Mission Accomplishment for the ABA Razorsharks

I posted earlier about the Rochester Razorsharks' early success. At the time they were 12-3. Today, they concluded their season at 30-4 with a thrilling 117-114 comeback victory against the Southern California Legends to take the 2006 ABA Championship in front of over 6,300 in Rochester.

The Razorsharks are a top flight organization from top to bottom. The ownership, staff, coaches, and players are class acts. The team was truly selfless as they had a single goal in mind. The lack of egos on that team was impressive to say the least. The team was a great group on the court and in the community.

The neat thing about the team is while they have a number of impressive players from other areas -- such as former ACC Player of the Year Chris Carrawell -- they also have a number of strong local players that played division one ball. Demond Stewart and James Reeves are among the best local talent.

While some guys may make the next step -- and deservedly so -- this year was one that won't be forgotten. A championship couldn't have come to a better organization. Congratulations to the Razorsharks on making their first season a massive success!

Note: The video was taken with a digital camera -- so it isn't the best. However, it gives one a feeling for the arena's atmosphere at the end.

Greece Athena & "J-Mac" Cap a Fairytale Season

Most people across the country have heard about the inspirational story of Jason McElwain. This story caught my attention as soon as it trickled out to the local stations, as I graduated from Athena back in '99. It really is a magical story, and I'm glad it made its way around the nation.

It was Senior Night. Athena faced off against a weaker team, and consequently, the game didn't have much local media attention initially. McElwain, the team's manager for three seasons, is autistic, and the Coach Jim Johnson--a class act--let him suit up for the game. With four minutes left, he was put in the game. After missing his first two shots, he hit six three-point shots and concluded the game with 20 points.

What adds to the magic is the coaching staff, players, and fans. It's clear from the video--which was caught by a student taping the game for the team--how much they were behind him. With every shot, they all went crazy. Take a look at the full video, it's truly inspiring. It doesn't hurt that he hit a heck of a three-point shot with time expiring.

J-Mac resumed his role as manager and motivator for the playoffs. Despite all this attention, the team remained focused and won the sectional championship as an underdog thanks to a three-point shot with under twenty seconds remaining. McElwain, in tears, celebrated the team's championship--it was something he clearly wanted more than anything.

What a story. You can't help but to be thrilled for everyone involved. The players are clearly an outstanding group of guys. There was a great deal of chemistry there, and this team was certainly one of destiny.