MOS wins over-30 championship

  • Published
  • By KEVIN BRUAW
  • 56th Force Support Squadron Fitness Center
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The winter 2009 over-30 basketball season came to a dramatic close March 17 when the 56th Maintenance Operations Squadron defeated the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron 43-40 in the championship elimination game. 

The victory did not come easy. CE, came out of the loser's bracket, beat MOS, from the winner's bracket, in a close game one. This forced a final elimination game for the title. 

"The only game of the season we lost was to CE," Montey Smith, 56th MOS coach, said.
Despite playing hard the entire 40 minutes, the championship game was déjà vu' for MOS, as CE beat them by the narrowest of points to force the elimination game. 

"We lost our focus on what we like to do and gave away the first game," Smith said. 

After dropping game one, Smith decided to change his defense from man coverage to a three-two zone coverage. Making this defensive change was a difference maker in game two he said. 

"I knew CE was tired," he said. "Our team gave what they had, refused to lose and showed a lot of heart." 

Both games were close and the teams were evenly matched the entire time, according to Ansel Bingham, 56th Force Support Squadron Fitness Center operations manager. 

"I see the development of a budding rivalry between the two squadrons," Bingham said.
DeRon Hudson was a difference maker for MOS, Smith said. 

"He supplied the boost MOS needed when the game was close and took control on the court when necessary," he said. 

With seconds winding down in the elimination game, MOS was able to step up on defense and keep CE from scoring a three-pointer to tie the game, and sealing a hard-fought over-30 basketball championship. 

In the years Smith has coached intramural sports for MOS, he has never seen players as dedicated as those on the over-30 team, he said. 

"Not only did these guys stick together during the season, they stuck together and won the trophy," Smith said. 

While MOS has not won many intramural trophies, Smith said that this win will set the tone on what a small but dedicated squadron can do in intramural sports.