Air Commando basketball team dominates back-to-back championships

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joe McFadden
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
The defending champion Hurlburt Field Commandos men's basketball team claimed another victory Feb. 27-28 at the 2010 Southeastern Military Athletic Conference tournament at the Hurlburt Field Aderholt and Commando Fitness Centers.

The double-elimination games pitted the team against six other teams in the conference, including the No. 1 ranked Keesler Dragons, whom the No. 2 ranked Commandos defeated in the Feb. 28 championship game 82-52.

"It's good that the fans get to see us play here," said Senior Airman Mario Webb, 23rd Special Tactics Squadron and team coach. "Last time we won, we weren't playing at home, but I had a feeling we would win here this year."

Hurlburt Field hosted the match after winning the 2009 tournament, and they are now scheduled to host next year's games. Both the Commandos and the Dragons will go to the national level championship games in San Antonio.

"We took the second ranking kind of personally," said Senior Airman Levante Greenwood, 801st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "So, we had to make sure we won the championship in order to go to San Antonio."

The conference named Airman 1st Class Jammar Major, 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, as the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

"I felt good about it," Airman Major said. "But I don't play for awards - I just try to play hard."

"Most of the guys here play because they love the sport," said Chief Master Sgt. Dexter Mitchell, 1st Special Operations Wing command chief and former SEMAC coach. "And that they do this on top of their normal jobs and still have time to practice and make trips on the weekend shows a lot of dedication on their part."

The tournament completed SEMAC's 40th season, a tribute to the league's support from the players, fans, personnel and base leadership, said Charles Smith, SEMAC commissioner.

"We will continue to provide an opportunity for varsity-level players to compete and move on to higher level competition," he said.


TOURNAMENT RANKINGS
1st: Hurlburt Field Commandos
2nd: Keesler Dragons
3rd: Naval Station Mayport Hurricanes
4th: Eglin Eagles
5th: Tyndall Tigers
6th: Maxwell Warriors
7th: Robins Hawks
8th: Moody Flying Tigers

SEMAC TOURNAMENT SCORES:

SATURDAY:
Game 1 Keesler- , Moody (Forfeit)
Game 2 Eglin-96, Maxwell-92
Game 3 Hurlburt-87, Robins-66
Game 4 NS Mayport-85, Tyndall-71
Game 5 Keesler-68, Eglin-60
Game 6 Hurlburt-99, NS Mayport-69
Game 7 Maxwell- , Moody-(Forfeit)
Game 8 Tyndall-79, Robins-75

SUNDAY:
Game 9 Eglin-95, Maxwell-85
Game 10 NS Mayport-81, Tyndall-74
Game 11 Hurlburt-75, Keesler-63
Game 12 NS Mayport-78, Eglin-75
Game 13 Keesler-68, NS Mayport-65
Game 14 - (Championship Game): Hurlburt Field-82, Keesler-52

High Scorer Games (Individual)
34 - Ollie Bradley, Maxwell - vs Eglin (game-9)
33 - Tysen Pina, Tyndall - vs Robins (game-8)
28 - Stanton Simmons, Eglin - vs Maxwell (game-9)
27 - Tysen Pina, Tyndall - vs NS Mayport (game-4)
26 - Levante Greenwood, - Hurlburt vs Keesler (game-14)
26 - Alvin Holmes, Keesler - vs Mayport (game-13)

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
-Wendell Thibeaux (Eglin Eagles)
-Dwight Gooding (N.S. Mayport Hurricanes)
-James Milt (N. S. Mayport Hurricanes)
-Kenny Dukes (Keesler Dragons)
-James Matthews (Keesler Dragons)
-DeAngelo Gilliam (Hurlburt Field Commandos)
-Levante Greenwood (Hurlburt Field Commandos)

2009-2010 MEN'S ALL SEMAC TEAM

MOODY FLYING TIGERS:
Terrius Smith
Elvis Shaw 
Clint Williams

ROBINS HAWKS:
Miguel Steward 
Juan Vasquez 
Khenz Jacinthe

TYNDALL TIGERS
Melvin Smith
Jared Austin 
Marcelle Mosley

EGLIN EAGLES:
Drevell Herron 
Stanton Simmons 
Andrew Mims

MAXWELL WARRIORS:
Larry Haynes 
Ollie Bradley 
Brian Cooper

NS MAYPORT HURRICANES
Dwight Gooding 
James Milt
Leo Barnwell

HURLBURT FIELD COMMANDOS:
Jason Brown 
Donnell Howard
Willie Lee 

KEESLER DRAGONS:
Danny Nwaelele 
Sherrod Brown
Alvin Holmes 

CO-MOST VALUABLE PLAYER:
Kenny Dukes (Keesler Dragons)
Jammar Major (Hurlburt Field Commandos)

CO-COACH OF THE YEAR:

Jesse Harris (Keesler Dragons)
Mario Webb (Hurlburt Field Commandos)