By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

George Washington Carver was a great chemist, but not even he could have put together this successful of a formula on the basketball floor.

Playing together for only the second straight year, the AAU Riverside Flyers have quickly messed together as they finished seventh in the nation in their age bracket and division.

It marks the Flyers second Elite Eight berth in as many summers.

The team was comprised of eight players from various schools throughout the Tri-State including Tanner Wilson of Ironton, Charlie Large of Coal Grove, Tayshaun Fox of South Point, Ty Wilcoxon and Joel Lambiotte of Fairland, Tanner Holden of Wheelersburg, Andrew Shope of Lucasville Valley and Graeson Malashevich of Ceredo-Kenova, W.Va.

The team was coached by Joe Lambiotte of Fairland and Bryan “Cannonball” Wells of Chesapeake.

Riverside began its tournament quest by beating Georgia 71-24, Massachusetts 59-19, the Illinois Speed 43-40 and then the North Carolina Thunder 40-25 to earn a berth in the Elite Eight for the second straight year.

In the Elite Eight tournament, Riverside lost to the Illinois Raptors 58-44 and the Tennessee Lightning 49-39 before bouncing back to beat the Maryland Runnin’ Rebels state championship team 46-44.

The team expressed its appreciation to all its local sponsors as well as Coal Grove, Ironton and Wheelersburg schools for their help during the summer season.