442 FW scores fifth intramural basketball championship in seven years

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Bob Jennings
  • 442d Fighter Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AFB, Mo. --  Staff Sgt Benjamin Franklin doesn't look like he's over 30. But his youthful appearance hides the heart of a fierce competitor.

Under the expert leadership of Lt Col Todd "Riddler" Riddle, Franklin and the other members of the 442d men's over-30 intramural basketball team have once again proven that Reservists are a force to be reckoned with.

After a solid 7-1 season, the weathered veterans of the 442d were awarded the number two seed going into the championship tournament. Three games stood between them and their fifth tournament victory in seven years.

One loss and their season would be over.

Their first game saw them matched up against the 509th CES. CES played hard, but ultimately fell by a 10-point margin. Game two, versus the 509th MUNS, proved a little more challenging. A troublesome point guard on the opposing team meant that the 442nd had to fight for their victory.

But fight they did, which bought their tickets to the championship round, where they would face the 509th OSS - the only team to ever defeat them.

According to Franklin, the team was nervous about the rematch, but, "We felt confident that if we just played our game plan and executed better on offense, we'd be fine."

Franklin led the attack from the opening buzzer, helping to secure a 15-0 lead after the first quarter.  Second Lt. Michael Addis, Master Sgt. James Rice, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Shaun Defenbaugh and Lt. Col. Preston "Moses" McConnell shut down OSS's offense, holding them to only 11 points in the first half. Meanwhile, the 442nd scored 30 under the combined efforts of SSgt Franklin, Lt. Col. Riddle, Lt. Col. Mark "Rags" Ernewein and Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Vick.

As the last of the sneaker squeaks echoed across the court, the scoreboard showed the 442d with a commanding 16-point lead. With a final score of 55-39, the 442nd had secured the coveted Men's Over-30 Intramural Basketball Championship.

"Everybody was firing on all cylinders," Franklin said. "The basket was looking large for our team." Though reluctant to brag, the basket must have seemed extra-large for Franklin, who sank 27 of his team's 55 points.

Franklin hopes that they will be able to keep the team together next year. "We really did have a good team and it was so much fun playing on a team that worked so well together." He'd also like to see some of the former players return to complement their current talent.

Riddle seems happy about the victory, though a little surprised.  "We've enjoyed some great success in the over-30 league," he says. However, he reminds us that "A league championship is always challenging because, as old men, we confuse easily and fall down a lot."

If, in their old age, the team members can find their way back to the court next year, more championships are surely on the horizon for Whiteman's Reservists.