MLK Basketball Tourney a Success

East Hampton’s 5th grade travel basketball team won one of the three tournaments as the MLK Day Basketball Tournament in Portland on Jan. 16. By winning the tournament, the team received an invitation to the New England Championships in March. Pictured below are Coaches Pat Zabroski, Brendan Hines, and Peter Kellogg. Back row players, from left to right; Ian Aiello, Noah Salamone, Trevor Philbrick, Keegan King, Joseph Ploszay, Elijah Kramer, Cole McCarthy-Nowak. Kneeling, left to right; Bryson Rall, Callahan Hines, Tommy Kellogg, and Zachary Zabroski. 

To honor Martin Luther King Jr., Portland High School hosted the MLK Day Youth Basketball Tournament on Monday. 
Basketball programs from around Connecticut gathered for a day of reflection, remembrance, and roundball. 

PHS senior and basketball star Harrison Collins organized the event as part of his Capstone Project, saying that putting on the event was both challenging and rewarding.  

“I thought it was a success; it was a really fun event,” added Collins. 

Over 100 young basketball players from grades 5-8 gathered inside the gymnasium at Portland High School for a series of round-robin tournaments.    

Six boys’ teams and four girls’ teams participated in the daylong festivities, with local teams from Portland, East Hampton, and Colchester in attendance. Teams from Branford, Coginchaug, Gilford, Groton, and Milford also traveled from far and wide to participate. 

The boys’ team from East Hampton won the 5th grade tourney and the boys’ team from Coginchaug won the 7th grade tournament, while the girls’ team from Milford took home the trophy in the 8th grade tourney.

Collins, who is averaging 20 points per game for the Highlanders this season, said it was difficult to balance his time between his high school obligations and planning the tourney, but was glad that he could help bring an event like this to the local community. 

“I think it was really important that it’s not just a day of remembrance, but to truly understand why we celebrate,” added Collins.

Collins gave a speech in between the boys and girls championship games, connecting the legacies of Dr. King with the professional basketball players that paved the way for equality in the sport.   

​The event was free to the public; however donations were made by attendees. Monies received will benefit The King Center, a non-profit memorial and exhibit in Atlanta, Georgia established by King’s wife Coretta Scott King in 1968.