Brantley was participating in the tournament for the first time and Hawthorne was extremely impressed with the event.
“It was top-notch,” Hawthorne said. “Our kids were just blown away. I know this sounds cliché, but T-shirts for everyone … they wore those T-shirts proudly to school, so all of those sponsors are being seen a lot around Brantley.”
Hawthorne said the tournament also helped prepare her team going into the postseason.
“It was almost like a championship, postseason feel with how you were treated,” Hawthorne said. “Playing some people that you’re not normally playing was huge.”
G.W. Long and Houston Academy made it to the championship game, but it was postponed in the second inning due to heavy rains, as was the consolation game between Dothan and Brantley.
The Rebels were declared the tournament champion after going unbeaten with a 5-0 mark, which included a 5-4 win over Houston Academy in pool play. HA, Dothan and Brantley all finished with 4-1 records. All four teams received $4,660.
Though the schedule called for two nights of pool play, only the first night was completed as rain washed out the second night before the seeds in the main bracket were determined.
The eight teams which won two games in bracket play before eliminated and pocketed $2,330 were Ariton, Ashford, Cottonwood, Dale County, Enterprise, Geneva, Rehobeth and Wicksburg.
The eight teams which played one game of bracket play before being eliminated and got a check for $1,165 were Carroll, Geneva County, Headland, Houston County, Northside Methodist Academy, Pike Road, Providence Christian and Slocomb.
