Support key in tourney

By Staff
Todd Thompson, Sports Editor
Brewer head basketball coach Sam Brown probably figured that hosting an eight-team tournament would be a good way to get in some games during the holiday break and keep from having to make a lot of travel arrangements along the way.
Now in its second year, the Big Blue Classic has paid off with some big dividends. And that probably wasn’t part of the plan.
Brewer won three games in three days, including an impressive win over rival Hartselle in the championship game Saturday night to improve to 11-5. And all three wins came against teams of various styles of play.
So Brown got his three games. The Patriots got to stay at home during the Christmas break and they even walked away with the championship from a tournament that could develop into one of the top tournaments in north Alabama.
Putting together a field for a tournament starts in April and Brown tried to put together a competitive bracket. He made all the right calls with this year’s bracket that culminated with a Brewer-Hartselle final on Saturday night.
But good games and a championship for the home team don’t necessarily equate to a great tournament. What made this tournament was the incredible amount of community support. Not just in attendance, but from people who helped make it a first class event.
And that may have been the biggest victory for Brewer basketball over the three days when 24 teams took to the courts.
So Brown and his team got their trophy and their three games. But they got a whole lot more.
Sports editor Todd Thompson can be reached at 773-6566 or by email at todd.thompson@hartselleenquirer.com