The AMBL of the Wood River Valley: Or just... WRAMBL

As many of you may know I play basketball every Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 6:00AM at the lovely LDS Church Building located in Hailey, Idaho. I meet with a group of guys that love the game of basketball. We call ourselves the A.M. Hoops League and I am the League Commissioner.

Our total league roster is approaching close to 20 participants with 9-12 members showing up any given Tuesday and Thursday. This league has been around since late October of 2009 (so we go way back).

The goal of the league or "League Mission Statement" (if we had one...) would read something like this:

"Get your flabby self off of the couch and get in here and play some ball"

By-Laws include:

• No Fighting
• Limited Bickering
• Call your own fouls
• No "stink-eye"
• Show up regularly (a few members might be in jeopardy)
• Work hard
• Learn the game
• Have Fun!

We start our games every morning with a prayer, which we've discovered through experience is mainly so I'll be a good sport (yes, Heavenly Father definitely knows my name).

It's a great group of guys to be around so let me introduce to a few of the guys that were playing just this morning:

Dave "Soft-Touch" Gardner

Travis (Stockton) Smart

Nathan (Nash) Kirk

John "Yippee, I just scored another basket over Brent Hope" Maulden

Luuuuucas "Those aren't Boos" Snell

Jason "The Assassin" Smith

Jared "Doctor" Hill

Clive "Hopie Bryant" Hope III

Allen Iverson and Freddy "The Terminator" Monjaras

Dave "N.C. Blows" Gardner (Again)

Bradley "oooohh I hope we win" Thompson

And Finally, Brent "Henry Finkel" Hope

League Commissioner/Player

There are several more players that I do not have pictures for yet. These guys are awesome also. Their names are:

• Joltin' Jeff Shiver (Last Week's MVP)
• Michael "Slash" Griffiths
• Andrew "chase the laser" Shears (This guy is really fast)
• Ross "Spin-Move" Sutton (One word: Amazing)
• Vin "Beef-Cake" Doan
• Shon "Enforcer" Stevens
• Nathan "Slick" Bingham
• Don "Hooks" Toussaint
• Brian "Lefty" Bothwell

and finally our Director of League Affairs

• Robert "Tom Jones" Farnsworth

He got game!

"Play your hardest and give it all you've got and till the end of the game... in my book you'll be winners!"
(Coach Norman Dale, Hoosiers. 1986)



Click to see Brent hit the free throw to finish a three point play.

Last night was Wood River High School's first Varsity basketball game of the season. The game was at Hillcrest High School in Idaho Falls. Wearing number 15 and making his Wood River Varsity debut was Brent Hope III.

Wood River lost but Brent played very well hitting 2 three pointers and shot 3 for 3 from the free throw line. He finished with 11 points.

From a historical perspective, my first varsity start was in Idaho Falls against the Bonneville Bees. Brent is the 3rd generation of Hope's playing varsity basketball in Idaho. Clive Brent Hope Sr (Sugar-Salem), Clive Brent Hope jr (South Fremont), and finally Clive Brent Hope III (Wood River).

With us at the game last night was my good brother Jeremy and my dear high school friend Ken Moeller. Kenny is a highly successful teacher in Idaho Falls and everyone knew him at the game.

National Anthem

During a time out.

Brent down low playing textbook help defense.

Brent with local legend and former teacher of the year Ken Moeller.