The Tour headed to the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, Massachusetts on Friday, April 13th. In a city known for honoring men and women who have achieved greatness within the sport of basketball, this city turned its attention to its own local high school team, Springfield Central.
The 6th Annual MaxPreps Boys Basketball Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard honored the Springfield Central High School Golden Eagles at a school pep rally. The boy's basketball team not only won their state championship but also finished No. 74 in the national MaxPreps Freeman rankings poll. The team, led by Head Coach Mike Labrie, earned the Massachusetts State Championship and a final 24-1 record.
Springfield Central was honored in the school gymnasium, which was filled with Springfield Central students, faculty, fans, and local media. In front of the enthusiastic crowd, MaxPreps representative, Adam Spencer took center stage for the trophy presentation. Adam addressed the crowd on how amazing the Golden Eagles season was with their team being only one of ten boy's teams honored in the country out of a pool of over 20,000 schools nationwide!! Adam then turned the trophy presentation over to Massachusetts Army National Guard Sergeant First Class William Pelissier. SFC Pelissier was very proud to be able to present the coveted Army National Guard national ranking trophy to a high school within his community. SFC Pelissier called Coach Labrie and his team up to receive their new hardware. In a true act of selflessness, Coach Labrie deflected the attention to his players and the dedicated supporters from the community. Coach Labrie accepted the trophy to the thunderous roar of the crowd. The presentation commenced with players and coaches being interviewed by the local media and posing for pictures with their newest accolades. A championship rafter banner was also presented to cement this team's place in Springfield Central basketball history.
Springfield Central High School was a great family of players, coaches, teachers, and fans and it was fitting to celebrate championship basketball at the home of basketball excellence. Congratulations to Coach Labrie and his team on an outstanding season, and best wishes next year!
