All-star teams selected

The 2020 Wendy's High School Basketball All-Star Game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the rest of island sports events. So instead, the crew at Guam Sports Network held a special draft on Memorial Day, the annual day of each All-Star Game, to recognize the players and their contributions. The coaches for the champions for Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam and Guam Department of Education's Interscholastic Sports Association - John F. Kennedy's Ray Serafico and Father Duenas' Eddie Pelkey, joined GSPN's Jay Leon Guerrero and Robert Balajadia on a Zoom call to make the selections live. Pelkey and Serafico selected 30 players from the combined lists of All-Island and All-Star players with three wild cards. The league's respective MVPs were the first to go with Pelkey choosing FD's Matt Fegurgur and Serafico taking Okkodo's Jonmichael Lorena. The next two were easily the most explosive guards in the league with JFK's Rodson Simina joining Serafico and St. Paul's Thelo Orichiro joining Supreme's Pelkey. What followed in the draft was a buffet of shooters and explosive scorers, who have made an impact on their teams. While the game won't be played, Leon Guerrero said the draft was still much needed. "We felt that the kids deserve it! They worked hard all season and needed to be recognized," he said. The recognition was much appreciated, said several of the players interviewed, but it remains bittersweet that the game won't be played. "It's an such an honor to be a part of the All-star selection," said Simon Sanchez senior Isaiah Malig, who was chosen to play for Serafico's Elite. "But it's really disappointing that we won't be able to show the talent that we have on our island." The draft also allowed some wild card selections, a nod to players who made an impact during the season, but weren't chosen for their respective league's all-island selections. "I've been an underdog my whole life, so getting no recognition fuels me," said Guam High senior Nick Keefe, who will be attending Merrimack College in the fall. "But I have regards for coach Eddie Pelkey who has watched me grow as a player ... for him to say the kind words that he did, it means a lot. Pelkey said in the broadcast that he chose Keefe because of the impressive run he put on later in the season, leading his team to a second-place finish at the Guam Basketball Confederation National Championships. Keefe echoed Malig's comments, adding "I'm really disappointed we can't play, but definitely excited that I was mentioned with some of the best players on Guam." Southern High sophomore EJ Cruz, who was also selected as a wild card after not making it to the ISA all-island list, thanked the coaches for recognizing his style of play and the impact he made on the team. "It's obviously a good feeling," Cruz said. "Just knowing who (Pelkey) is as a coach and hearing what he said was a huge confidence booster." Unlike the seniors though, Cruz said he was looking forward to the off-season grind and producing a better season his junior year. "Next year is a big year for me. Coming off two straight losing seasons, I'm looking to turn things around next year," he said. "Nothing is a guarantee right now, but I'm excited to see what the future holds." Cruz said this summer will be a big one for him in terms of off season training. "I feel like I need to make changes to my game and really improve in order to perform at a high level," he said. "Also just adding different parts to my game & strengthening the weaknesses." Another young sophomore who has been making waves and got chosen was Simon Sanchez's John Macaldo, who said it was nice to hear his name picked up for the all-star game. "I was very happy that I improved and showed some people that I'm here to win and get better every year," he said "Last year, I was picked at 21 and now this year, I was picked sixth - that boasted my confidence for next year's season. "Sadly, there's no game but it's better to stay safe and keep working for next years all star game and season," he said. For now, like Cruz, Macaldo continues to work in the midst of the pandemic. "I'm working on my game and adding different types of style to help me and my team for next season," he said, adding he hopes to improve his leadership to help his team improve next season. To close out, both coaches thanked the athletes, the leagues and the event sponsors for their continued support during the season. "We usually have an all-star but it didn't happen this year ... these kids deserve to be on the list," Serafico said. Pelkey closed out, thanking GSPN and Wendy's for their continued support of local high school athletes. "Without your support, without you giving these athletes a platform to put their talents and skills out there," Pelkey said.
Courtesy of: postguam.com