A basketball tournament gave the new influx of youth at San Quentin Prison something positive to do. It pitted H-Unit dorms against each other. Dorm 3 swept all teams and won the five-game championship series in three over Dorm 2.
“We started this tournament because guys just getting off the bus ain’t have nothing to do,” said Harry “ATL” Smith.
Smith credits Maurice Gipson for helping organize the event, an inmate known as Mr. Bennett for donating prizes of sodas and honey buns and corrections Capt. Baker for signing off on the tournament.
The flood of youngsters on the yard arrived as part of the Youth Offender Program, passed in 2014. It is designed to keep offenders under 22 years of age out of maximum-security prison, where there are is more violence than programs.
However, although San Quentin is the prison of opportunity, getting into most groups starts on a waiting list. These young men decided to do something else positive in the meantime.
“I’m on the waiting list for programs. They ain’t got back to me yet,” said Joshua Moseley. “This is about all of us getting together to stay out of trouble.”
“Take the negative and turn it positive in any circumstances,” said Elijah Stinson, 25.
Dorm 3 was stacked with talent. There was Smith, a former junco player and current San Quentin Warrior starter; Tevin Fournette, a former John Marshall High School player; Keon Williams, Eli Hill, Stilson, Mosely, Terrence Grate and a few others.
In the second full-court game, that was scored by ones and twos (beyond the arc); it was the first team to 35 that won. Fournette led his team in dunks and scoring with 11 points, while Williams, Smith and Hill added 7 each. They won 35-28.
In the must win game for Dorm 2, it was the Fournette and Williams show. They dropped 13 points each.
Miguel Caraballo of Dorm 2 tried to keep his team’s championship hopes alive.
“We should have had a few more wins. I’m trying to get us one today, even though our team is not all here,” said Caraballo.
Dorm 2’s Tommie Nellon was sidelined during game three with an injury.
Caraballo, who says he’s a former Freemont High School player, led all scorers with 16 points despite missing four free throws.
“We just trying to have fun and let my game be respected,” said Caraballo.
Williams credits the 35-24 finals game sweep to work ethic.
“We had to keep fighting, miss a shot, keep going, keeping hustling,” said Williams.
Fournette and Williams practice with the San Quentin Warriors and hope to make the team next year.
“If he (Fournette) makes the team, he could add toughness, defense and rebounds,” said Warriors Head Coach Daniel Wright.
Fournette and Williams both say if they make the team, Bob Myers won’t drop 43 on the Warriors again.
Smith envisions the tournament to be the start of something bigger. He would like to see a platform setup where players can display their talents so they could be recruited straight out of prison to play for Junco or Division 2 or 3 colleges.