Harlem Wizards work their basketball magic for Sandrock fundraiser | CraigDailyPress.com
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Harlem Wizards work their basketball magic for Sandrock fundraiser

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Andy Bockelman
  

Leon "Space Jam" Sewell throws down a dunk during Sandrock Elementary School's fundraiser basketball game with the Harlem Wizards on Friday, Nov. 18 at Moffat County High School.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

A crew of hoopsters banded together to cast their spell on a Craig crowd Friday night, Nov. 18.

The Harlem Wizards hit the hardwood at Moffat County High School for the annual PAC fundraiser for Sandrock Elementary School.

The Wizards are a show basketball team that has been performing in exhibition games for the past six decades, visiting hundreds of locations across the country each year.

The team of six Wizards — including Eric “Broadway” Jones, Leon “Space Jam” Sewell, Arnold “A-Train” Bernard, Karl “Mr. Bounce” Lewis Jr., Lloyd “Loonatik” Clinton, and Devon “Livewire” Curry — boasts experience from college hoops, as well as on the roster of the Harlem Globetrotters.

In past years, when the Wizards have come to Craig, Sandrock has brought in as much as $10,000 between ticket sales and merchandise. With ample opportunity for students in the crowd to get autographs before the game and at halftime, players were shooting hoops with children of all ages.

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During the game, the home team was the Dribbling Dawgs, a squad of Moffat County School District employees.

Sandrock physical education teacher Ariel Sanchez headed up the team. With plenty of sports experience while at MCHS and beyond, she joked that getting back in the game was a sudden shock.

“I got out there and I was like, ‘I don’t remember how to play,’” Sanchez said.

The night featured trick shots, flashy dunks, props and sudden team changes that included trading players between the two squads and recruiting students from the bleachers.

With a final score of 75-63, the Wizards won, but Sanchez said offering a delightful experience for the younger spectators was more important.

“I just enjoy all the community, having all the people come in and share this excitement. It’s a fun night where they can be with their friends and family and laugh together,” she said. “Seeing my students is the best part and the fun that they have with it.”

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