Contributed photo The Triangle Flight basketball team recently won the 2012 USSSA National Championship held in Greensboro. Team members are, kneeling left to right, Andrew Ihle, Conner Sutton, Will Harkins, Carl Dean, Darrion Burnett and Andrew Pipkin. Standing, Coach Adam Perry, Jaquan Nesmith, Coach John Brown, Chris Alexander, Dontae Tatum, John Stoffregen, Jonathan Mebane and Coach Jimmy Perry.

slideshow

The Triangle Flight Boys 13-U (7^th Grade) Basketball Team recently won the 2012 USSSA National Championship held in Greensboro, defeating the Virginia Warriors in the finals.

“T-Flight” finished the season with a record of 34-4. In addition to winning the USSSA Division I and II National Championship, the team won the USSSA Division I and II North Carolina State Championship and was runner-up in the USBA North Carolina State Championships.

As great as the team was playing basketball, head coach John Brown said he was even more impressed by his players’ character away from the court.

Brown pointed out that players and parents were involved in two programs in the past year to help those in need.

“I think one of the most important things to note about this group is that in addition to being great people they did much more than just play basketball together,” said Brown.

“The team was involved in Hoops for Troops, which held a basketball clinic on Veterans Day with all the proceeds going to the Freedom Alliance that provides scholarships to children of fallen soldiers. (The team also participated in) the Wake County Holiday Family Program where we raised money and adopted need families and delivered gifts at Christmas.”

For the coaching staff of Triangle Flight, winning is nice but it’s certainly not everything.

“It’s truly a blessing and a lot of fun to see the guys not only succeed in basketball but also, hopefully, learn values that help them as they grow and mature.”