 "Photo: Photo Courtesy of Victor Montgomery")
The trophy case in the basement of Blackburn often goes unnoticed by most students who venture down to the recreational area, even though the trophies and plaques inside display the accomplishments of the intramural teams that get as little attention as the their awards.
In a school that isn’t known for their athletic program, the Howard’s club basketball team, which goes by the name of 1867, is a bright spot that stands out amongst the rest.
This year, 1867 earned a record of 19-6 and won their second consecutive National Intramural Recreation Sports Association (NIRSA) HBCU Mid-Atlantic Regional Title by defeating Delaware State University last weekend, 54-51.
“These kids work hard,” 1867 coach Victor Montgomery said. “They fit [the team] in between their classes and they have higher requirements than the NCAA has for their players.”
1867 is the first HBCU to produce back-to-back regional titles ever and has earned four regional titles in the last four years.
After defeating all of their opponents in single-elimination rounds for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Title, 1867 will now travel to Atlanta this weekend to compete for the NIRSA South East Regional Intramural Basketball Championship at Georgia Tech.
As top seed entering this year’s tournament, 1867 are respected as a formidable opponent but they will also face several challenges from several top seeded intramural and club teams from major universities and colleges along the Southern corridor.
Howard would become the first HBCU to advance to the national championships for the fifth time if they win the tournament, which Coach Montgomery feels they all deserve.
Hard work is understatement for the players who started conditioning in August and are required to get up at least three times a week for practice lasting for two hours and sometimes starting as early as 6 a.m.
1867 consists of players ranging from freshmen to seniors who compete at an organized level every year with the team.
First year team member and freshman finance major, Grayson Mitchell, admits that the initial conditioning was the biggest challenge but said it paid off when the team were matched up against much bigger opponents.
“We basically run a lot to get ourselves in shape,” he said. “I’ve learned to also play within my role because everyone plays a role on the team and not just fade into the background because I’m a freshman. I can make big plays also.”
Captain and senior telecommunications management major, Rob Boyd has been on the team three years and credits Montgomery with a lot of the team’s success this year through tough times.
“[Coach Montgomery] has done an exceptional job,” Boyd said. “In light of some of the recent budget cuts by the university, he’s forced to work with less than great conditions because we’re playing for our livelihood.”
This being Boyd’s last year on the team, he plans on putting basketball on the back burner for a while to focus more on his education at Georgetown where he will be going to law school in the fall of 2011 and continuing to work at NBC, where he is currently employed.
1867 has remained positive all year despite challenges finding places to practice when the varsity teams are practicing on the court and the fact that the team consists of a lot of newcomers.
“One of the hardest things for this team is that we’re really young,” Boyd said. “The majority of the team are freshmen and sophomores so we have to get them up to speed and show them how everything works.”
Even though Boyd is moving on after this year, the relationships he’s established will last a lifetime.
“I’ve learned the importance of camaraderie,” he said. “It’s important to associate yourself with people who have the same goals and I feel like I will continue talking to my teammates for the rest of my life.”
“We’re probably one of the most successful teams on campus,” Coach Montgomery said.
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