Shooting for Gold

Local boys are bringing home the gold.

Brian Hagaman of Basking Ridge and Dane Klewsaat of Branchburg are members of the Somerset Tigers, a Somerset County Special Olympics basketball team which dribbled its way to victory this past weekend.

Both boys graduated from Ridge High School and have been playing basketball since they were in grade school.

The team won gold at the New Jersey Special Olympics state playoffs this weekend.

The Somerset Tigers won the divisionals for the central part of New Jersey last week in Lawrenceville to make it to the state playoffs. To win the state gold medal, the team won all four games in the state playoffs in Wildwood this past weekend.

Brian, who wears the number 6 jersey for the Tigers, did a victory dance to celebrate the team's win. "It was really fun," he said. "I like to play really hard."

Brian's father, Jim, attends all Brian's games and said Brian began playing basketball at camp when he was 7 years old. "I've liked it ever since," he said.

Dane Klewsaat, who plays guard on the team, started playing basketball in town recreational leagues when he was about 8 years old. Dane's father, Dean, said Dane took advantage of any chance he had to play basketball. He played on pick-up teams at the Somerset Votech gym and when there was an opening on the Ridge Special Olympics team, he joined up.

And when he's not practicing or playing with his Special Olympics team? "He just shoots baskets all the time in the driveway," Dane's father said.

Dane said he enjoys practicing with his team. "It's a team sport and I just like to play basketball," Dane said.

The Tigers are one of three Special Olympics teams in Somerset County and are in Division 2, among seven divisions in the state that are rated according to ability from 1 at the highest to 7.