It was a lesson in Goal Setting!
It was a lesson in Perseverance!
It was a lesson in Teamwork and Comraderie and the quintessential Never Quit attitude!
It was also a lesson to keep your mouth shut when the ref says to and you are down by 5 in the final seconds of the Championship Game!
All of the stars came out for this exciting event!
Sports Page with their backs to the wall versus the Pubbers wih the Pubbers leading the Best of 3 series
1 game to zero.
Many "A" list celebs were in attendance, such as Larry T (moving deftly, looking spry and ready to get back on the court with his teammates), Bobby OT -despite the injury he sustained battling with the Pubbers in a regular season game - consistently a steady presence of support and encouragement and basketball expertise on the sidelines all season, the regular under-12 yr old crowd who were more loyal than labrador retrievers in fairy tale!! Timmy OT stepping back on the court to aid his team in a crucial time of need for his prowess, physicality, skills, and overall positive influence!!!
They came out to support and to see if the Pubbers could deliver what they promised way back in April 2010 -- a DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!
And it is safe to say the Pubbers did not disappoint!!
After a tough, hard fought and gritty 3 and 7/8 quarters of play in the 2nd of 3 possible Championship games, the Pubbers at last hoisted the Men's "D" Division Championship Banner - having done the rarest of accomplishments - winning both the regular season title and the Championship title in the same year!
As was so boldly trumpeted on this very blog close to a full year ago, the team
GUARANTEED a Championship title and they certainly delivered it to their loyal fan base last night!
There was a bit of a feeling of uncertainty from the outset as the Pubbers quickly found themselves in an 11-2 hole very early. Shots were not falling, the D was not as crisp as normal, and the Page was bringing the threes!
Nonetheless, the Pubbers, in typical Porterhouse 2010-11 fashion, righted the ship and found themselves with a close 2 poing lead at the half!
Brooksie brought the fire in the second half with a typical Brooksie display whereby none of his shots even hit the rim, and the rest of the team followed that lead - playing hard D, hitting clutch free throws, rebounding and pushing the ball, culminating in a satisfying and cathartic Championship game victory over the Sports Page.
As expected, the Page brought their not-so-secret weapon, #33 - who proceeded to hit a string of threes in the second half to keep the game very tight.
Reminscent of the last game, the Pubbers threw the kitchen sink at this guy and had guys draped on him, yet still hit the shot - keeping the Page's season and hopes alive.
Defense by the Pubbers and key baskets and free throws turned out to be the difference as the game wound down and the referees called it due to constant chatter and complaints about the officiating by the opposition!
Oh how sweet it is!!
I want to thank my Pubber brethren for a tremendous season - facing a breakdown early in the season as we dropped to 2-2 in the league, hard work and tenacity paid off in spades as we won the next critical game and ran the table straight through to last night's tremendous victory!!!!
We showed our true colors all season long and now we can reap the rewards!!!
I could not ask for better teammates of character, spirit, heart and soul -- EVERYONE played a part in this championship! EVERYONE played a role!!! It was truly a GREAT TEAM effort!!!
Special shout out to Henry who boldly steered this ship to victory every single game - both on the court briefly and off -- you and Bants were tremendous leaders all year, with gutsy and insightful calls, insights, strategies and defenses -- and we look forward to having you back on the court full time next season!!!!
And I cannot wait to get back on the court with ALL of you guys as we begin the
Quest to REPEAT!!!!!
See you all Tuesday at Porterhouse!!!
