Four takeaways from 2023 Redding 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

Local bragging rights were up for grabs after 800 basketball players descended upon the 15 courts at the Redding Civic Auditorium to play in the 27th annual Redding 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament over the weekend.

The Redding 3-on-3 Tournament has been a summer sports staple in Shasta County since it first started in 1996. Men and women between the ages of nine years old to over 40 years old compete in 18 different age and competition brackets.

Redding 3-on-3 has acted as a launching pad to showcase some of the area's top young and upcoming athletes. These tournaments aren't just for teenagers or athletic college athletes, however. Old friends come together, rekindling their relationships by playing in the 35 and older division.

Plenty of trash talk was spewed during the summer hoops weekend that included a first-ever 3-point contest and a dunk contest that was won by Foothill 2022 graduate Keaton Miceli.

From the 35-year-old Bullfrogs to the hungry eighth graders looking to make their name known, here's a look at the top storylines from the 2023 Redding 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.

The Bullfrogs of Shasta County celebrate 25-year hoops anniversary

It was 1998 when fifth graders Kevin Wacker, Logan Miller, Pat Shannon and Andy Phillips of Redding along with Steve Horan and Tyler Dunbar of Palo Cedro decided to conjure up some positive mojo.

Wacker, Miller, Shannon, Phillips, Horan and Dunbar were just 10 years old before competing in their first Redding 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.

The good fortune came by collecting frogs at Shasta Lake — and thus, a piece of Redding sports folklore was born.

"We thought the Bullfrogs would be a cool team," Shannon said, "and it just stuck."

More:How elite, 2-sport U-Prep athlete found her college home at West Virginia State University

The Bullfrogs have been competing in the Redding 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament for 25 years since.

Playing basketball has been the glue that has kept the group of six friends — now 35 years old — together despite living in different parts of the country.

Phillips now lives in Boise, Idaho and is a financial advisor. Wacker lives in Sacramento and works for Dignity Health. Miller still lives in Redding and is a landscape contractor. Horan is an ICU nurse at Mercy Medical Center. Shannon is a financial advisor in Sacramento.

"Every year at least five of us make it back to play 3-on-3," Phillips said. "It doesn't matter where we are living in the country. We've had people come back from Germany, Idaho, Virginia and this is our family reunion."

And while their bodies may have aged over the years, the joy of playing in the Redding 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament remains strong.

"This just brings us back to our childhood," Phillips said. "We get to come back, pretend like we're kids again and we've been playing with each over for two decides. It's a fun weekend we get to enjoy."

Generations clash at the Women's Top Flight final

Local high school basketball stars JoAnna Warren of U-Prep along with Kalea Thomas, Lexi Peters and Jessica Walters of Foothill found themselves staring across at a familiar face, albeit in a different uniform.

That face was Enterprise graduate and former Seattle University star Kamira Sanders.

The quartet of Warren, Peters, Thomas and Walters were in elementary school when Sanders recorded 18.5 points per game and 5.1 assists during her senior year in 2016. Sanders was named the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.

Now Peters, Warren, Thomas and Walters were about to face off against Sanders who joined defending champion SLC of Oroville in the Redding 3-on-3 Women's Top Flight Championship.

"It was weird trash-talking to someone you grew up idolizing," Walters said.

Peters, Warren, Thomas and Walters overpowered SLC and won the Women's Top Flight Championship. Peters sank two consecutive 3-pointers while getting strong defensive support from Warren, Walters and Thomas.

Peters and Walters competed together in last year's Redding 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament and lost to SLC in the tourney championship. Adding Thomas' speed as well as Warren's scoring and size was a difference maker.

"It was just great to finally not have to play against her," a laughing Walters said.

"It was great to finally team up and we were just able to move and flow together so well," Peters added.

Warren and Oilar crowned first Redding 3-point champions

Warren got off to a strong start hitting eight 3-pointers in the first 30 seconds and hitting 12 shots.

Fall River incoming senior Cannon Oilar stayed consistent and made 12 3-pointers.

Both Warren and Oilar combined to win the first-ever Redding 3-point contest. Both Warren and Oilar received $1,000 for their respective schools donated by Lithia Chevrolet and were given a new paddle board.

Oilar and Warren faced off to see who was the better shooter. Warren won the shootout 9-8.

"The key was just to be relaxed, shoot and keep your eye on the rim," Warren said.

Scheel and Peoples highlight bright future at Enterprise

Enterprise will enter the next four years with two gifted athletes that could guide its sports programs to section titles in basketball and football.

Incoming freshman Tim Scheel at 13 years old is 6-foot-5. Scheel has soft hands and moves his feet well for being so young. His speed and athleticism will only improve as he gets mentorship from football coach Chris Combs and basketball coach Abie Ramirez. Scheel will play either offensive line or tight end during football season.

Peoples is the younger brother of 2022 graduate and All Northern Section standout Osirus Peoples. Peoples shares his brother's unrelenting motor as a football player but possesses a more fundamental shooter's touch.

The ceiling for Scheel and Peoples is high, and so are the expectations.

Ethan Hanson started working for the Redding Record Searchlight after four years with the Los Angeles Daily News as a freelancer. His coverage includes working the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana, and writing about the St. Louis Rams' move to Los Angeles with the Ventura County Star. He began his career as a play-by-play broadcaster for LA Pierce College from 2011-2017. Follow him on Twitter at @EthanAHanson_RS.