2012 Roosevelt Games Results

Posted on April 11, 2012 by jfranklin

Fort Stewart Wins The 2012 Roosevelt Games!

Fort Stewart 2012 Roosevelt Games Champions.

!!CLICK HERE FOR THE FINAL RESULTS!!

Day 4 of the Roosevelt Games

Friday, April 13 was a day of recreation after three full days of competition.  The day started with an exceptional opportunity arranged Robin Glass of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, specifically the Roosevelt’s Little White Historical Site.  The warriors were given the opportunity to swim in the treatment pools that President Roosevelt had built and which makes Warm Springs, GA, the special place that it is.

http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/warmsprings2.html

Traditionally, the treatment pools are only open to the public twice a year, Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Each of those weekends, four groups of 80 people are allowed in the pools each day for a total of around 1000 people twice a year. Reservations are required and people travel from throughout the United States for the privilege of swimming in the Warm Springs Treatment Pools.

After the swim in the treatment pools, the warriors switched their attention to boating activities on the lake at Camp Dream.

The day ended with a trip to Callaway Gardens and an outstanding performance by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

BlazeSports America would like to thank Reenae White of Roosevelt Warm Springs and all the staff of the Frank C. Ruzycki Center for Therapeutic Recreation for the use of their fantastic facilities and for all their assistance with hosting the Roosevelt Games. Thanks to Robin Glass of the Roosevelt’s Little White Historical Site, for including our group in the FDR Memorial Ceremony on Thursday and for arranging the special opportunity to swim in the Warm Springs Treatment pools.

Special thanks to Greg Schmieg of the Department of Labor, General Larry Ellis and Scott Rigsby representing the Georgia Warrior Alliance for their support of our program. Thanks also to Eagle Sports Chairs for the assistance with our equipment needs, Georgia Beverage Association for providing bottled water and Idealease for the use of a rental truck.


Day 3 started with the participants of the Roosevelt Games attending the 67th Commemorative Ceremony that paid tribute to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Roosevelt Games is a new collaborative event with BlazeSports America, Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, the Georgia State Parks and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources that will now be part of the annual events held in Warm Springs each year celebrating the life and accomplishments of FDR.

The Little White House remains as it was 67 years ago when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suffered a stroke and passed away.

With the preliminaries out of the way, Day 3 of the Roosevelt Games was reserved for Cycling and the championship games in sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball. Only Fort Benning took advantage of the Cycling competition and had four riders, three riders in cycling and one rider in the recumbent class. Alex Aponte won the Gold with a 3 mile time of 10:13.97. Orlando Guzman took the Silver with a time of 10:59.44, while Jennifer Garrett won the Bronze with a time of 12:14.13. William Dawson won the Gold in the Recumbent class with a 3 mile time of 1:02.47.

Alex Aponte wins Gold asFortBenningcaputres the Team Cycling .

William Dawson won the Gold in the Recumbent class with a 3 mile time of 1:02.47.

With two events remaining, the winner of the overall team award will come down to the winner of the Sit Volleyball and Wheelchair Basketball championship games. Fort Benningand FortStewart played in both games. Volleyball was up first. In the preliminary rounds, Fort Stewart beat Fort Benningin two straight games. The tables would be turned in the final. Fort Benning won the first game easily 25-16. Fort Stewart made it a game in game 2, but Benning held off the late surge from Stewart to win 25-20 and the Sitting Volleyball Championship.

Action during the sitting volleyball championship match.

A FortBenning player prepares for a serve.

The Wheelchair Basketball final also had Fort Stewart going head-to-head with Fort Benning. In the prelims, Fort Benning had the advantage and an easy 34-13 win. Today’s gamed turned out to be much closer. At the half, Stewart had a one point lead, 14-13, in a fast paced defensive struggle. During the final 20 minutes, Stewart kept the pressure on and pulled out a 30-25 win and the championship. Fort Stewart’s J. Myers led all scorers with 16 points.

J. Myers of Fort Stewart controls the tip and goes on the be high scorer with 16 points to lead Fort Stewart to the wheelchair basketball Championship.

The presentation of the Roosevelt Trophy is based on points scored in five events: Archery, Bowling, Cycling, Sitting Volleyball and Wheelchair Basketball. Fort Stewart edged out Fort Benning to win the 2012 Roosevelt Cup. Points scored were:

Archery

Bowling

Cycling

Volleyball

Basketball

Total points

Place
Atlanta VA

0

5

0

0

0

5

3
Fort Benning

3

0

5

5

3

16

2
Fort Gordon

0

3

0

1

1

5

3
Fort Stewart

5,5

1

0

3

5

19

1

Individual awards were also presented in Archery, Cycling, and Bowling. BlazeSports would like to thank special guests General Larry R .Ellis and Scott Rigsby for their assisting with the Awards presentations.

Special guests General Larry R .Ellis and Scott Rigsby present the Atlanta VA’s Bowling Team with the Gold Medal for Team Bowling.

Final results will be posted here in a few days.

 

Basketball, Archery and Bowling Highlight Day 2

It was a busy Day 2 at the 2012 Roosevelt Games with competition in wheelchair basketball, archery and bowling. In the preliminaries of wheelchair basketball, Fort Benning’s speed and outside shooters earned them the first spot in Thursday’s championship game with a 34 – 13 win over Fort Stewart. Fort Stewart rebounded off the loss and beat Fort Gordon in a tough defensive game 21-18. J. Myers of Fort Stewart led all scorers with 14 points. It will be Fort Stewart in a rematch against Fort Benning for the wheelchair basketball championship.

Fort Stewart regains a loose ball in a game against Fort Gordon.

 

Fort Gordon (in red) playing tough defense against a taller and more experience Fort Stewart.

Archery included some outstanding competition in the Individual and Team divisions. Fort Stewart wins bot the Recurve Team award and the Compound Team award. Fort Stewart’s Recurve Team consisted of Donna Pratt (185 points), John Brooks (224 points) and Mike Gaynor (132 points) for a total of 541 points. Fort Benning’s Recurve Team scored 392 points and included William Dawson (190 points), Jennifer Garrett-Grossarth (93 points) and Randall Jones (109 points).

The Recurve individual awards end up as:

1. John Brooks Fort Stewart 224 pts

2. William Dawson Fort Benning 190 pts

3. Donna Pratt Fort Stewart 185 pts.

4. Mike Gaynor Fort Stewart 132 pts

5. Randall Jones Fort Benning 109 pts

6. Jennifer Garrett-Grossarth Fort Benning 93 pts

Mike Gaynor placed 4th overall in the Recurve division, but helped Fort Stewart to a 1st place finish in the Team division.

Although, Fort Stewart was unopposed in the Compound division, Randall Jones won top honors with a score of 264. The results for compound division include:

1. Randall Jones Fort Benning 264 pts

2. Mike Paredes Fort Stewart 258 pts

3. Sandy Mojica Fort Stewart 241 pts

4. James Lamacche Fort Stewart 187 pts.

Special thanks to the Gainesville Archery Club and the Archery Learning Center of Snellville for thier assistance with the archery equipment for this competition.

In the Bowling competition, Team VA from the Atlanta VA surprises the WTU teams and took the Team award with a combined score of 289, The VA Team was led by Roscoe with a score of 121. Fort Gordon captured the Silver with a three player total of 238 and Fort Stewart the Bronze with a team score of 185.

 

Competition Starts Strong at Roosevelt Games

The beautiful facilities at Roosevelt Warm Springs were host to the 2012 Roosevelt Games, a multi-sport Paralympic-style competition for veteran and active duty service personnel with physical disabilities. The event will include competitions in sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, archery, bowling and cycling, as well as clinics in track and field and swimming. Each sport will have both Team and Individual awards. The Team accumulating the most point through the week will be awarded the Roosevelt Cup, a traveling award presented to the best overall Team.

Day 1 at the 2012 Roosevelt Games opened with stiff competition in sitting volleyball.  The preliminary matches would decide which two of the three teams would meet in the championship game on Thursday. Fort Benning started the tournament against Fort Gordon and had a see-saw battle and ended up winning the first two games 25-18, 25-18 to win the match. Fort Benning then faced Fort Stewart which proved to be a stronger opponent.  Fort Stewart won the match in two games, 25-20 and 25-17.

Fort Stewart advances to Championship game in sitting volleyball with wins over Fort Benning and Fort Gordon

In the final preliminary match Fort Stewart faced Fort Gordon.  Fort Stewart used the momentum from their earlier win to cruise to a comfortable two game win, 25-14 and 25-17.  With a 2-0 record in the preliminary round Fort Stewart earns on of the spots in Thursday’s championship game.  The 1-1 Fort Benning will meet Fort Stewart for the sitting volleyball price.

Fort Stewart and Fort Gordon players after their prelim match

Action also happened off the volleyball court with more than 20 veterans and warriors taking part in the first of several field event clinics. Discus was the event of the day and J. Myers of Fort Stewart led the way on the ambulatory men’s side with a throw of 24.43, followed closely by J. Williams of Fort Benning who had a throw of 23.26. L. Godfrey of Fort Stewart led the women with a throw of 16.98, while J. Swafford of the Atlanta VA had the honors in the wheelchair division with a toss of 11.32.

C. Ingrim representing Fort Stewart gets advice before his discus throw.

Day 1 also included practice sessions for Wednesday competition. Fort Stewart took advantage of the evening open gym program to get some wheelchair basketball practice in.  Fort Stewart will play Fort Benning twice, once on Wednesday and again for the championship on Thursday.

Fort Stewart takes advantage of the gym time at Roosevelt Warm Springs.

Basketball was not the only practice going on Tuesday evening. Across the hall in the beautiful six lane bowling alley, folks warmed up for Wednesday’s bowling competition, which will include both Team and Individual Division.

Darrell Fisher, Airforce veteran from South Carolina tries to find the right line before Wednesday competition.

Posted in Archery, Athletics (Track and Field), Cycling, Featured, News, Swimming, Volleyball (Sitting), Wheelchair Basketball | Tagged , , , , , , , |

BlazeSports Complete CDSS Training at Slippery Rock University

Posted on April 6, 2012 by jfranklin

BlazeSports Institute for Applied Science (BIAS) completed a
two-day Certified Disability Sport Specialist (CDSS) Training at Slippery Rock
University of Pennsylvania on Thursday that has resulted in 47 new recipients of the CDSS
credential.  Among the participants were Certified Athletic Trainers
(ATC), Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS), professors and
students in physical education (PE), Adapted Physical Activity (APA), Sports
Medicine, and Therapeutic Recreation (TR).  With the CDSS credential, these
professionals and students have the ability to build capacity, spread
awareness, develop and enhance programs, and advocate on behalf of persons with
physical disability and disability sport programs.

CDSS Training at Slippery Rock University

BlazeSports would like to thank Wendy Fagan and Dr. Robert
Arnhold of Slippery Rock University for their leadership and commitment to the
professional development of those who provide opportunities for people with
physical disability to engage in sport, recreation and physical activity.

For more information on the BlazeSports Institute for
Applied Science CDSS program, or to inquire about bringing the CDSS training to
your university or community, please visit BlazeSports on the web at: http://www.blazesports.org/resources/professional-development/
or contact Dan Humphreys, Director of BlazeTEC at dhumphreys@blazesports.org

Posted in Featured, News |

BlazeSports Hosts The 2012 Roosevelt Games

Posted on April 4, 2012 by jfranklin

-=Games Update                       Games Update                     Games Update=-

BlazeSports’ 2012 Roosevelt Games to Honor President Franklin Roosevelt

April 10 – 14, 2012 Warm Springs, Georgia

Every April 12, veterans, soldiers, historians, and citizens from all walks of life gather at the “Little White House” to reflect on the anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s passing in Warm Springs, Georgia. It was here in 1945 that one of the most beloved American presidents succumbed to a stroke while posing for a portrait in the den of his home away from home.

This year’s FDR Commemorative Ceremony is to be especially memorable, as it coincides with the 2012 Roosevelt Games hosted by BlazeSports America at the nearby at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation (RWSIR). Running from April 10th through the 14th, this first-year event is a Paralympic-style competition designed specifically for veterans and active duty service personnel with physical disabilities. Athletes will complete in archery, bowling, cycling, track and field, sitting volleyball, swimming, and wheelchair basketball.

On Thursday, April 12th, athletes will attend the 9 a.m. FDR Commemorative Ceremony on the lawn of the Little White House. The program also includes an appearance from the Army color guard and music by the U.S. Army Infantry Center Band. Afterward, visitors will be invited to tour FDR’s modest home, as well as the museum that holds the unfinished portrait, his hand-controlled roadster, and audio recordings of his famous Fireside Chats. Admission is free until noon on April 12.

Roosevelt’s Little White House is Georgia’s most-visited historic site. It was the vacation home where the four-term president sought solace from the pressures of leading the country through the Great Depression and World War II. He first visited rural Georgia during his tenure as Governor of New York to swim in the naturally warm springs that were thought to bring relief from polio. He was so charmed with the area that he a home built there, which he used as a retreat up until the time of his death. To learn more, Contact Jeff Jones jjones@blazesports.org / 404-270-2036, or visit GeorgiaStateParks.org/LittleWhiteHouse or call 706-655-5870.

The grant funding for this program is awarded by U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, through funding provided by Veterans Affairs. The grants are provided to facilitate the growth of Paralympic sport programming for disabled Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces.

 

Posted in News |

BlazeSports CDSS Training Heads East

Posted on April 3, 2012 by jfranklin

BlazeSports Institute of Applied Science (BIAS) kicks off April by bringing the Certified Disability Sport Specialist Credential to Slippery Rock University. During this two-day workshop, BlazeSports experts will offer SRU faculty and students the opportunity to take part in interactive lectures, get hands-on training with adaptive equipment, and complete the requirements to be a Certified Disability Sport Specialist. BlazeSports America is excited to offer the CDSS training to a university with such a rich tradition of providing professional preparation programs in special education, therapeutic recreation, physical education, and physical therapy for individuals with disabilities. Slippery Rock’s Center on Disability and Health offers the Adapted Physical Activity (APA) Program, a multidisciplinary program that provides training and practical experiences for students working in physical activity and wellness promotion for individuals with disabilities.

For more information on the BlazeSports Institute of Applied Science CDSS program, or to inquire about bringing the CDSS training to your university or community, please visit BlazeSports on the web at: http://www.blazesports.org/resources/professional-development/  or contact Dan Humphreys, Director of BlazeTEC at dhumphreys@blazesports.org

Posted in News |

Georgia Blazers…2012 NWBA Prep National Champions!

Posted on March 23, 2012 by jfranklin

Day 4: Georgia Blazers are the 2012 NWBA Prep National Champions!!! 

Georgia Blazers NWBA Experience in Photos

The Georgia Blazers Prep Team became the first BlazeSports team to win a National Wheelchair Basketball Association National Championship. The 4th ranked Blazers had to play 6 games in 3 days to earn the national title including three games on Friday.

The Blazers started with a 40-19 win over the 5th ranked Courage Center Rowdies (MN).  That first round win matched the Blazers against the #1 seed Grand Rapids Jr. Pacers. The Blazers lost by 7, 43-36, but played well enough to know that they could play with the higher ranked teams.  Friday started earlier with am 8:00 am win over the Oklahoma Blaze, 50-12.  The Blazers advance in the loser’s bracket to play a rematch against 5th ranked Courage Center, who had upset the #2 seed RHI Mini Pacers. The Rowdies gave the Blazers a great game, but the Blazers prevail 36-30 to meet 3rd seed Bay Cruisers (CA) in the semi-finals.  The semi-final was decided in the fourth period when the Blazers outscore the Cruiser 11-2 to move on to the Championship Game with a 44-35 win. The Blazers would face the Grand Rapids Jr. Pacers for the third time in a month.  The first two match ups ended in losses for the Blazers.

Blazers during championship game opening ceremonies. Photo credit: Cherie Boyd

Championship Day started early with the team arriving at the gym at 8:00 am. The NWBA staff had arranged a small opening ceremony by introducing the teams and having the national anthem.

The Blazers knew they had to play great defense and make their shots to have a chance against the Jr. Pacers, a team that had previously beaten the Blazers by 17 and 7. The Blazers changed their defense strategy in the second game and stuck with it for the next three games.  The plan was more of the same and it worked. The Blazers led after the first period 10-6. At that point, the defensive duo of Collin Lancaster and Cameron Elzey helped shut down the Pacers tournament leading offense.  The Blazers led at halftime, 21-9.

Blazers would control the game from the opening tip. Photo Credit: Cherie Boyd

Photo Credit: Cherie Boyd

Sam Armas scoring 2 of 14 against the #1 ranked Jr. Pacers.

The Blazers knew the Pacers were going to make a run and the third period was the time. But the Blazers matched them offensively and led 27-15 after three. The Blazers had played well in the fourth quarter and the Championship Game would be more of the same.  The Blazers closed out the game with an 8-2 run to win their first national Prep title, 35-17. Josh Joines led all scorers with 18 points and was named Player of the Game.  Sam Armas was second high scorer of the game with 14.  Collin Lancaster scored 2 points and Chance Boyd made good on a foul shot to round out the Blazers’ scoring with one point.

Collin LaFon help cuts the net after the win Photo Credit: Cherie Boyd

Tournament sponsor ABC Home Medical presents the Blazers with the National Championship trophy and a check to BlazeSports America for $1,000. Photo Credit: Cherie Boyd

The Blazers would like to thank the tournament hosts for a great three days of basketball. Thanks to the parents of our six players. A special shout out to KJ Reese and Taevan Grant, Blazers, who were unable to make the trip but were instrumental in our team’s success this season.

Thanks to our Sponsors and donors!

The 2012 National Champions, Georgia Blazers and BlazeSports America would like to
thank the following sponsors and donors for their support of our 2011-12 season:

Atlanta Commercial Tires
Eagle Sports Chairs
Absolutely Specialties
Gary Willis
Sonya Hunter
Charlotte Clark, RNC Industries
Bruce Gold
Joseph Cruz
Gregory Schick
Ben Statham
Legro Inc.
Kroger
Snellville Customers
Larry Hart
Vic Lester (Timberwolf)
Sue Buckholz
Fluidtechnik
Karen and Stephen Zeliff
Paul Breslin
Juan C. Armas
Hiram Animal Hospital
Mr. and Mrs. Juan Armas Jr.
Nancy Hardy
Anna and John Huston
William and Susan Keppel
Berkmar High School
Grayson United Methodist Church.
Donna and Thomas Fisher
Robert Lawson
Laura Herlihy
Scott and Janice Mozley
Thomas and Brandi Raines
E.W. Douglas
Jimmy Jarrard
Jim and Ruth Ishee
Jerry and Joyce Cole
Jack Hart
Ideallease of Atlanta
The Everett Family
Candice King
ABC Home Medical

Day 3: The 4th ranked Georgia Blazers had to battle through three games today to win a spot in the 2012 NWBA Prep Division National Championship Game. The Blazers started the day at 8:00 am with a 50-12 victory over the Oklahoma Blaze.

The Blazers second game was against the 5th ranked Courage Center Rowdies (MN) who upset 2nd ranked RHI Mini Pacers (IN) for a rematch with the Blazers. The Blazers won yesterday’s game 40-19. The Rowdies came to play and the Blazers had a slight lead 10-7 after the first period. With a strong 6 point first half performance from Chance Boyd the Blazers extended their lead to 24-16 at half-time.

The Rowdies were not done and came roaring back in the third to bring the game to a 2 point 26-24 difference after three periods. The Blazers scored 10 in the fourth while holding the Minnesota squad to only 6 points. Blazers win 36-30 to get one game closer to the championship round. Samuel Armas led the Blazers with 16 points, followed by Josh Joines with 8 and Chance Boyd with 6. Cameron Elzey added 4 points and Collin Lancaster closed out the Blazers’ scoring with 2 points.

The Blazers had one more game to score the trifecta and land a spot in Saturday’s Championship game. Next up, the 3rd ranked Bay Cruisers from San Francisco. The California 5 player squad had played great basketball the past two days and was not going to be an easy opponent.

Josh Joines at the foul line against Bay Cruisers

The Blazers jumped out to an early first period lead 11-6. The Cruisers battled back and the Blazers’ lead was cut to 2 points at half-time, 21-19. The third quarter was an eight minute see-saw battle with the Cruisers cutting the lead to one point, 33-32.

The Blazers decided they wanted the win more and clamped down the defense while turning up the offense for the final eight minutes. Blazers outscored the Cruisers 11-3 to win 44-35 and earn a spot in the Championship game. The Blazers were led by Samuel Armas who had a game high of 26, while Josh Joines scored 16 and Chance Boyd rounded off the Blazers scoring with 2 points.

Blazers celebrate semi-final win!

The Blazers will meet the #1 ranked Grand Rapids Jr. Pacers at 9:15 MT on Saturday for the final game of the tournament.

Day 2 at the NWBA Nationals Championships started at 7:00 with the Blazers leaving their hotel for an 8:00 a.m. game against the Oklahoma Blaze. The Blazers started the day in the loser’s bracket after losing to the #1 seed Grand Rapids Jr. Pacers. The Blazers had a clear expectation to win their way back to the Championship Game on Saturday. It would take three consecutive wins on Day 2.

The Blazers started strong and led the Oklahoma squad 24-4 at half time behind 16 points from Josh Joines and 4 points from Samuel Armas. The Blazers continued on a roll and finished with a 50-12 win. The Blazers were led by Josh Joines with a game high 26 points and Samuel Armas with 14. Chance Boyd scored 6 and Collin Lancaster rounded out the Blazers’ scoring with 4 points.

Chance Boyd playing tough defense against Oklahoma.

Collin Lancaster at the foul line where he scored 2 of his 4 points.

The Blazers’ next game was a re-match against Courage Center Rowdies who The Blazers beat in their first game 40-19. Two more wins today and the Blazers play for the National title.

Day 1: The Georgia Blazers opened the 2012 National Wheelchair Basketball Championships with a first round game against 5th ranked Courage Center Rowdies (MN). The Blazers started off strong defensively against an experienced Courage Center team and led 8-6 at the end of the first period. The Blazers exploded offensively in the second quarter behind the shooting of Josh Joines and Samuel Armas who had 14 and 8 first-half points respectively. Blazers extended their lead to 22-8 at half-time.

The Rowdies regrouped and made a run on the Blazers in the third period. The Blazers were able to keep their lead with a 30-15 margin at the end of three. The fourth quarter was more of the same, with the Blazers spreading out the scoring with all six Blazers adding to the offensive effort. Josh Joines finished with a game high 22. Samuel Armas had 8, while Chance Boyd scored 4. Collin LaFon, Cameron Elzey and Collin Lancaster each had 2 points to round out the Blazers’ 40-19 win.

The Blazers’ opening game win matched them against the number one ranked Grand Rapid Jr. Pacers (MI) in round 2. The Pacers overmatched the Blazers at the Music City tournament in February. The Blazers have played good basketball since then and were hoping for a better showing during this rematch against the Pacers. The Blazers got off to a good start, playing the Jr. Pacers even after the first period. The Pacers turned up their offense and combined with some sloppy play by the Blazers and not so good shooting (7 for 20) and an 8-8 tie quickly turned into a 25-14 Pacer lead at half-time.

The Blazers used the half-time intermission to rethink their defensive and came out in the second half on a mission to show the Pacers that they could indeed play with them. The Blazers’ strategy worked and they slowly got back in the game. The Blazers outscored the Pacers 12-10 in the third period to close the score to 35-26. The Blazer’s defense continued to the final buzzer and the Blazers outscored the Pacers 22-18 in the second half. Despite the great comeback the Pacers won 43-36. The Blazers consider it a small victory within a tough loss considering the loss by 17 during their first match-up.

The Blazers head into a potentially long Day 2. They will start with an 8:00 a.m. against the Oklahoma Blaze. If the Blazers win that game, they will face a rematch against The RHI Mini Pacers (IN) at 1:00 pm.

Preview: The Georgia Blazers Prep wheelchair basketball team travels to Colorado for the 2012 National Wheelchair Basketball Championships. The Blazers are one of nine Prep teams making the journey to Colorado Springs.  The Prep competition is being held at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs and starts Thursday, March 22. The tournament format is a double elimination bracket and the Blazer’s first game is Thursday at 11:45 against the fifth-ranked Courage Center (MN).

The Blazers are ranked fourth out of nine teams, finishing the 2012 regular season with a 12-2 record. The Blazers’ only losses were to first-ranked Grand Rapids Jr. Pacers and second-ranked RHI Mini Pacers. The tournament rankings are:

  1. Grand Rapid Jr. Pacers (MI)
  2. RHI Mini Pacers (IN)
  3. BORP Bay Cruisers (CA)
  4. Georgia Blazers
  5. Courage Center (MN)
  6. Oklahoma Blaze
  7. Nebraska Red Dawgs
  8. Denver (CO)
  9. Dallas Jr. Mavs (TX)

The young Blazers are taking on the best in the country short two players.  Second year player KJ Reese is out for the season with a broken leg. Also, second year player Taevan Grant was unable to make the trip.  If the Blazers win their opening game they face the number one ranked Grand Rapid Jr. Pacers. If they lose their opener, their opponent will be determined based on the results of Game 1 and Game 5.

Meet the 2012 Georgia Blazers Prep Team… (click for more)

Follow the tournament… (click for more)

Posted in News, Wheelchair Basketball |

Blazers start fight back to Championship Game

Posted on March 23, 2012 by jfranklin

Day 2 at the NWBA Nationals Championships started at 7:00 with the Blazers leaving their hotel for an 8:00 a.m. game against the Oklahoma Blaze. The Blazers started the day in the loser’s bracket after losing to the #1 seed Grand Rapids Jr. Pacers. The Blazers had a clear expectation to win their way back to the Championship Game on Saturday. It would take three consecutive wins on Day 2.

The Blazers started strong and led the Oklahoma squad 24-4 at half time behind 16 points from Josh Joines and 4 points from Samuel Armas. The Blazers continued on a roll and finished with a 50-12 win. The Blazers were led by Josh Joines with a game high 26 points and Samuel Armas with 14. Chance Boyd scored 6 and Collin Lancaster rounded out the Blazers’ scoring with 4 points.

Chance Boyd playing tough defense against Oklahoma.

Collin Lancaster at the foul line where he scored 2 of his 4 points.

The Blazers’ next game was a re-match against Courage Center Rowdies who The Blazers beat in their first game 40-19. Two more wins today and the Blazers play for the National title.

Posted in News, Wheelchair Basketball |

Blazers Split a Pair on Day 1

Posted on March 23, 2012 by jfranklin

The Georgia Blazers opened the 2012 National Wheelchair Basketball Championships with a first round game against 5th ranked Courage Center Rowdies (MN). The Blazers started off strong defensively against an experienced Courage Center team and led 8-6 at the end of the first period. The Blazers exploded offensively in the second quarter behind the shooting of Josh Joines and Samuel Armas who had 14 and 8 first-half points respectively. Blazers extended their lead to 22-8 at half-time.

The Rowdies regrouped and made a run on the Blazers in the third period. The Blazers were able to keep their lead with a 30-15 margin at the end of three. The fourth quarter was more of the same, with the Blazers spreading out the scoring with all six Blazers adding to the offensive effort. Josh Joines finished with a game high 22. Samuel Armas had 8, while Chance Boyd scored 4. Collin LaFon, Cameron Elzey and Collin Lancaster each had 2 points to round out the Blazers’ 40-19 win.

The Blazers’ opening game win matched them against the number one ranked Grand Rapid Jr. Pacers (MI) in round 2. The Pacers overmatched the Blazers at the Music City tournament in February. The Blazers have played good basketball since then and were hoping for a better showing during this rematch against the Pacers. The Blazers got off to a good start, playing the Jr. Pacers even after the first period. The Pacers turned up their offense and combined with some sloppy play by the Blazers and not so good shooting (7 for 20) and an 8-8 tie quickly turned into a 25-14 Pacer lead at half-time.

The Blazers used the half-time intermission to rethink their defensive and came out in the second half on a mission to show the Pacers that they could indeed play with them. The Blazers’ strategy worked and they slowly got back in the game. The Blazers outscored the Pacers 12-10 in the third period to close the score to 35-26. The Blazer’s defense continued to the final buzzer and the Blazers outscored the Pacers 22-18 in the second half. Despite the great comeback the Pacers won 43-36. The Blazers consider it a small victory within a tough loss considering the loss by 17 during their first match-up.

The Blazers head into a potentially long Day 2. They will start with an 8:00 a.m. against the Oklahoma Blaze. If the Blazers win that game, they will face a rematch against The RHI Mini Pacers (IN) at 1:00 pm.

Posted in News, Wheelchair Basketball |