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Good morning, friends! Welcome back to The Kicks You Wear. Thanks so much for reading. Appreciate you spending some time with me this morning. Hope your week was awesome.
It’s Labor Day weekend here in the states! If I’m being honest, it’s a bit of a sad time for me because it basically means summer is over. But, hey. At least it’s college football season, right?
While you’re at it, make sure you subscribe to my friend Marc Bain’s monthly newsletter on tech and fashion.
Let’s jump in.
Taking The Kids Back to School
For years — decades, even — Nike has been the default footwear brand for kids everywhere. We’ve all been there, right? Everyone wants that shiny new pair of Jordans.
Even if you couldn’t get your parents to pony up for the mainline models, you’d be willing to settle for an offshoot of some sort. Even if it was just a regular Nike model, it was fine, so long as it came with a swoosh or a Jumpman.
These days that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
What’s new: A new survey from wealth management firm Stifel shows that the kids aren’t as interested in jumping like the Jumpman.
The firm visited and called 110 footwear stores in the US to gather data on the most popular athletic footwear styles for boys and girls during the back-to-school selling season. The stores included Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy Footwear, Foot Locker, Finish Line and JD Sports, Champs, and Hibbett Sports.
The numbers: The returns showed that Nike was still the leader in the space, but far from the margin it had been.
Only 38.2 percent of retailers referenced Nike as their most popular brand for the 2025 back-to-school season. That’s an all-time low for Nike in the survey, per Stifel. The number was as high as 88.2 percent in 2023.
Challenger brands struggled to establish a decent foothold in 2023. New Balance (7.7 percent) was the closest competitor then.
Two caveats: It’s worth noting that, while this survey indicates a decline in popularity for Nike, the sample size isn’t necessarily the largest. Some of the retailers included have thousands of retail locations.
Plus, this survey strictly measures popularity in the United States. While the US market is a significant one, this is still a global marketplace. This doesn’t represent things on a global scale.
Yet, still: These numbers are notable. They match a broader trend that tells a story of Nike losing the battle for the attention of Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Piper Sandler’s latest Taking Stock With Teens survey backs this up. Nike held on as the most popular footwear brand for teens surveyed at 49 percent, but that number was down from 60 percent on average.
Why this is happening: The first, and arguably most important, factor here is Nike’s staleness. The brand has been clawing its way out of a rut for almost a year now. Before that, it leaned heavily on retro styles and lacked innovation at a time when most consumers were looking for newness.
But, secondly, teens are just far more willing to try new things these days. People are increasingly willing to experiment with their fashion choices across various categories these days.
Why this matters: While the demographic of kids and young teens doesn’t necessarily come with the cash older generations do, what they think of a brand is essential.
Establishing connections with younger generations now means establishing a connection with the leading consumer of tomorrow. If they buy your brand now, they may buy it in another 10 years when their buying power has grown.
Plus, teens are trendsetters. They’ve always set the tone for contemporary style. And, these days, they plaster it on social platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Establishing a strong connection with this demographic means creating a brighter future for a brand.
The bottom line: For Nike, regaining the good graces of teens is important. But for companies like New Balance and Adidas, they need to do everything possible to hold the line with new styles and innovation.
Puma May Change Hands Soon
It looks like Puma will be under new ownership soon enough.
The news: The Pinault family, which has owned Puma since 2018 through its holding company, the Artémis Groupe, is meeting with advisors to help it find potential buyers for its 29 percent stake in the company, Bloomberg reports.
Where things are: Puma’s short-term outlook seems pretty bleak.
These setbacks, coupled with headwinds from an increasingly shaky global economy thanks to the United States’ tariff policy, make it easy to see why someone might be searching for a way out of the sportswear business.
The brand has made significant investments in signature basketball athletes like LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton and Breanna Stewart. It’s poured money into a Formula One partnership with one of the sports’ most popular brands in Ferrari. Despite that, Puma hasn’t found the rising tide to raise its ships.
Don’t get it twisted: Despite the company’s current short-term outlook, there are some positives the brand has going for it.
It may not be showing up in sales data yet, but the Puma Speedcat is growing in popularity.
Puma also recently hired a new CEO, Arthur Hoeld, who is Adidas’ former head of global sales.
The brand has carved out a fashionable niche for itself, working with big names in the space like A$AP Rocky and working with buzzy brands like Collina Strada and showing up on the runway at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year.
The big picture: None of those aforementioned factors will necessarily be game-changing for Puma on their own, but the brand has seemingly built a bit of momentum for itself that shouldn’t be overlooked in any potential sale.
It might be a good time for someone to buy low here.
Arch Manning x Warby Parker
We saw a ton of sports and fashion collaborations come together this week. Breitling and the NFL. Cadillac and Tommy Hilfiger. American Eagle and Travis Kelce. Out of all the deals consummated this week, though, I think Arch Manning and Warby Parker’s partnership might be the most interesting.
What’s happening: The up-and-coming Texas University football star announced a newname, image and likeness (NIL) deal with Warby this week.
As part of the deal, Manning’s partnership will include the introduction of new eyewear collections with him as the centerpiece. He’ll also be introducing local initiatives in Austin, Texas as part of Warby Parker’s Pupils Project — a school-based vision program.
Manning will also star in a new Warby Parker ad featuring him and his father, Cooper, in time for Texas’ first game on August 30.
Why he matters: If you’re not an American college football fan, you probably have no idea who Arch Manning is. The Texas quarterback is the nephew of Hall of Fame NFL QB Peyton Manning and former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. He’s a bit of a wunderkind in his sport. Think of him the same way you’d think of, say, Victor Wembanyama in the NBA or Kylian Mbappe in his early days.
The situation: NIL deals in college sports are a bit of a new phenomenon. American collegiate athletes weren’t able to capitalize on their name, image, or likeness until July 2021, meaning they couldn’t sign any brand deals while in school, no matter how popular they were.
The marketplace is the wild, wild west. There are hardly any rules or regulations. Luxury fashion brands have avoided the space so far. That’s why this deal is so striking to me.
Why this matters: Warby Parker isn’t necessarily a luxury brand, but it is luxury adjacent. It’s a premium brand exploring a space where similar brands haven’t. That’s interesting. Especially with a player like Manning, who could have a massive long tail as he advances in his career. There is a chance he doesn’t work out — sometimes, college stars flop. Regardless, it’s beneficial for brands to get on board now.
The big picture: If the NFL’s Breitling deal and this Warby Parker partnership for Arch Manning are any indication, luxury seems to see something in the relatively untapped market of American football. There are opportunities available and interesting athletes to work with.
If that’s the case, then we’ll probably see more deals like this one coming for other players soon.
Caitlin Clark’s Signature Journey Begins
Caitlin Clark and Nike are unveiling her new signature logo, an instantly recognisable combination of interlocking C’s as extraordinary as the athlete they represent. (Nike)
The wait is over. Nike has officially made Caitlin Clark one of its signature athletes. On Monday, the brand unveiled her logo publicly for the first time.
Gotta say, guys. I think this looks great.
My thoughts: There’s a clear luxury inspiration with this. The CC obviously reminds you of Chanel, but I think the clearest inspiration for this one is Gucci’s current interlocking Gs logo. It’s almost identical.
Why this matters: Caitlin Clark is the WNBA’s most popular player. Fans have been clamoring for a signature shoe from Nike from the moment she was drafted by the Indiana Fever. While this isn’t Nike presenting the shoe itself, we do know that the process is at least underway and we’re a step closer.
Nike is set up to dominate women’s basketball. Its roster signature includes Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson and, now, Caitlin Clark — easily three of the most popular players in the league.
If the brand plays things right, it should run this space for the next decade.
#TheKicksWeWear
This is the section where we share our favorite sneakers and favorite outfits from the week. If you have anything you’d like to send, you can forward it to me at michael.sykes@businessoffashion.com or shoot me something on Instagram, X or BlueSky at @MikeDSykes.
Enjoy!!!
First the homie Yosh got us started with the Shattered Backboards. Love these. Glad everyone is getting pairs.
Then the homie Trudy came through with these Icy AE1s. SOTY 2024.
Then the homie Mark came through with these SICK Salomon x Ama Lou Void XT-Whispers. Get hip to these, guys.
Then Matt took us home with the Chlorine Blue Air Max 97. This is one of my FAVORITE pairs of Maxes. That color is so good.
Greaaaaat stuff, you guys. Bravo.
That’s a wrap, gang. Thanks so much for reading today. Have a fantastic weekend. If you’re reading this from the US, have a great Labor Day weekend. Hope you enjoy some much-deserved time off.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to hit me at michael.sykes@businessoffashion.com or tap me on the socials @mikedsykes.
Until next time. Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind. We out.
What began as California’s first drone soccer team has made breakthroughs in the sport to become the gold standard of academic and competitive success in Long Beach within just three years of its founding.
The SATO Academy of Mathematics and Science Drone soccer team represented the United States during the 2025 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Drone Soccer Championships in China from Nov. 15-18, where the team placed fourth in the 40 centimeter section and fifth in 20 centimeter matches.
“It’s honestly mindblowing because I didn’t think we were gonna get that far,” said Kira Black, president of the SATO Drone Soccer Club and the team’s goalie.
SATO Drone Soccer head coach Albert Gallo founded the program after he heard about the U.S. Drone Soccer League and subsequently pitched the idea to the principal, who “absolutely loved it,” he said. Gallo then began pitching the program to kids he taught in his engineering class during the 2022 school year, and it has grown ever since.
Drone soccer consists of four defenders and one designated attacker (the drone with red stripes). The attacker’s goal is to go straight through the goal ring to score points for their team. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)
Drone soccer is a five-on-five sport where the aim of the game is to score as many goals as you can by driving a “striker drone” completely through the opponents goal. Two members of each team are designated as the “striker” and “goalie” as the match is broken up into three, three-minute sets. The team who scores the most goals wins each set, and whoever wins two sets wins the match.
The SATO Drone Soccer program is broken up into two senior-led official teams they send to tournaments, “Mushu” and “Dragon Fire.” The two separate groups of seniors have been on the team since its inception at SATO. The school also has a separate club for students to join recreationally.
“I told them [the professional players from Mushu and Dragon Fire] from the beginning that, ‘you guys are the pioneers of this sport,’ we’re rewriting playbooks [and] we’re writing strategies.”
– SATO drone soccer coach and team founder Albert Gallo
SATO’s drone soccer team has been dominating the U.S. drone soccer sphere since its inception.
Since starting the program in 2022, they’ve placed first in the U.S. Drone Soccer Championships in 2023 and 2025, and earned a second-place finish in 2024. Multiple members of the program have received recognition from the United States Drone Soccer Association.
Most recently, team Mushu won the U.S. Drone Soccer Championship on May 3, 2025 and had the opportunity to represent the U.S. National Team in China.
The SATO Drone Soccer Club talks with one another just before being dismissed at their 7 p.m. practice on Dec. 9, 2025. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)
“I’m extremely proud of our students and our pilots, I couldn’t have done it [without] my wife helping me, the principal of the school helping, the district helping us finance the equipment. Seeing all that growth is very satisfying,” Gallo said.
Drone Soccer originated in South Korea in 2016 from the research team in CAMTIC Institute of Technology, but the first tournament in the U.S. started in April 2021 in Colorado, with the United States Drone Soccer Association formally launching near the end of 2021.
SATO’s Drone Soccer program has helped students apply the skills they learn in STEM classes as well as build their communication and teamwork skills.
“I’ve made a bunch of new friends just by being in the club, I’ve been more social, I’ve been a better communicator,” Black said.
As their success has catapulted them into a Long Beach sports powerhouse, the team’s goals have shifted from just having fun to placing first in every single tournament they enter.
Kira Black, senior and president of the SATO Drone Soccer Club, talks with the team on Dec. 9, 2025 as they draw up different types of formations during their last practice. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)
SATO’s program has also helped influence other schools across the United States. According to the U.S. Drone Soccer Association, U.S. Drone Soccer has reached 300+ schools and organizations, serving 5,000+ students in 38 states.
The team has also been instrumental in getting other drone soccer teams in Long Beach started, allowing the Millikan High School drone soccer team to practice at SATO and loaning them drones to use.
Albert and his wife, Andrea Gallo, are co-founders of California Drone Sports, which holds camps, coaching clinics and helps fundraise for schools with the goal of continuing to expand, promote and support drone soccer programs throughout California.
Even with all of the success as one of the pioneers of drone soccer in California, the team faces challenges on the horizon.
Twelve seniors from the official teams will soon be graduating from SATO, which means more than half the program is leaving. Gallo’s main goal is restructuring the team while maintaining their competitiveness, he said.
SATO Drone Soccer Club head coach and team founder Albert Gallo poses with the team’s awards, trophies and a signed team USA shirt on Dec. 9, 2025 in Long Beach. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)
“I’m gonna miss these kids the most because there’s 12 of them,” Gallo said. “[To] see them go on to do great things is gratifying, but it’s also the knowledge base that is leaving.”
The other challenge is finding money to get students to international tournaments. During the tournament in China, donations from the Long Beach Airport and Supervisor Janice Hahn were divided between hotel rooms and equipment, while the students’ parents paid for the flights to China.
“I heard there’s a tournament coming up in April in France and I would love to take a team, but where do we find the money? You could probably find money for hotels and food but who’s gonna pay for the flights?” Gallo said.
Gallo said they’re hoping to have an invitational on Jan. 31 and host a regional competition on March 21.
“I would love to fill the stands with more fans and more people wanting to come,” he said. “[The March 21 event] would be great just for people to come out and watch and see what drone soccer is about.”
For more information about their program and events, follow SATO’s Drone Soccer Club on Instagram.
Samuel Chacko
Photojournalist
Samuel Chacko is an award-winning photojournalist from Long Beach, California. Samuel currently works as a freelance journalist for multiple publications and he is a class of 2025 Cal State Long Beach graduate. Samuel loves watching sports (the Ravens and the Yankees) and taking photos. Check out more of Samuel’s work here: https://samuelchacko.com/
“His sudden passing will be felt deeply by all who knew him.” That’s what the East Alton Police Department posted on social media, Friday, following the death of Officer Jack Stalcup on Christmas Day.
The 69-year-old Stalcup had served in various capacities with EAPD since his retirement as a South Roxana police officer. He served 32 years there.
East Alton Police say Stalcup also worked with parks and recreation to coordinate youth sports and volunteered with village events.
Visitation is from four until seven Tuesday afternoon at Mark’s Mortuary in Wood River. The funeral service will be on Wednesday at eleven.
A friend sent me a photo of Mt. Holly in Michigan. Funny thing is, that’s where I first learned how to ski with my brother and my parents. I wore two pair of heavy socks and a pair of red rubber boots. My feet froze and I don’t remember having fun. Just being cold.
Mt. Holly opened in 1956, I was 8 years old and my brother was 10. My parents were in their early 40s. I’ve always thought that they were brave to begin a sport like skiing in their 40s.
But in Michigan, you either huddle by a fire or get out and enjoy the snow. My family enjoyed the snow.
I remember wearing an old pair of my mom’s ice skates. They weren’t figure skates just plain white skates. I always thought that if I had had figure skates I could have been a contender. But no, I ended up skating on my ankles with absolutely no support. I was the worst skater in the neighborhood.
Skiing was about the same. My brother got a pair of Head skis, great ones available at the time, and I skied on a pair of wooden skis until I was 16. It was after my brother died that I inherited his skis. At 6 feet 3 inches, his skis weren’t for me at 5 feet 7 inches. They completely ruined my skiing. But that’s what I got.
It’s my belief that if your children are going to participate in a sport, they should have the tools/equipment to do so, even though it’s not always easy as equipment is expensive.
Maybe my parents knew I was clumsy. But then they must have known that I persevered for decades in skiing, even after a ski accident that caused a spinal injury. Not in skating though as I never skated on a pair of descent skates.
Renting equipment helps while learning to ski.
My friend Mabel said, “Being one of the parents in the stands for wrestling competitions was like watching paint dry because it would take forever with only two wrestlers wrestling at a time. It was boring and I’d take a book. If my son didn’t make it to the next level, I’d have to stay, for it was a team sport, even for the parents as it wasn’t good sportsmanship to dip out. Rah, rah, rah.”
One friend told me they were dirt poor when she was a kid, and she tried soccer but wasn’t good at it. But she found her love for horses through her dad, a horse trader, so she rode horses and still does.
MoneyFit had great tips on how to budget for youth sports.
Rather than buying all the equipment at one time, get the most important gear, i.e. helmets and cleats for football and skates and helmets for hockey.
Many sports stores have used gear. As with clothing, kids outgrow equipment so it’s a good idea to check with sport stores in your area for items. Also, teams have gear-swaps. If your child is moving up an age bracket, there are others also moving up and leaving their equipment for a child behind them.
Comments on Reddit say that Rec Leagues are much more affordable than competitive sports travel/clubs. Rec Leagues also provide great coaching and skill building for players.
Several comments said the players’ parents should look at helping the team with coaching and other volunteering, plus consider working at events to raise funds for the team to offset the cost of their child/children’s sports.
I have three great grandsons and I’m sure (knock wood) their parents are planning wisely as all three are playing sports.
What’s a girl to do?…guess it’s time to start a “sports fund.”
127 Sports Intensity (FBC) will host their annual boys & girls Basketball Jamborees at Fairfield High School, in January. Girls divisions are set for Saturday, January 24th, with the boys divisions on Saturday, the 31st. Mike Schmidt, at Fairfield High, is looking for girls & boys who’d like to participate & play in the Basketball Jamborees. Please contact Athletic Director Mike Schmidt, at Fairfield High School, at www.fairfieldeagles.com, & then get set to JAMBOREE! Go Eagles!!
The Wilmington High wrestling team hosted its annual Sons of Italy tournament last weekend.
Before the Sons event, Wilmington competed at the Wakefield tournament.
In Wakefield, both Mason Kwiatkowski (157 pounds) and Jonathan Panatta (heavyweight) placed sixth. Samuel Beaudoin (106) and Joshua Lopez (140) picked up some good wins also.
Last year, Wilmington finished 3-12 overall in dual meets, but return plenty of experience with captains Kwiatkowski and junior Theo Bryson leading the way.
Other top returners include senior heavyweight Jonathan Panatta, junior Adam Saied at 165 and sophomores Domenic Bonanno, Ronan O’Shea, Beaudoin, Rafael Hernandez, Joshua Lopez and Colby O’Brien.
Newcomers include sophomore Gabriel Andrade and freshman Jordan Wedge.
“We have a great group of second-year wrestlers that we are confident will make an impact on the team’s performance,” said WHS coach Kevin Riley. “Samuel Beaudoin, Joshua Lopez and Colby O’Brien all picked up some quality wins at the varsity level and we are excited to witness their continued progress. Adam Saied and our junior captain Theo Bryson are now upperclassmen. They are both looking to rebound from a previously shortened season due to injury. We are excited for their return. Our heavyweight, Jonathan Panatta is looking to build upon a great junior year picking up several quality wins including success at the Lowell Holiday Tournament. Our senior captain, Mason Kwiatkowski is focused on making his final year his best yet. He produced a lot of quality wins for the team last year and they look forward to his leadership for the 2025-2026 season. We welcome David Watson to our coaching staff.
Coach Watson brings a vast amount of wrestling experience and family pedigree to the table and we are fortunate to have him. We are also fortunate to have former standout wrestling alums Evan Walsh and Ken Adams back as assistants. Both Coach Walsh and Adams bring college level experience to the table which is invaluable.”
Gymnasts ready
The Wilmington High gymnastics team is ready for a solid season.
The Wildcats will be led by seniors Sienna Brickman, Maddie Plurad and Lexie Masters this season.
Juniors on the team include Jordan Haering and Isabelle Maiella while sophomores are Emma Callahan, Martina Andreeva and Lindsay Fontana.
Freshmen on the squad consist of Emmy Rada, Kelli Tkachuk, Isaure Pretot, Janice Ryou, Grace Call and Lily O’Connor.
Three eighth graders will compete with the Wildcats including Gia Slusher, Teagan Sullivan and Liora Dashevsky.
“We hope to have a great season,” said WHS coach Kristen Hannon. “We have our returning captains Lexie and Maddy, who are entering their senior season. Along with our other senior Sienna returning, we have our new junior captain Emma returning; as well as our other juniors Jordan, Isabelle and sophomores Martina and Lindsay. We have the potential to use a variety of our talented kids in the all-around or at least to fill in the gaps where needed on other events. We hope to keep up the success and momentum we have had from this past season, while building for the future.”
Swimmers optimistic
The Wilmington High swim team is partnering with North Reading this winter with coach Jim Boyle as the head coach.
The squad was 1-5 last season, but is looking forward to improving this year.
Senior Ella Dong and junior Cole Falk are the team captains while other returning letter winners for the Wildcats include senior Vijay Cudia, senior Declan Savage, senior Jon Mehr, senior Gabby Latson, junior Cooper O’Shea, junior Kyle Griffin, junior Angelia Vo, sophomore Stella Michaud and freshman Emily Falk.
Promising newcomers are freshmen Alita Nguansiri, Ruby Davidson and Molly Bagtaz along with eighth grader Vasili Listapod.
“Our goal is to continue growing the team while becoming increasingly competitive within the Cape Ann League,” Boyle said. “We have several swimmers with the potential to qualify for Sectionals and States, led by junior Cole Falk, who aims to build on his top-five finishes in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly at last year’s state championships.
Girls hockey drops opener
The Wilmington Girls Hockey is starting in a new co-op opportunity with Wakefield this season.
The team will be led by senior captain, Vivien Savoie, who was the squad’s leading goal scorer last season.
Also returning are goalie, Emma Allard, forwards Dani Chillemi and Olivia Raposa and on defense, Emma Ebert.
Freshmen Kelsie Morrow and Riley Lopes are exciting new additions as well as sophomore Rita Bishop, who is coming off of being out with an injury last year.
Woburn beat Wakefield/Wilmington last Saturday evening, at Stoneham Arena, 3-0.
Allard had 29 saves on the day.
“Yes, she (Allard) was tough to beat, last year (with Stoneham/Wilmington), and we put a lot of shots on her,” said Woburn coach Steve Kennedy. “I would have liked to have seen more offensive production, but they (Warrior Cats) were a good team.”
Wilmington/Wakefield’s best chance came from Savoie as she had a last-second breakaway in the middle stanza.
Orange’s leading scorer Friday night Ivan Kim in the tournament opener. (PHOTOS: Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone).
Orange’s boys basketball team got off to a slow start and couldn’t recover, falling to Incline High of Nevada 52-32 in an opening round game of the 60th annual Orange Holiday Basketball Classic Friday at Orange.
Incline forward Halen Hanson led all scorers with 17 points to help the team snap a five-game losing streak and improved its record to 4-6 while Orange (5-9) lost its third consecutive game.
To see additional photos, click on the first photo:
Incline players left to right with Coach Tim Kelly, Halen Hansen, Jonah Miller, Lucas MacDonald and Andrew Bodel after the win Friday.
Orange Coach Jake Rhodes (fourth from left) talks to his team during a timeout.
Irvine players warm up before Friday’s game.
“We lack basketball awareness and making adjustments,” said Panthers Coach Jake Rhodes, who was missing four players due to sickness and unavailability. “We’re not shooting well. I think we’re shooting something like 18 percent from the 3-point line. We can’t continue to try and shoot over taller opponents in the paint. We must push through this and be focused on the fact that the team comes first.”
The Panthers fell behind 14-7 in the opening quarter but held Incline scoreless over the final 3:40 of the quarter and added baskets by Sebastian Nunez and Fernando Reyes to cut the lead to 14-11 after eight minutes of play.
Both teams didn’t shoot well in the second quarter. The Panthers were held to two baskets by Anthony Randle and Ivan Kim in the quarter but still only trailed 23-15 at halftime.
Orange’s shooting woes continued in the third quarter as the Panthers didn’t sink a bucket until Alex Villa nailed a 3-pointer with 1:12 left in the quarter, but Orange trailed 36-21 after three quarters and the Highlanders cruised to a victory.
“Shooting has been our big problem,” said Panthers assistant coach Rob Nasman. “Our defense is improving but as a team we’re still having too many lapses and we’re giving up too many second chance points.”
Orange forced 13 turnovers in the game but was never able to draw any closer than 10 points of the lead in the second half.
“We didn’t have the energy today; we need to come out with more energy,” said Ivan Kim , who led Orange with 13 points. “We know we’re better than this and we know what we are capable of, but we have to prove it.”
The Highlanders were consistently able to drive into the lane for layups and limited Orange to one shot on the offensive end. Incline also outrebounded the Panthers and moved the ball efficiently.
“Tonight was the best job we did all season getting Lucas MacDonald the ball in the key,” said Incline’s coach Tim Kelly. “We need to get him the ball more in the paint for him to be effective. We are still trying to find our identity as a team.”
“We did good getting back on defense, moving the ball, rebounding and getting key baskets,” said Hanson, who scored 10 points for the Highlanders.
In other tournament games, Fullerton defeated Boulder City, Nev. 54-42 and Shadow Ridge topped Irvine 50-49.
Notes:
—Orange will play Shadow Ridge of Nevada on Saturday at 6 p.m. while Incline faces Irvine at 7:30.
–—The Orange Holiday Basketball Classic is the longest running Christmas basketball Tournament in Orange County. The event started Friday, including boys’ and girls’ divisions with the girls championship game scheduled Tuesday at 6 p.m. The boys’ final will follow at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.
—In the boys division, Pool A consists of Incline, Nevada; Irvine, Orange and Shadow Ridge of Nevada, Nev. Pool B will include Boulder City, Nevada, Cerritos, Fullerton, and Long Beach Wilson.
—In the girls division, Pool A includes Apple Valley, Laguna Hills, Montclair, and Valley Christian. Pool B includes Cabrillo, Fullerton, Irvine, Orange.
—Incline’s coach Tim Kelly is the son-in-law of former Servite football coach Larry Toner. Kelly said his son, John Paul Kelly, is currently an eighth grader and is a skillful basketball player who plans to relocate to Southern California next season and attend Servite or Mater Dei and play basketball.
—Incline High School is in Nevada on the north shore of Lake Tahoe.
