Chapel Hill, NC
The THI tournament hosted this past weekend iat the Ftzer Gym in Chapel Hill, NC and which featured a total of 7 teams, was won by the hometown favorites and 2007 College Nationals runner, UNC's Blue Heat. The team, featuring veteran UNC alumni players Mike Applegate and David Sutton, won the final by one goal, against West Point Black. The winning goal was scored with :12 seconds left in the game, a game which was hotly contested and featured many lead changes.
Carolina Blue Heat players Wade Sutton, Mike Applegate, and Myles Bacon helped one of two Carolina Alumni teams defeat the West Point Black team 17-16 in one of the most rauckus contests ever in Fetzer Gym on Sunday. The West Point team, led by center back and playmaker Adam Kenyon, as well as the imposing presence of Jason Borchik, Connor Lewis, and Justin Key, defeated the Carolina Team Handball Club to face Blue Heat, who had defeated its mirror team Carolina Blue in the crossover round.
The story of the game, aside from the intense ball speed and pressure from West Point's controlled fast breaks, might have come in last minute of the game. Blue Heat's Brendan Carr had taken a tooth to the back of the head in the game against Carolina Blue, requiring a visit to the hospital. Once his injury was stabilized, Carr drove to the gym, parked at the entrance, and came into the game with just over a minute to play. Blue Heat had played the game without substitutions to this point, and the sight of one of its team captains lifted Blue Heat. After a West Point goal tied the game at 16, one of many ties and lead changes in the game (neither team led by more than four at any point), Blue Heat took over with about 45 seconds left. Backcourt player Myles Bacon, who had scored a lot of jumpshots in the game, drew the attention of West Point's middle defenders, allowing an opening for a pass to the circle Carr. Carr was fouled with 12 seconds remaining, setting up Wade Sutton's decisive goal.
Both teams played high-quality team handball. While one team had to lose on paper, no one who was in the gym for this game lost, as veterans and newcomers to the sport alike could savor in the passion and intensity of such a game.
"If we were more popular, we might've been an ESPN Instant Classic," said Myles Bacon, co-captain of Carolina Blue Heat. "I'm proud of everyone who was a part of this game. It was very good for our sport."
The final places for the tournament:
7th – Tar Heel Team Handball Club
6th – North Pitt Team Handball
5th – West Point Gold
4th – Carolina Blue
3rd – Carolina Team Handball
2nd – West Point Black
1st – Blue Heat
Results for the 2007 Tar Heel Invitational will be posted soon at http://www.unc.edu/cthc.