth Grade. Addictive Ads won 16–6 over Wieder Orthodontics, behind Zach Lerer’s impressive eight steals, controlling the defensive end all game long. Newman Dental advanced with a 27–11 win over Rip It, led by a dominant all-around performance from Akiva Scharf.

Sixth and Seventh Grade. Maidenbaum earned a 42–15 win over Eden Gardens, with Sruly Newman delivering a big offensive game. In the day’s biggest upset, #4 seed Tal Academy knocked off #1 seed Elegant Lawns, behind Mordechai Wiener’s incredible all-around performance to send his team to the championships.

Men’s Basketball Playoffs

A shorthanded Town Appliance continued to find ways to win, beating Hewlett Auto Body 59–51 behind Shelby Rosenberg’s 23-point performance. Kol Ve’or, the #3 seed, defeated #2 seed Emporio 77–54, led by Yitz Bennett, who scored a team-high 26 points to send his squad to the Championship! 

Judah Rhine, who has been involved in youth basketball for more than 40 years, is co-director of MVP Camps and administrator of the MJDSBL. He can be reached at [email protected]. Read more of Judah Rhine’s articles at 5TJT.com.