BFK Basketball Classic continues to grow
Since 2014, the Branded For Knowledge (BFK) Basketball Classic has given local ninth-graders a venue to showcase their talents on the court. This year the tournament was bigger and better than ever as teams were split into two different brackets.
Teams competing for the championship trophy and bragging rights this year included: Glenn, East Forsyth, Atkins, RJ Reynolds, Reagan, West Forsyth, Davie County, Mount Tabor, Parkland, North Forsyth, Carver, Winston-Salem Prep, the N.C. Leadership Academy (NCLA), South Iredell, Northwest Guilford, Page, and Piedmont Classical Academy.
In the final round of the Branded bracket the Demons of R.J. Reynolds held off the Titans of West Forsyth to take the 47-35 victory and their second consecutive BFK title. In 2016 the Demons defeated Mount Tabor in the championship game.
Although the Demons got the win, the Titans did not go down easy. With less than three minutes left in the game, West cut the lead to eight points but the smothering Demons full court press proved to be too much.
In the final three minutes of the game, the Titans turned the ball over several times, which led to easy buckets on the other end.
Around the same time the Demons were putting the finishing touches on West at Glenn, across town at Atkins located on Old Greensboro Road. Piedmont Classical Academy earned the victory over Reagan in the Knowledge bracket.
Third place teams were Northwest Guilford and South Iredell. Northwest defeated Mount Tabor in their matchup for third place in the Branded bracket and South Iredell beat North Forsyth in the Knowledge bracket.
Before presenting teams with trophies following the final round of games on Wednesday Dec. 6 Bobby Kimbrough Jr., BFK founder thanked everyone who made the event possible. BFK chief operations officer and liaison for the tournament Denise A. Smith said the growth of the tournament has been tremendous over the years. She said as the word continues to spread throughout the Triad area the tournament will continue to grow.
“Having multiple schools calling and wanting to participate has been one of the greatest joys of the tournament for me. From the beginning to now the support has been great,” said Smith. “Each year the teams come out ready to play and in my opinion the competition gets better every year.”
Along with hosting the annual basketball tournament BFK helps local athletes pursue their education after high school. Each year BFK gives a $1,000 scholarship to a deserving student in the area. The BFK also sponsors youth mentoring academies, public speaking engagements, and personal development training.
For more information about BFK or the annual Basketball Classic visit the Branded For Knowledge Inc. Facebook page.
