The Acalanes freshman boys put together another resilient showing in the Ken Nelson tournament at Campolindo, responding to an opening loss with two hard-fought victories to close the weekend on a high note.
Acalanes opened play on Thursday against a talented Dougherty Valley squad…again. The Dons stayed competitive early, but Dougherty Valley used a strong 4th quarter to pull away for a 73–54 win. Tyler Cosso led the offense with 17 points and six rebounds. Eli La Rotonda added 11 points and 3 assists, Bobby Ruhl chipped in nine points and 5 rebounds, while Will Palmer scored eight with 6 rebounds. Tade O’Keeffe added four points, Nico Choulos scored three, and Drew Felder finished with two.
The Dons quickly regrouped on Friday and delivered a statement performance against Piedmont, rolling to a 66–41 victory. From the opening tip, Acalanes played with pace and confidence, building momentum throughout the game. Eli La Rotonda led all scorers with 19 points, while Tyler Cosso followed with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Francesco Cangini added 13 points, Drew Felder scored five, and
Will Palmer and Tade O’Keeffe each finished with four. Brady Mickelson, Nico Choulos, and Liam Hawk each added two points.
That momentum carried into Saturday’s finale, where Acalanes edged Marin Catholic, 39–37, in a tightly contested and chippy matchup that featured eight lead changes. The Dons showed poise down the stretch, taking the lead for good on a basket by Eli La Rotonda. Tyler Cosso led the team with 11 points and added nine rebounds, while La Rotonda finished with 10 points and anchored the defense with three blocks. Will Palmer scored eight points and five rebounds, Francesco Cangini added seven with six rebounds, and Brady Mickelson contributed two points and five rebounds, as Acalanes closed out the win.
Across the weekend, Acalanes continued to show growth on both ends of the floor, responding to adversity with energy, teamwork, and toughness. With balanced scoring, strong rebounding, and improving chemistry, the freshman Dons finished strong, building momentum heading into the next stretch of the season.
The boys will return to action after Finals with games on Friday the 19th at 4:30 p.m. in Benicia and finally returning home at Acalanes on Saturday the 20th at 1:00 p.m. versus Archie Williams.
