River Rouge Middle School Climbs Over Summit To Reach Championship

Riding on the euphoria of a perfect season. Coach Bralin Toney and the middle school boys basketball team came prepared to win a championship trophy. The middle school Panthers kicked off a night of basketball by facing Summit Academy in their championship game. Summit has two teams. Toney's Panther's faced one in the semi-finals, and the other in the finals.

Don't let the Panther's record fool you. This was not an easy game. Summit coaches and players have watched and prepared for River Rouge's style of play. The Dragons put the Panthers in boiling water in the first half. It was hard for them to find rhythm, or stop their opponent's momentum. The first half of play ended at 11-18 in favor of Summit.

"We expected the first half to go that way! They knew what we were bringing!" Says Coach Bralin Toney "We knew it was going to be a battle! They have some big 8th graders that's ready to battle, just like we do! But we knew if our guys came out with energy and played like we have all season, the game was ours."

The Panthers returned from the half prepared to play. They quickly went on a six point run to tie the game up. Summit didn't take that lightly, and the dog fight began. Even with the Panthers catching up, the Dragons still seemed to control the pace. But any time it seemed Summit was on top, River Rouge was able to snatch victory with physical play, cooperation, and clutch free throw shooting. This second half rally allowed the Panthers to close the game out at 31-32. Sealing the championship in the process.

Congratulations to the players, and thank you parents, coaches and spectators for supporting a historic season and an exciting win.