March Madness is upon us, and it certainly was upon PA DeMolay the weekend of March 5 - 7 as the Annual Basketball Tournament got underway.

As usual, the Basketball Tournament was the largest of the athletic competitions to be held during the last year with 13 Chapters being represented, and over 90 DeMolays in attendance! This was also the first tournament for the newly revived Delaware Valley Chapter, and only the second athletic event for Susquehanna Chapter since it's revival.

Competitions started early on Friday with Elizabethtown taking on Riverside. Little did Elizabethtown know that Riverside would go on to be the dominating force in this tournament, going into the Championship game undefeated. More about that match-up later!

As games were played into Saturday morning teams began to really shine, with Friendship-Bray and Erie being early favorites. Lots of fans were on hand to watch the games, as Chapters progressed through the brackets. On Saturday night it came down to Lorraine against Erie, with Erie pulling out the win. That set up the final three teams for the Sunday morning showdown.

Before Sunday could come however, there were a few other events to finalize. Elizabethtown Chapter showed who was boss in the water basketball tournament. The Individual Competitions were won by Bro. Paul Stults (Slam Dunk), Bro. Dylan Bonanomi (Free Throw), and Bro. Dan Moore (Hot Shot.) Following these events, the Coaches and Captains had their annual grudge match game.

Sunday morning came quickly, and with Chapel Services concluded, awards were presented at breakfast. These included the naming of the all-tournament team, as well as the winner of Best Banner, which went to Riverside Chapter, and the Spirit Award, which went to Crusade Chapter. The most coveted individual awards, the Most Valuable Player / Coach, were present to Bro. Grant Eaton of Erie Chapter, and "Dad" Rick S. Freedman of Friendship-Bray Chapter, respectively.

It was now down to the final three, with FBC facing off against Erie. Each team had only been dealt one defeat for the entire tournament, Erie at the hands of FBC, and FBC by Riverside. It was a classic rivalry, with one end of the State playing the other (you can't get any more extreme than Erie playing against Philadelphia - it's an 8 hour car ride between the two!) After a tough match, Erie pulled out the victory, and had to immediately retake the court against Riverside.

Since Erie had already lost to Riverside, and Riverside was undefeated, Erie would have to beat them in two matches in a row to clinch the title. It was truly a match for the ages, as both teams gave it their all to try to earn the title of Champion for 2010. After a lot sweat, tough plays, and important shots, Erie miraculously won two games straight to best Riverside and claim the prize. It was an exciting end to an exciting tournament.

Congrats to all of the players and coaches, and we'll see you again next year!