Recently, we highlighted the AAU State Tournament run of Carlos Davis’ 2027 R4L Pioneers team, and although we alluded to the 2025 team’s success in an earlier article, we wanted to take a few minutes to be a bit more detailed.  After taking a 15-point loss to the Dayton Raptors in pool play, R4L went on a 4-0 run to claim the championship. Although there were a few standouts (i.e. Michael Maldanado, Kingston Land and David Cartwright), Coach Davis liked the entire team’s effort.  “We played great team ball; some kids really stepped up”, said Davis. What was most impressive about the championship run was the fact that the tournament was the first time this collection of players actually played together. Coach Davis is confident about his team’s future success and plans to bring the team back together again next season.  “We’re getting back together next year with a few additions,” continued Davis. Congratulations to R4L for their accomplishments!