TOWAMENCIN – In a night full of laughter and crazy antics, the Harlem Wizards faced the North Penn Dream Team in a highly anticipated basketball game on January 25th. The Wizards of the night were Swoop, Loonatik, Downtown, Blenda, Sarge, and Skywalker, and the Dream Team was made up of North Penn teachers, staff, and alumni.
Starting off the night with a display of tricks and juggling, the Wizards impressed the crowd as they took to the court against the first round of Dream Team players. They caught North Penn off guard with weaving passes that left defending players dizzy and disoriented.
Pitted against Fred Irvin, Swoop decided the best way to deal with his shorter opponent was to put him in a headlock and move him across court. When the inevitable foul was called, Swoop was pressured to apologize to, as he put it, “the baby with five o’ clock shadow.” Irvin’s first foul shot bounced off the rim, so Swoop felt obligated to teach him the rules of a free throw. Once Irvin’s shoes were tied, his shirt was tucked in, his shorts were pulled up, and he put a little soul into it, his next shot made it in the basket.
In the middle of play during the second quarter, Swoop decided to bet Loonatik he couldn’t make the basket from about half court. If Loonatik made the basket, one lucky lady in the audience would give him a kiss; if he missed, she would receive a kiss from him. After missing the shot, he danced into the stands to plant a kiss on her cheek and entertain other kids.
In a twist in the fourth quarter, the Wizards decided to switch the game from basketball to football. The players put on costumes, dressing and acting like ballerinas, kung fu masters, sumo wrestlers, and Michael Jackson. The Dream Team looked taken aback by this turn of events, but tried their hardest to keep control of the ball when the Wizards took it down the court.
Stand-out players from the North Penn Dream Team included former college basketball player and current NPHS security guard Charles Kornegay, who looked right at home on the court, North Penn alum Dan Greiger, and Hatfield Elementary School teacher Dan Moretski. Students in the crowd cheered for players they knew, some holding up banners for them.
Even though Dr. Dietrich was able to score a 20-point lay-up due to the overwhelming enthusiasm displayed by spectators at the end of the third quarter, the Dream Team was unable to beat the Wizards’ 25 year winning streak. The game ended in the Wizards favor, 78-72.
The Wizards entertained the kids and adults throughout the entire game, from comical dancing to hilarious game-changers. Bringing together staff and families from across the district, the basketball game was a slam dunk for all who attended.
