AMAZING EVENING, AMAZING PERFORMANCES. FIGHTBALL 00 NYC SHOWED US ALL WHAT IT TAKES TO DOMINATE ON THE BLACK-AND-WHITE COURT.
THE 4 FIRST ROUND GAMES WERE HARD-FOUGHT BATTLES. BROOKLYN'S MARVIN ROBERTS ADVANCED OVER PHILLY’S MIKE KEYES WITH DOGGED DETERMINATION (9-4), WHILE ‘BEAST’ MCFARLAN EDGED OUT ALLAN SHEPPARD 13-12 TO SET UP THE FIRST SEMI-FINAL. IN THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE BRACKET, MIKE TUITT FOUGHT HIS WAY OVER RON YATES (12-9) AND SAW CHRIS SMITH CATCHING FIRE AND MAKING IT PAST THE VALIANT EFFORTS OF GERALD COLDS (17-13).
THE FIRST SEMI-FINAL BETWEEN MARVIN ROBERTS AND MCFARLAN WAS A HIGH QUALITY TUSSLE OF TWO MEN GIVING IT THEIR ALL. WHEN IT ALL WAS SAID AND DONE, ‘BEAST’ HAD JUST A BIT MORE GAS IN THE TANK, AND ADVANCED TO THE FINAL GAME WITH A 24-20 WIN.
THE SECOND SEMI-FINAL SAW MIKE TUITT AND CHRIS SMITH GOING AT IT, KEEPING THINGS TIGHT. A SKIRMISH IN THE STANDS SEEMED TO GET TO SMITH AND AFFECT HIS FOCUS, AND TUITT TOOK ADVANTAGE TO RUN WITH IT AND WIN 15-11.
THEN, ALL WAS READY FOR THE FINAL. THE FANS WERE AT THE EDGE OF THEIR SEAT, AND MANY AT THE EDGE OF THE COURT. TUITT AND MCFARLAN PRODUCED A COURAGEOUS EFFORT, DIGGING DEEP TO BRING OUT SOME QUALITY SHOTS AND SKILLS. THE UNDERDOG, TUITT, NEVER SHOWED ANY DOUBT, AND BATTLED THE BIGGER MAN MCFARLAN WITH ALL HE HAD. KEEPING A TIGHT SCORELINE, IT WENT DOWN TO THE WIRE AND AT REGULATION THE TWO WERE TIED. A 2-MINUTE OVERTIME KICKED IN, AND TUITT WITH A 2-POINT SHOT FROM THE MID-LINE MANAGED TO SEAL THE 13-11 VICTORY. CUE PANDEMONIUM, WITH TUITT’S FANS AND SUPPORTERS FLOODING THE COURT TO CELEBRATE AND CONGRATULATE THE BRONX NATIVE ON A WELL-DESERVED VICTORY AND THE FACT HE’S NOW $10,000 RICHER.
WE CONGRATULATE ALL 8 WARRIORS WHO PARTICIPATED AND GAVE IT THEIR ALL. AND SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO MIKE ‘GET2IT’ TUITT ON BEING THE FIRST FIGHTBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPION. HE TRULY SHOWED US WHAT IT MEANS TO BALL HARD.