The Pack Strikes Back: Valley Torah Runs Wild to Capture Tier III Crown
- Marvin Azrak
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
A Wolfpack is strongest in the wild when it moves together, fast, relentless, and always hunting. That's what Valley Torah did in the second half of the Sarachek Tier III Championship, flipping the contest with a furious attack that left Fuchs Mizrachi gasping for air. It wasn't the Tier I glory they were used to, but in a year full of adversity, the Wolfpack still found a way to leave Yeshiva University with a trophy.
The game started just how Valley Torah wanted—fast and aggressive. Meir Dan the Man wasted no time, hitting a mid-range jumper to set the tone as Valley Torah raced out to a 4-0 lead. The Wolfpack had momentum, pushing the tempo and continuing the energy from their miraculous comeback win over #20 Maimonides just a day earlier.
Yet, Fuchs Mizrachi didn't come all this way from Beachwood, Ohio to back down. They imposed their will with a suffocating defense, clogging the lanes and forcing Valley Torah into a battle in the trenches —precisely what the Mayhem ordered. With Valley Torah stuck in the mud, Fuchs took control. Gabe Katz's tenacity was on full display with a steal and drawn foul, causing “Mayhem” on the boards. Moshe Jacobs went to work, muscling in a rebound for an and-one before dazzling with a behind-the-back finish that had the crowd buzzing, as Fuchs Mizrachi walked into intermission with a 27-18 lead.
At that point, the win probability was in favor of Fuchs. They had dictated the pace, controlled the glass, and forced the Wolfpack into uncomfortable possessions. Yet, halftime was where everything changed. Valley Torah took every second of the break inside the locker room, and when they came back out, they were a revamped pack.
It started fast. A 7-0 run in mere seconds turned the momentum immediately, cutting the lead to 27-25. Dan was everywhere, drilling a fallaway three to make it a one-point game before facilitating another shot to give Valley Torah the lead at 31-29. The tilt had gone from a battle of patience to a track meet, and the California boys in the driver's seat.
The Wolfpack blew things open courtesy of the Joey 'Victory" Victor show. Three straight bombs from deep, blew the final wide open. A 22-4 third-quarter explosion turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a commanding 40-31 lead heading into the fourth.
Valley Torah's notorious full-court press started the final period, applying relentless pressure and forcing several mistakes. Dvir Assayag-Raham stayed hot, finishing scoop-and-score layups to push the lead to 46-35. While the offense was putting on a clinic, Aaron List, who was key from downtown in the Wolpack's Tier III semifinal rally against the M-Cats, helped quietly conduct it with his tenacity, making the right plays and keeping the Wolfpack in rhythm.
Fuchs Mizrachi had no answer, as Emmitt "Victory" Victor came up with a huge steal and finish, making it 48-37 with just over four minutes left. Then, a perfectly executed backdoor cut led to an Adam Bouzaglou lay-in, pushing the lead to thirteen. The Wolfpack could smell blood.
Fittingly, it was Dan at the free-throw line to seal it. The Tier III MVP, the undisputed Meir of Tier Three, capped off a heroic performance, leading Valley Torah to a 53-40 championship victory.
No, it wasn't another Tier I title like their back-to-back runs in 2022 and 2023. Yet even in what some might call a "down year," Coach Lior Schwartzberg's Wolfpack proved that their championed DNA still runs deep. They fought, adapted, and ran together as a pack—bringing another trophy back to the Valley.
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