By Maggie McNinch, Staff Writer
The Good Guys vs Cancer Showcase, an exciting tournament full of broken ankles, three-pointers and dunking, was a huge success this weekend, leaving many coaches, players and fans ecstatic for next year.
“I’ve heard from almost every team that was here, all already asking to come back,” head basketball coach Chad Williams said.
This was the second annual showcase, a continuation of the event that was started last year in memory of Guy Williams, Chad Williams’ father. Teams that attended ranged from Farmville Central to Word of God, to local teams such as Manteo, Camden, Pasquotank and more.
Since it was only the second year for this tournament, many people weren’t expecting it to turn into such an exhilarating experience with so many top level players and coaches so fast.
“This by far exceeded the expectations of the people that I partnered with, so much so that they are really excited about the opportunity we have,” Williams said.
Fans came from all over to enjoy the games, and many students from First Flight packed in as well and could attest to the thrilling atmosphere.
“There was a lot of energy in the gym and the people there made it into a really hype and super fun environment,” junior Jaden Howard said.
Sophomore Ian Crumpler, starter on First Flight’s Varsity team got to play on the same court as high profile athletes such as Michigan commit Isaiah Todd from Word of God Christain Academy in Raleigh and Duke commit Henry Coleman from Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, Va.
“It was a good experience playing against different competition and taller people,” Crumpler said. “There was 6 ’11 Isaiah Todd. He was alright,” he added with a smirk.
While this was a way to raise and donate money for a good cause, it also benefits the players.
“There’s some kids who are going to get some opportunities to play at the next level because of how they performed here, so it pays off exponentially,” Williams said.
After almost all successful events come to an end, the question that begs to be answered is what happens next. For Williams, the process is already beginning again.
“We’ll start the planning stages here in the next month or so for next year,” Williams said. “You have to look at a couple of different things: you want to keep a local feel, but you also need to go after teams that have some high profile players and are really good teams,” he continued.
Williams and others will have a good idea of the tournament revenue in the next week or two, and are looking forward to reporting back.
When events like this happen, many people remember different things. Crumpler liked playing against Kinston, but had an interesting memory stick out to him above all: “When Joe got dunked on by Isaiah Todd,” he laughed.
Howard on the other hand enjoyed the fan-boy aspect of it.
“I shook Luke Maye’s brother, Drake Maye’s hand, and I got to meet and see people in real life and I thought that was sweet,” Howard said.
Whatever it is that you choose to remember from the weekend is up to you. However, when you strip away all the noisy fans, loud buzzers, yelling coaches and battling athletes, you’re left with the fundamental reason this showcase was started.
“It’s a way for me to honor my dad and create something that can live on for him. He’s a huge inspiration for me and a big supporter of my athletic and coaching career, and it’s just a way for me to give back and let my family see that we’re not going to forget,” Williams said.
Sophomore Maggie McNinch can be reached at 22mcninchma07@daretolearn.org.
