Parkview Sports Medicine, MVP Basketball, Boys & Girls Club partner to host successful event
The excitement of the annual Parkview Sports Medicine MVP Basketball March Middle School Madness Tournament was once again brought to Fort Wayne. Every boys’ and girls’ eighth grade basketball team from each of the Fort Wayne and surrounding area middle schools were invited to participate in the single elimination tournament free of charge. Brackets were determined through a combination of seeding each of the local league champions and then completing the brackets through a blind draw, and teams advanced through the single elimination tournament. Each champion was presented with a six-foot traveling trophy.
In the girls’ tournament, Summit Middle School defeated St. Paul Lutheran, 57–37. Tournament MVP Jasney Combs scored a game high 16 points. In their Final Four semi-final victory, Combs scored 13 points as Summit defeated Shawnee Middle School by a score of 39–37. St. Paul advanced to the championship game by defeating St. Rose Catholic 49–27 in the other Final Four semi-final matchup. Chanteese Craig scored 23 points for St. Paul Lutheran.
In the boys’ title game, Tournament MVP Zane Burke banked in a runner with two seconds left to give Maple Creek Middle School the Championship. Maple Creek defeated St. Charles Catholic, both number one seeds in the tournament, 66–64. St. Charles’ Brenden Lytle had made a 28-foot three-pointer to tie the game for the first time since the opening tip-off prior to Burke’s game winner. Burke scored 26 points, and teammate Mike Eley scored 20. The game can be seen at www.summitcitysports.com.
In the Final Four semi-final games, Maple Creek defeated Towles Intermediate School 59–50. St. Charles reached the Championship Game by defeating McCulloch Middle School 46–39.
The 3-Point Shootout was won by South Unity Lutheran’s sharp shooter, Naylon Thompson. Brenden Lytle of St. Charles Catholic won the Skills Competition.
The MVP Basketball Program partners with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne to provide Fort Wayne’s most comprehensive and unique basketball program. For information about upcoming events and activities, please check out our website, www.mvpbasketballbgc.org.
