IN MEMORY OF ELLIOT TORKIEH A”H
Marvin A. Azrak
ASSISTANT COACH MORRIS ZARIF WALKED INTO THE MAGEN DAVID FIFTH-FLOOR GYMNASIUM FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME AND GLANCED AT THE ENDLESS ARRAY OF CHAMPIONSHIP BANNERS HANGING PROUDLY ABOVE HIM. NO MATTER HOW MANY WINS THE VARSITY WARRIORS BASKETBALL ASSISTANT COACH EARNS, THE TWO TITLES HE WON AS A PLAYER WILL ALWAYS STAND OUT.
On Sunday, October 23rd, MDY hosted its 20th Annual Preseason Tournament, consisting of 12 teams vying for early glory. This year’s festivities took a more meaningful role, as the school decided to rename it in memory of former student Elliot Torkieh A”H. “I miss Elliot A”H dearly,” Morris said.
At 16, Torkieh suffered a C6 spinal cord injury, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. Nevertheless, his persistent fortitude and optimistic outlook saw the undeterred champion enter a grueling physical therapy process, where he ultimately emerged walking pain-free. Sadly, Elliot passed in June 2021, but his legacy will live on forever.
With a relentless attitude on and off the court, Torkieh embodied what it means to have the heart of a Warrior. “He was a fighter, but more than that, he had an infectious smile and was always sweet at heart,” Morris continued. “He inspired us to never back down from a challenge; and carried the Warrior mentality in everything he did. We won the preseason and Yeshivah League Championships in my senior year (2018) for him.”
As Zarif turned his attention back to the main floor and the present day, another obstacle was in front of him. Today’s Warriors had to navigate their way to a fifth straight tournament title successfully, and it, of course, wasn’t going to be easy with the reigning yeshivah league champion Ramaz Rams as their opening opponent. However, with an opportunity to showcase the “Torkieh way,” he was ready.
There was a palpable buzz in the air as the 2022-23 Warriors took the court for the first time. Aside from the excitement of a new season, coach Ike “Spike” Dweck was back in the fold after a couple of years away due to health issues. “It’s great to be back and have the chance to do something I love,” he said. The longtime Warriors coach watched from afar as his apprentices Zarif and Benny Mann ran the show. “They did a tremendous job. It was great to see how far the team went last season, and I hope we can get over the hump this year.”
On paper, the 2021-22 team wasn’t laced with talent up and down the roster, yet they clawed their way to a 9-5 regular season record and a quarterfinal berth in league play. In addition to holding court by winning last year’s pandemic-truncated preseason tournament, Magen David placed fifth in the prestigious Red Sarachek Tournament at Yeshiva University and won the Satran Tournament at HAFTR. “Coaching without him last year was an adjustment, but it’s great to have him back. He has the best set of basketball eyes in the community.” Zarif said, “I’m excited for what’s to come.”
The start was promising, as the Warriors withstood a furious Ramaz rally and outslugged the Rams 73-62, led by Asher Melamed’s 22 points and 12 rebounds. The star center struggled for most of the contest but awoke in the fourth quarter, finding his footing at the free-throw line, in the paint, and on the glass.
Also chipping in was the sedulous Mark Sardar, who dropped 15 points and galvanized the crowd by showcasing his exceptional agility, athleticism, and efficiency on both sides of the ball.
Still needing a closer down the stretch despite their two all-stars playing well, sharpshooter Jesse Cohen canned a trio of big threes, finished with 12 points, and created the separation his team needed to secure the victory.
In game two, MDY routed HANC 72-26, where they held the Hurricanes to zero points in the third quarter and nabbed the third seed entering the playoffs. Two days later, the Warriors pummeled YDE 59 to 28 in the quarterfinals but fell on Thursday to the eventual champion DRS, Wildcats 47 to 44, thus ending their drive for five.
Although it was preseason, the despair of seeing DRS hoist the trophy on their home court after defeating Northshore 34 to 22 in Sunday’s final wasn’t a pleasant sight to Warriors fans. It was a stark reminder of how difficult winning a championship is, no matter how many times you’ve done it. But like Elliot, the team isn’t giving in to adversity so quickly. “These guys are workaholics and are always reaching for more,” Zarif said. “Preseason bettered us for the real thing. We can’t wait for the season to start.”
Marvin A. Azrak is a sportswriter.
