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Schools

Harlem Wizards Take on the Attleboro All Stars

A group of Attleboro students, teachers and police officers competed against the traveling basketball entertainment team, Harlem Wizards, to raise funds for the Attleboro High School Class of 2012.

The Harlem Wizards may have defeated the Attleboro All Stars 100-71 to extend their winning streak to more than 2,800 games, but the Wizards humor and antics kept even the losing team laughing on the court.

The Wizards, who are a traveling exhibition team along the line of the Harlem Globetrotters, entertained the crowd with flashy passes, ankle-breaking crossover moves and high-flying dunks. The team entertained the crowd with  their comedic antics, which included taunting the referees and flirtations with audience members.

The idea to invite the team came from the class’s adviser, Alan Weintraub, who had actually played against the team years ago while teaching at another school. 

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Weintraub wanted this event to be something more than a simple fundraiser for the junior class.

“My vision was to have a community event," Weintraub said. "So I wanted to get all the schools involved and the community involved."

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In order to get a large event like this organized, Weintraub talked with district administrators and addressed the principals of all the different schools to get them behind the idea.

“I told them ‘We really need your help’ and they thought it was a great idea,” Weintraub said.

The Wizard’s Eric “Broadway” Jones noted the importance of having people like Weintraub around to organize events such as the one held on Thursday night for communities, especially in tough times. 

“You really take your hat off to people like that because it takes people like that to take a chance and say ‘Hey I have a vision of what I’d like to see in out community.' Then it all comes together and culmination of it is everybody smiling," Broadway said. 

“I think everybody, especially in these times, wants to be able to smile," he added. "There’s not a lot of stuff to smile about in the world we live in, so we want to create some relief for them.”

The Wizards kept the crowd smiling with on court displays of athleticism and through the players numerous interactions with the crowd. One joke even involving Superintendent Pia Durkin. Wizard Arnold “A-Train” Bernard sat with Durkin in the stands and claimed she was his mother. The 5-foot-6inch point guard remarked “I’m taller than her” and returned to the court.

Another key in keeping the laughs coming was the announcing of Jamel “The Voice” Thompson who gave exuberant play-by-play commentary and bestowed the Attleboro All Stars with mildly mocking nicknames such as “Ronald Reagan”, “Welcome Back Kotter” and “Socks.”

The team that was assembled to face the Wizards, The Attleboro All Stars, reflects the efforts to get all of the Attleboro schools involved as the players consisted of teachers and students from throughout the district.

AHS senior Nathan Robitaille played for the All Stars and said playing against the Wizards was a fun experience, though he had hoped to make the final score a little closer.

“I thought we’d have a shot since they gave us a 10 point lead at halftime and it’s our home gym. I thought maybe we’d go on a run, but they made every shot and just dunked on everyone.”

In addition to teachers and students, several members of the Aparticipated in the game as well.

Officer Richard Woodhead had a key role in one of the more memorable moments that drew some of the biggest laughs of the night when he handcuffed and mock arrested Wizards’ star Eric “Broadway” Jones after Jones fouled an officer.

Woodhead said the invitation for the department to participate, as well as idea for the handcuff gag, came from the AHS School Resource Office Robert Hale.

“I just came out to give back to the community, have good time and hopefully raise money for the class of 2012,” Woodhead said. “I’d do this in heartbeat again.”

Weintraub said he hopes to hold the event again next year and that, while this year had a good turnout with around 500 tickets sold, next year he wants to pack the gym.

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