Harpers Ferry Fireflies play to runner-up finish at National Tournament ...
Submitted photo.
The Harpers Ferry Fireflies traveled to Kansas City, MO to play in the National Granny Basketball Tournament July 30-31. Twenty teams participated in this year’s tournament, including six from Iowa, seven from Kansas, two from Louisiana, two from Oklahoma, two from Texas and one from Missouri.
During Saturday, July 30 pool play, the Fireflies played the Oklahoma Rockers of Jones, OK and won, 65-55. They then defeated Sugar and Spice of Wichita, KS, 50-20, and in the final game of the day defeated the Classic Roadrunners out of Des Moines, 55-37. Advancing to the championship bracket of the Sunday, July 31 single elimination tournament games, the Fireflies made their way to the tournament’s championship game by defeating the Oklahoma Rockers again, 57-41, and the Late Bloomers out of Norway, IA, 40-35.
In that championship game, the Fireflies matched up with the Cedar Rapids Sizzlers and fell in a close battle, 43-38, for their only loss of the entire season, landing them as the National Granny Basketball Tournament Runner-Up. Since 2015, it has either been the Harpers Ferry Fireflies or the Cedar Rapids Sizzlers who have won the National Tournament, with no tournament played in 2020 due to the pandemic and the Fireflies winning four of those seven most recent national titles. The two teams have alternated championship and runner-up finishes in each of the last three National Tournaments, with the Sizzlers taking their championship turn this season with their third National Tournament Championship since the 2015 season.
The Harpers Ferry Fireflies posted an overall season record of 17-1 this year, including undefeated marks in league play (8-0) and in winning the State Tournament in Iowa (4-0) before going 5-1 at the National Tournament. Pictured above at the National Tournament in Kansas City, MO are the following team members: Left to right - Front row: Rosanne Wicks, Betty Steege, Jackie Friederich, Georgia Jones, Tina Hendrix; Back row: Sherry Adney, Sally Light, Selma White, Karen Wagner, Linda Mahr, Judy Kelly, Margaret Hermeier, Donna Matti, Coach Bill Nation. Submitted photo.
