Last month, Malibu High basketball player Elisha Cofield took one or two steps, rose up and slammed the ball through the hoop over the head of an opponent during a Sharks basketball game at an elite hoops event in Orange County.
The sophomore and a couple of his teammates could fly toward the basket in similar fashion during a slam dunk contest this Friday in the Malibu High gym.
The jamming competition will be one of several basketball activities at Malibu High basketball’s “Sharks After Dark.” The 5 p.m. event will feature over 50 basketball players from two local, youth travel hoops teams and MHS’s girls varsity basketball team, and boys varsity and junior varsity teams raining down three-point shots, crossover dribbling and dunking.
Sharks boys basketball coach Richard Harris said he is excited for the Malibu community to be introduced to his team and the other local squads.
“It should be a lot of fun,” he said. “People will see how fun basketball is. This season overall should be fun and very entertaining.”
“Sharks After Dark” will begin with the two travel basketball teams—Malibu Elite and Elite 22—squaring off, then the boys junior varsity team will play an intersquad scrimmage.
The girls basketball will play an inter-team scrimmage next, but with a twist: The gym’s lights will be turned off, and the two rims and the basketball players will be adorned with glow sticks. The girls will also play with a glow-in-the-dark basketball.
Harris said the contest will be the highlight of the entire evening.
“That is the coolest thing,” he said. “I have never seen anything like what the girls are going to do. It’s going to be fun to see.”
Girls basketball player Amelia “Pip” Goudzwaard said she and her teammates are excited to score points in a highlighted hoop.
“I hope people come out and support,” she said.
After the illuminated scrimmage, the boys varsity team will have scrimmage amongst itself as well; upperclassmen versus lowerclassmen. Harris said the Sharks have been jawing back-and-forth in practice in anticipation of the match.
“I’m actually looking forward to the outcome of that game,” he said.
Sandwiched between varsity teams’ scrimmages will be the dunk contest featuring boys players David Hudson, Elisha and his younger brother, Corey Cofield II, and a three-point competition featuring boys players Jake Hughes, Canaan Wilson, Matthew Miller, Dylan Hicks and Tanner Sausser. In the three-point shootout, participants will get three shots from five spots from three-point range.
The basketball event will also have a three-point contest for fans and a food truck on site.
Harris likened “Sharks After Dark” to the Midnight Madness events that college basketball teams across the country have at the beginning of each basketball season to celebrate hoops.
“This will bring some excitement to the teams and show them some appreciation for the work they have put in and give them a chance to show their skill sets,” he said. “It will be a good show for the community.”
