St. Paul Regional High School hosted the Comedy in Motion fundraiser on Saturday evening, which saw the Harlem Crowns take to the court against the senior boys basketball team, while the girls team took on the school staff.
The stands were packed for the arrival of the talented and boisterous Crowns roster, one that Saints player Jeff Hatch aptly referred to as “vertically enhanced."
He noted he really enjoyed the game with the Crowns. “They allowed you to just do whatever you want and have fun playing the game with them without having to be under pressure. It was definitely a funny atmosphere . . . a little embarrassing at moments when they ask you awkward questions or dunk on you, but it was fun."
Crowns player Herb Scaife Jr. said it is always a great time when the team visits St. Paul, with the local Saints helping by participating in the gags. “Every time we come here they treat us so well," he said, adding the Crowns opted to stay in St. Paul for the weekend.
The Crowns supplied the crowd with laughs throughout the evening, with memorable moments including a ball on a string, various antics with referee Alain Mahe, and a couple of interesting dance numbers with the Saints players.
The Crowns were all over the courts and in the stands, stopping play to tell a joke, interact with the crowd or perform jaw-dropping dunks and dribbles.
“It's nice to have the Harlem Crowns come out and help us with basketball by promoting the game," said boys' head coach Jorge Silva, adding that the team took on the role of the Washington Generals, the exhibition team the Crowns regularly beat. “I was really happy that the kids had fun and the crowd was really into it."
The girls team also took on the staff of St. Paul Regional, and almost mounted a thrilling comeback against their teachers. While the girls trailed 16-4 after the first two quarters, they stormed back into the game in the third, bringing the score to 21-14 to set the stage for the fourth quarter.
“We had fun and we caught up . . . we raised our intensity," Lindy Harrison of the Saints said of the game with the staff. “It was fun, a good way to fundraise."
The girls team had the staff on their heels, but it was the teachers who sealed the victory in the final minutes, clinching a 31-26 victory.
“There was a little bit of a rivalry. There was some chat going on all week at the school, kind of beaking each other a little bit," said St. Paul Regional High School athletic director Hank Smid. “I think we all had a good time and had some fun out there."
