The 13th Annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard passed through Alabama on Wednesday, May 16 to honor
Hazel Green (Ala.) High School and its girls basketball team for winning a state championship and earning a high national ranking.
Having upended Ramsay 56-54 in overtime in the
AHSAA Class 6A state championship contest, the 35-2 Trojans claimed Hazel Green's first girls state basketball championship and earned the No. 34 ranking in
MaxPreps' National Rankings!
MaxPreps and the Alabama Army National Guard joined forces in honoring Hazel Green girls basketball at a senior awards assembly held in the school's gymnasium. But, before handing the microphone over to the Tour of Champions, Hazel Green principal Darrell Long kicked off a celebration to honor the school's largest senior class since its founding in 1928.
Sitting in front, as their families and friends looked on from the bleachers, Hazel Green seniors were presented with deserving awards from a representative of each branch of the military. The emphasis on the military was a fitting prelude to the presentation of the Army National Guard national ranking trophy to head coach Tim Miller and the Trojans. Long opened the TOC portion of the celebration by welcoming MaxPreps representative Jon Van Riper, who talked about MaxPreps, the history of the Tour of Champions and the prestige of the Army National Guard national ranking trophy.
Van Riper concluded his portion of the program by congratulating the Trojans and introducing Master Sergeant Robert Cornett of the Alabama Army National Guard. Before presenting the Army National Guard national ranking trophy to Miller and the champions, MSG Cornett praised the Trojans for their courage, hard work and character, traits the Army National Guard promotes and holds dear. "That's why we're here today," MSG Cornett said, "to celebrate your accomplishments."
Prior to the ceremony and trophy presentation, MaxPreps caught up with Miller and senior captains Caitlin Hose, Brooke Hampel and Imari Martin. Hose said the team had to work really hard. "He (Miller) saw potential in us and we came up with the motto to finish," she said.
"We had to stay focused," Hampel said of the championship game. "We couldn't let them (Ramsay) get under our skin." Martin had to knock down two clutch free throws late in overtime to secure the title. In the moment, she was thinking, "We got it." She was focusing and ready to knock it down. All three girls plan on playing college basketball after leaving behind a great legacy for the returning Trojan players. We look forward to seeing what Hazel Green can accomplish next year. Congratulations to Coach Miller and the Trojans on their 2017-18 championship season!
Click
here to view the Hazel Green TOC photo gallery and for more information about the Basketball TOC, please visit the
MaxPreps Tour of Champions site.
Photo By Precision Sports Entertainment
