The Acalanes freshman boys showed resilience and steady growth throughout their three-day tournament, opening with a tough loss on Thursday before responding with two strong wins over California High and Mt. Eden to close out the weekend.

Acalanes’ tournament began against a sharp Dougherty Valley team that seized early momentum with a 15-point run in the first quarter. Despite the difficult start, Tyler Cosso delivered a strong performance, posting a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Eli La Rotonda also turned in an impressive offensive showing with 11 points, giving the Dons consistent scoring throughout the night. Will Palmer (6 points) knocked down two threes as Acalanes shot 7-for-21 from deep, while Francesco Cangini (4 points), Tade O’Keeffe (4 points), Bobby Ruhl (3 points), Jacob Kubalik (3 points), and Nico Choulos (2 points) aided in the scoring. Dougherty Valley’s early surge, however, proved too much to overcome as the Dons fell 69–44.

The loss dropped Acalanes into the consolation bracket, where they immediately responded with one of their most cohesive outings of the season in a 50–37 win over California High. After falling behind 4–0, the Dons answered with a 10–2 run to take the lead and never looked back.

Tyler Cosso led the way with 14 points and seven rebounds, pacing an offense that shared the ball beautifully with 15 assists on 16 made shots. Eli La Rotonda added 11 points and 4 assists, Francesco Cangini scored 10 with 5 rebounds, and Zenai Kaplanes-Jones contributed 8 with 4 assists, while Will Palmer (5 points, 6 rebounds) and Bobby Ruhl (2 points) added key baskets. Acalanes’ strongest stretch came in the third quarter, when they outscored California 16–9 on sharp execution and controlled the boards, finishing with 27 rebounds.

Acalanes carried that momentum into Saturday, closing the tournament with a convincing 41–25 win over Mt. Eden behind another standout performance from Eli La Rotonda, who led all scorers with 12 points. Acalanes opened the game with an 11-point run and never trailed. Up 22–19 at halftime, the Dons broke things open with a dominant 13–1 run in the third quarter fueled by tight defense and crisp ball movement.

Tyler Cosso added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Zenai Kaplanes-Jones (4 points, 4 assists), Bobby Ruhl (3 points, 4 rebounds), Liam Hawk (3 points), Jacob Kubalik (3 points), Francesco Cangini (3 points, 4 rebounds), and Will Palmer (3 points) all contributed scoring, completing another balanced team effort. Defensively, Acalanes was exceptional — blocking six shots, forcing 11 steals, and holding Mt. Eden to just three points in the third quarter.

Across the three days, Acalanes displayed clear improvement, elevating their execution, physicality, and chemistry with each game. After a challenging opener, the team responded with poise and toughness, closing the weekend with two convincing wins and strong performances. Will Griffin summed it up: “This tournament kicked off a great start to our season. The team had a fun time playing together and spending time with each other. I’m excited to look back at the end of the season and see how much better we get.”

The freshman Dons will be back in action next as they compete in the Campolindo Tournament starting Thursday, December 11.