Farragut serves as main sponsor of large youth basketball tournament in New Jersey
Admiral Farragut Academy, through the generous donation of Andy Aldi ‘65, served as the main sponsor of the Baker League American Athletic Union (AAU) basketball tournament this past weekend in Toms River, New Jersey. The Farragut alumnus teamed up with Advancement Director Alison Lescarbeau as representatives of the school during a fun-filled event that featured 34 teams from around the Mid-Atlantic region.
All the participants received a t-shirt with Admiral Farragut Academy’s name emblazoned across the front and back of the shirt. In addition, the most valuable player award was coined as the Admiral Farragut Academy Tommy Ross Jr. MVP award, after the 1993 graduate of Farragut who attended the North campus and was a member of the New Jersey All State Prep First Team for both basketball and football.
L to R: Alison Lescarbeau, Andy Aldi ’65, Cliff Baker
Aldi stated,
“I am so pleased to get the Farragut name back in NJ where the school began. We spoke with four young men and two young ladies who were interested in learning more about attending Farragut and taking advantage of the college prep curriculum.”
He also stated how impressed he was with the talented young athletes.
Lescarbeau said, “Parents are always impressed by our low class sizes and our academic excellence, not to mention our college placement and matriculation. I was impressed with the way the event was organized and how respectful all the young attendees were.”
The event raised money for the Travis Manion Foundation, which assists the nation’s veterans and families of the fallen by empowering them to take the next step in their personal journeys and inspire the next generation of leaders. According to the foundation, Travis is most famous for the saying “If not me, then who?” when he made the ultimate sacrifice while on duty in Iraq, which allowed every member of his patrol to survive. Half of the proceeds from the league will go to the Travis Manion Foundation.
Ross will headline a group of alumni from the 1994 basketball team that will be inducted into Farragut’s Hall of Fame during the Pine Beach Reunion on April 29-30. The induction ceremony will take place on April 29 at 6:30 p.m. when alumni members and friends gather at an alumni dinner.
Ross, a 1993 graduate from the North campus, was a New Jersey All State Prep First Team selection for both the basketball and football teams during his senior season. He still ranks among Farragut’s leaders for career points and rebounds, scoring close to 1,500 points and grabbing a little over 1,000 rebounds.
While serving as captain for both the basketball and football teams, he guided the basketball squad to a 16-5 record and the football club to a 6-3 mark, respectively, during his senior year. As a center on the basketball team, Ross was instrumental in helping Farragut win the Prep A Championship game in 1994.
