On Tuesday, May 15th, the 6th Annual MaxPreps Boys Basketball Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard honored J.W. Sexton High School in Lansing, Michigan. The boy's basketball team celebrated their back-to-back state championships and national ranking finish by hosting the Tour of Champions at an afternoon pep rally. The event kicked off with each of the classes making their presence known. Then each member of the boy's basketball team was introduced – similar to a home basketball game. The students all settled back down once Vincent Wortman of MaxPreps was introduced.
The backdrop to the pep rally was the recognition of Big Reds' basketball team having been ranked No. 10 nationally by the MaxPreps Freeman poll, a computer analysis. As Wortman explained the national rankings, comparing over 20,000 boy's basketball teams nationwide, the atmosphere heightened. When he then introduced Sergeant Daniel McGinnis from the Michigan Army National Guard who approached the microphone with the massive Army National Guard national ranking trophy or the "Minuteman," the crowd went wild. Sergeant McGinnis congratulated Head Coach Carlton Valentine on their championship season and then presented the large hardware to Coach Valentine.
Students filed out as several players, wearing their new Tour of Champions t-shirts, gave interviews to local television outlets on hand for the event. The pep rally celebration was a fantastic way to cap a tremendous season. Best wishes in 2013 Big Reds!
