With time running out in the first half of the biggest game of his young life, St. Brendan School hoopster Brian Ortiz launched a one-handed desperation shot from the other end of the basketball court. The Hail Mary-type shot, fitting for a boys Catholic league state championship match, was perfectly on target. Just a tad long. It bounced hard off the back rim.

The tantalizingly close, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempt drew cheers from the St. Brendan fans that travelled up to Yonkers for the game. It also proved a fitting analogy: so close, yet so far away.

Brian and his fifth and sixth grade St. Brendan teammates battled valiantly against a bigger St. Joseph’s team from Kingston, but their opponent’s size, which gave St. Joe’s an enormous rebounding advantage, proved too much to overcome. St. Brendan lost 40-29. Tears were shed. Hugs were needed.

But coach Peter Soroa, whose son, Peter, Jr., tussled all afternoon with St. Joe’s army of mini giants, tried to keep the loss in perspective. “I told them they had nothing to hang their heads about,” he said afterward, sweat still on his brow. “This season was a great season.”

Indeed, this St. Brendan team rolled through the regular season, took the Bronx borough title and then kept on rolling until the championship bout with St. Joe’s.

“We played hard, it was a long season and we made an amazing run,” Soroa said.

He credited their success to the team’s “resiliency and never-say-die attitude.”
Ray Cordero, who coaches the varsity St. Brendan squad, watched the entire game standing up on the baseline at one end of the gym. He gushed about this group of 10 and 11-year-olds. “They play together — I wish they had a little more height — but they play with heart, big hearts,” he said.

Down 18-11 at halftime, St. Brendan mounted a thrilling comeback in the third quarter. Abdala Garcia, who attended every St. B’s game this season, yelled encouragement from behind the basket. “They play with a lot of pride,” he said. “It’s not over.”

At one point, St. Brendan narrowed the lead to one point, 24-23, but couldn’t quite get over the hump and St. Joe’s height advantage wore them down. Nonetheless, to the bitter end, Brian and his teammates launched themselves, like a team of Hail Marys, at St. Joe’s.

“There’s no give up in this team,” Soroa said.