The Syrian Civil War Hits Sarachek: MDY vs. Flatbush for a Spot in the Big Dance

Brooklyn. Basketball. Bragging rights. 

We've seen Magen David and Flatbush clash countless times, but never like this. Last year, they delivered an overtime classic in the Yeshiva League finals that packed the Max Stern Athletic Center, racked up 19,000 views on MacsLive, and left fans breathless. The Warriors emerged victorious, 57-49, after the bonus frame. Wednesday night, the rivalry returns to the scene for Sarachek. 

The stakes? Win: you’re in a Thursday morning Tier I qualifier against (7) North Shore. Lose: the season is over. 

Coach Matt Malc’s Falcons aren’t the same squad that made a deep Sarachek run last year, but don’t count them out. They’ve been battle-tested all season, grinding out an 8-6 record in the Yeshiva League. They took down YDE but then fell heartbreakingly to TABC in the Elite 8, blowing a 10-point lead.

They’ve been missing their star, Sam Jemal, ever since a broken leg injury earlier this season. Yet, word is, he’s pushing to make a miraculous return, showcasing the kind of fight Flatbush brings to the table. Leading the charge is Ricky Haddad—20 points a game, lockdown defender, and the heartbeat of this team. He was in the trenches last year when Flatbush nearly took home the title, and he’s got unfinished business. Around him, Alan Anzaroot and Joey Esses provide the firepower to make this a real dogfight.

The MDY program has seen its fair share of championships. Last week, their 5th, 6th, and 8th-grade teams shined trophies on their newly furnished floor. That winning mentality spreads fast, and it’s now time for the older boys to follow suit.

After winning the Yeshiva League title last year and making it to the Sarachek Finals, expectations were sky-high for Coach Ike “Spike” Dweck’s crew. However, the #3 seed— and this year’s Yeshiva League champs— DRS have been their kryptonite this season, handing them five consecutive gut-wrenching losses, including ending their Satran Tournament five-peat and a Yeshiva League semifinal heartbreaker on Joe Aaron’s buzzer-beater. Now, MDY has got one last shot at redemption.

If the Warriors are at least going to make a run to the semifinals where they could meet their nemesis, it starts with Joshua Chabbott, one of the best players in the league. The 1,000-point scorer is relentless—the first one in the gym, the last one out. 

Warriors All-Star Joshua Chabott leads MDY into a Tier I Sarachek play-in battle against their fellow Brooklynites Flatbush Falcons on Wednesday at the Max Stern Athletic Center. (Photo Credit: DreamBasketballCamp/Instagram)

Chabbott isn’t alone. Magen’s latest Valedictorian, and 4X Captain Phil Sherr, is the engine that keeps MDY running—an All-Star, 2024 Yeshiva League finals MVP, a defensive menace, and a floor general who makes everyone around him better. Together, they’ve got the talent, experience, and leadership to go the distance.

The first regular-season meeting between MDY and Flatbush came on December 4 on the latter’s turf, and for two quarters, it was anyone’s game. Both teams were running and gunning, trading buckets in a track meet.

Then, Sherr ensured the Warriors would maintain their throne. He had already set the tone with 15 first-half points, helping Magen David take a narrow 30-27 lead at the break. MDY’s suffocating defense ignited a 24-14 third-quarter blitz, opening up a comfortable cushion. The fourth was Chabbott time, as he dropped 14 of his game-high 21 points, and MDY ran away with a 78-52 victory.

The second battle in the regular season finale was a different story. The Falcons built an 8-point lead in the first half at the Warrior Dome. At the break, Flatbush led 24-23. The Warriors responded in the third quarter, clawing back to take a 3-point lead, but the visitors weren’t done. An 8-0 Falcons blitz put them back in front heading into the fourth. That’s when Chabbott took over again. The senior phenom dropped 13 points in the final frame, willing MDY to a 50-43 comeback win for Coach Dweck’s 300th career victory.

They don’t call it the Syrian Civil War for nothing. In this neighborhood, basketball isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life.

Last year, over 1,000 fans packed the gym, and hundreds more were turned away. Tickets sold out in minutes, scalpers made a fortune, and fans who couldn’t get in threw watch parties at home, syncing their TVs to the MacsLive broadcast which greeted over 19,000 screens.

Last time Magen David and Flatbush squared off in the MSAC, it was the 2024 Yeshiva League championship which drew record numbers in attendance, decibel levels, and MacsLive YouTube viewers. (Photo Credit: Jewish Image Magazine)

It won’t reach those March Madness levels. It’s a Wednesday night play-in game. There was more internal buildup to the recent eighth-grade championship tilt, and rightfully so. Still, anything close to that peak is significant for the Jewish Hoops world. 

Flatbush vs. Magen David. A spot in Sarachek on the line. Brooklyn supremacy is at stake. Get your popcorn ready. This one’s going to be legendary.

#Sarachek #Sarachek2025 #MDY #MDY2025