Three state teams took top honors in their age division during “a near perfect” Royal Ambassadors (RAs)/Challenger Basketball Tournament Feb. 18-19.
Highpoint Baptist Church, Eight Mile, claimed the title of state champions in the older Challengers division (senior high school students). First Baptist Church, Gadsden, took home the prize in the younger Challengers division (junior high school students), with Cottage Hill Baptist Church, Mobile, in first place among the Crusaders division of students in 4th-6th grad.
First Baptist Church, Tillman’s Corner, near Mobile, was first runner-up in the Challengers division. Winewood Baptist Church, Birmingham and First Baptist Church, Trussville, were first runners-up in the younger Challengers and Crusaders divisions, respectively.
Hillwood Baptist Church, Huntsville, took honors as consolation champions among older Challengers.
Steve Stephens, a consultant with RAs/Challengers, said 40 teams participated in the tournament. Games were held at five Gadsden churches- Bellevue, First Baptist, Twelfth Street, MeadowBrook and Dwight- in addition to Gadsden State Community College.
“This was a near perfect tournament in that all teams participated with Christian sportsmanship,” Stephens said. “The referees, fans and church members of your host gyms commented as to the fine behavior of the churches involved,” he said.
“As an expression of how clean the playing was, in the last minute of the older Challengers final, the team which was behind had to commit five straight intentional fouls … (before they)… would finally be in a shooting situation,” Stephens said, noting he was also impressed by the quality of play.
“The teams in the semi-finals and finals could possibly compete and win against school teams which are in the regional finals,” Stephens said of the RA teams.
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