Monday, March 10, 2014

The Rising Star: Cameron Thompson


Some people grow up at eighteen, others take a little longer; it is nothing short of the truth, though, that at some point in our lives, we all need to envision our future and make that decision to pursue it.

For most people, there is a learning process- a series of foolish mistakes, tough lessons learned, and then that eventual great feeling of triumph when one ‘makes it’.

And then there are others-those few that for some reason the game of life just seems to make so much sense to them.

Cameron Thompson is one of those unique individuals.

An eighth grader at Martin Luther School, Thompson is a prime example of the term ‘student-athlete’.

The news of an eighth grader starting on the high school varsity team is intriguing to say the least. Though, when people come down to watch him play, excelling against older competition- it is clear that he is a special young man with great basketball talent.

From a very early age, Thompson showed a connection to the sport. When he was just one day old, his mother put a basketball next to him and took a picture.

“It’s like the ball just became infused in him,” said his mother, June.

“He first started walking when he saw Michael Jordan on the television, at nine months,” she added.

Cameron watching Dr. J on TV
For as long as Cameron can remember, he has been a baller. While other kids played with toys or watched cartoons, he watched basketball.

“He’s always had a hoop in his room and when he was little he would play into the wee hours of the night, even slam dunking off the bed,” commented his mother.

His first experience on an organized team was with the YMCA at 6 years old. This is where he happened to meet Abdul Sulley, a personal trainer. He told June that he saw talent in Cameron and that he would be honored to work with him. Sulley worked one-on-one with Cameron to develop and enhance his basketball skills.

His number one coach has always been his dad. A former athlete himself, Leonard Thompson encourages his son, often giving him advice on the drive home from games.

He says though, “I can not take credit for Cameron’s talent. He was born with it, its a gift from God.”

Since his days at the YMCA, he has gone on and played for so many teams receiving numerous awards along the way. Among them are the Beacon 158 Program, Lefrak City Youth Athletics Association, Kips Bay Team, Milibank Flyers (AAU Team), Our Lady of the Angelus to name a few. He plays games all weekend, sometimes having three or four in one day.

The skills are special, the handles, the shot, the court vision; it is all there and the future is really in his hands. As a point guard, his resilience is key to his success. Toughness is going to be a big factor for him to take his game to the next level.

That is what really is admirable about Cameron. He realizes his potential and knows how hard he needs to work. Everyday after practice with Martin Luther he leaves to go to another practice. And then when he finally gets home, he does his homework.

He is an honor student, a team leader; doing everything he can to achieve his goals.

When asked about those goals, he responds without hesitation, “Division 1 National Champion, NBA, hall of fame…”

He is truly the little guy with the biggest heart every time he steps on the court. He is confident beyond his years and those who have been around him have little doubt that he will achieve whatever he sets his sights on.

The Martin Luther varsity team had not made the playoffs in two years until the arrival of Cameron. In
his first scrimmage with the team, he proved that he had the talent to play with these guys.

“I was nervous at first when I stepped on the court, but once I got the ball all the nerves went away and I was fine,” he said. 

“The things that made Cameron stand out this year really were his basketball IQ and court awareness.  For an 8th grade student, the capacities that he exhibits in both areas are off the charts,” commented Head Coach Randy Gast.

At roughly 5’4”, this fourteen-year-old is one of the hardest working student-athletes in the school.

He was second in both scoring (15.6 per game) and assists (2.1 per game) while leading the team in steals (3.0 per game).

Thompson prefers to watch high school basketball over the NBA he says. While he appreciates the flow and elaboration of slower set plays, he likes the speed of the high school game and the freestyle play better. He names top prospect Isaiah Whitehead as one of his favorite local players.

His favorite professional role model in basketball is Dr. J, one of the best to ever play the game.

“I liked him because he was real humble and more of a teacher,” commented Cameron.

His parents give credit to Sulley, his coaches, and God for Cameron’s progress on the court.

What they take pride in, though, is his character. Cameron is a respectful, smart, personable, and humble young man grounded in good faith.

“My decision was based on the need for a faith-based school, with a great curriculum and not too big. With MLS and a gem in Mr. Gast, we were very fortunate this year to have Cameron attend the school. It has proven to be a blessing,” commented June.

To be a student-athlete, it takes great discipline, maturity, and an innate sense of motivation. Cameron Thompson is an outstanding example for younger students to look up to.

By: Aaron Maldonado

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Cougar wrestling dominates in home opener


The Martin Luther Cougars’ wrestling team defeated Trinity Prep School in their home opener by the final score of 48-21 as they rallied up a total of six pins on the day.

There was no shortage of action throughout the match and that would become evident after just the first match when freshman Tyler Fayconsolo wrestled in the 160 lb. weight class. Fayconsolo was able to display his potential as he battled back numerous times, using techniques from both the floor and the neutral position. His duel would be the only one that would end in a decision. Youth may have played a part in the outcome but he fell in an 11-9 decision.

“The best thing is that he never stopped wrestling. This year he has developed a shot and has learned how to get in on the legs,” said head coach Matt Moran of Fayconsolo’s performance.

As mentioned, six Cougars ended their bouts with a pin, including David-Paul Schulze, Kyle Morrissey, Justin Tabala, Efrain Del Carpio, Alex Ortiz and the captain himself Thomas McLoughlin.

Senior captain McLoughlin (145 lb.) methodically picked apart his opponent, ending the match in a mere 1:39. Fellow senior Alex Ortiz (182 lb.) put together the quickest bout of the night, taking control early on and getting the pin just 1:09 into it.

Many of the cougars wrestled in higher weight classes than usual, which builds experience but will also put forth much more strain than usual. One cougar who had this challenge was Efrein Del Carpio who had his hands full throughout. As he neared defeat multiple times, he often used nifty techniques to escape and even reverse his fortune. With just 24 seconds left, Del Carpio was able to work his magic just once more and pick up the impressive win via pinfall.

Both teams had to forfeit some bouts due to missing wrestlers in certain weight classes. Trinity picked up 18 of their 21 total points off of forfeits in the 106 lb., 113 lb., and 195 lb. weight classes. Nick Urzia and Nate Glosson of Martin Luther picked up a forfeit in the 120 lb. and 170 lb. weight class, respectively. ML and Trinity double forfeited the 220 and 285 lb. classes.


The Cougars current record stands at 3-4 as they have a chance to push their record over .500 tomorrow as they host both Queens Complex and Maspeth High School tomorrow.

By: Frank Stampfl

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Cougars run wild


The Martin Luther boys varsity basketball team defeated St. Demetrios by a final score of 63-50 on Tuesday.

The Cougars strongest weapon was their press defense, which allowed them to use their speed in transition.

The game of runs started off early with the Cougars jumping to a 7-0 lead. St. Demetrios had no answers for the Cougars full court press. St. Demetrios turned the ball over on consecutive possessions which lead to easy fast break points for the Cougars. After pushing the lead to 19-7, the Cougars allowed an 8-0 to bring the score to 19-15 after one.

This was certainly a part of the game plan. "We gotta run, we just gotta run," said Head Coach Randal Gast. "We are not a half court team."

The Cougars struggled in the second quarter after St. Demetrios' point guard Thanasis Malis caught fire. His ball handling allowed St. Demetrius to advance the ball and his sharp shooting was too much for the Cougars to handle. A big struggle for the Cougars was also staying out of foul trouble. They had 10 fouls with 4:38 left in the half, putting them in the double bonus. The Cougars took a slim 33-32 lead into halftime.

The game of runs continued as the Cougars opened up on a 13-5 run. The Cougars also focused their defense on denying Malis the ball in the second half, which really stalled St. Demetrius' offense. The Cougars started to pull ahead at the end of the third, leading 47-40.

Senior, forward, Steven Fonseca stepped up in the fourth quarter hitting three consecutive three-pointers. He totaled 13 total points in the quarter alone and was a driving force as the Cougars pulled away. St. Demetrios refused to go away and kept fighting, but ultimately fell, 63-50.

Gast, hinted that Fonseca could find his way to the starting lineup.

Keith Miller, who had missed time due to a heart condition, returned in a big way. The big man made his presence felt instantly, grabbing rebounds and contesting shots. Both areas that the Cougars have struggled with in the past.

"He certainly helped us inside," said Gast.

Point guard, Cameron Thompson certainly looked anything but a first year player. When the team struggled he showed great poise and let the Cougars offense set and spread the ball, often finding an open Fonseca.

"We showed some great poise in the second half," said Gast.

Junior, shooting guard, Devin Berrios proved to be reliable on the offensive end and hit some key free throws down the stretch.

While Gast see's room for improvement he is certainly happy with the result. "A win is a win," he said.

By: Michael Florio

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Lady Cougars varsity basketball fights hard but falls to Columbia Prep


ML girl’s varsity basketball team fought hard against Columbia Prep but ultimately fell by the final score of 56-44.

Junior Leslly Marmolejo continued to be the most consistent force for the lady cougars in this contest and she scored a team-high 15 points in the contest. Senior Xena Andersen also did her part as she poured in 12 points for the team.

Columbia Prep made life difficult the whole game against the lady cougars as they applied full court pressure throughout. The pressure plagued Martin Luther early as they were down 8-0 to start the game. A constant theme as the game played on was the effort the fight back. After falling down 13-2 early, the lady cougars fought back with an 11-1 run to end the quarter.

After seeing what Columbia Prep was offering, Martin Luther was able to break the full court pressure a few times in the second quarter but was unable to capitalize by missing a few layups that would’ve cut the deficit even more.

“We had opportunities, we had chances. We missed a lot of layups, Mikan shots, and free throws that might have made the difference in the game. Ultimately, it’s a big improvement from where we played the other games. They played hard,” said head coach Ann Boyle.

The lady cougars played their most complete ball in the third quarter as they outscored the opponent 10-8. They played with a different level of intensity in confidence and were able to cut it down it down to a three-point deficit at one point.

“They were getting a little more confident with regard to driving to the basket, trying to hit the open person in give-and-go plays so I’m happy with that,” added Boyle on the team’s effort.


The Lady Cougars are now 0-5 on the young season but will have a few chances away next week to get back on track.

By: Frank Stampfl

Sunday, December 8, 2013

ML lady cougars varsity basketball falls in Invitational opener


Martin Luther School’s girl’s varsity basketball team opened up their tournament with a loss against St. Agnes, 51-34.

The first half started quite slow as the lady cougars trailed 12-19 at the intermission. Both teams came out stiff, lacking continuity on the offensive end.

The intensity for both teams did manage to pick up in the third quarter as the lady cougars tried to claw their way back. They poured in more points in the third quarter alone then they did in the entire first half (14 points) but the St. Agnes post offense was too much to handle.

Scoring for the lady cougars was handled entirely by three players. Junior Leslly Marmolejo led the team with 14 points of her own. Seniors Xena Andersen and Dominique Bratton added 10 points each using their outside shooting prowess.


The team fell short in this one but had the opportunity to bounce back with consolation game Sunday, December 8. Their record to this point in the season stands at 0-3 but it is still early.

By: Frank Stampfl

ML boy's varsity basketball handles St. George Academy in first leg of tourney


Martin Luther School boy’s varsity basketball team opened up their leg of the 46th annual basketball tournament by beating St. George Academy, 74-32.

The game started slowly as the first quarter concluded with the score 11-7 with the Cougars leading. This would prove to be the closest quarter throughout the entire game.

The Cougars came out fired up on both ends of the floor in the second quarter, executing the game plan head coach Randy Gast set out for. They kept up half court pressure on St. George Academy, which led to turnovers and easy buckets for Martin Luther. The team went on a 15-1 run that lasted over the first four minutes of the quarter. The opposition did not score a field goal until there was just 3:30 left in the half.

“I told them, ‘Hey we got to turn up the pressure, you got to get the steal, everybody has to be running the floor and you have to be hungry,’” said Gast.

It’s safe to say the Cougars responded well to Gast’s words, not only for the second quarter but the remainder of the game. After the first quarter, the Cougars outscored the St. George Academy 63-25 over the final three quarters.

Junior Devin Berrios led all scorers in the contest with 26 points while adding four assists and four steals. Point guard Cameron Thompson also contributed with 15 points, seven steals and four assists. The bench did their part as well with Coach Gast going 12 players deep in this game.

Coach Gast also reiterated how important executing frontcourt pressure is to his team.

“We’re in trouble against any team if we get into a half court game,” said Gast. “Playing defense 94 feet rather than 40 feet puts us in a much better position.”

The victory leaves the team’s overall record at 2-2 so far this season.


The team is plays for the Martin Luther Invitational championship Sunday, December 8.

By: Frank Stampfl