Five Brick teams, three boys’ and two girls’ teams, won championships in the fourth annual Brick-MAC Basketball Tournament held at various schools around the community.
Four other teams reached the championship game before losing. Eight of the 15 divisions had championship game participants from Brick.
Over 60 teams from surrounding Ocean, Monmouth and Burlington counties participated in the tournament, with each team playing at least three games.
The Municipal Alliance (MAC) program is funded in part by a grant from the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and credited cooperation and support from the Brick Township School District Board of Education for help and providing needed gyms.
In the girls’ competition, Brick’s fifth and sixth grade Competitive Division team beat Howell, while Brick in the seventh and eighth grade Competitive Division topped Toms River championship games.
In another seventh grade Competitive Division championship game, Jersey Sting beat Brick.
In boys’ championship games, Brick defeated New Egypt in the 11-and-under Recreation Division, and the Brick Falcons prevailed over Berkeley in the 9-and-under Competitive Division. Brick lost in the 10-and-under Competitive Division final to the Jersey Coast Comets and Brick in the 14-and-under Competitive Division fell to Hamilton.
The tournament has grown from less than 20 towns in the first year to triple that amount this year.
"It’s one of the biggest in this part of the state," said coordinator Russell Martone of the Recreation Department.
Communities participating in the tournament included Point Pleasant Borough, Point Pleasant Beach, New Egypt, Waretown, Berkeley, Lacey, Colts Neck, Spring Lake, Rumson, Tinton Falls, Hamilton, Lakewood, Manchester, Toms River, Jackson, Freehold, Marlboro, Millstone and Hamilton. Championship winners received team trophies and all players were given tournament t-shirts.
— Wayne Witkowski