Wow my hand is still shaking from the upsets last weekend. Although I went 3-1 in my picks I was a bit surprise and confused about some teams performances down the stretch. This year one thing is certain we would have a new champion and the four teams battling each have an opportunity to punch their ticket to the championship game. However lets recap last week games which broke the hearts of fans and players alike. We had the #1 seed professors of White Plains do what they do and destroyed 11 seed River of Life sustainers by 44; 3 seed New Life was rejuvenated and had the sharp shooters of Ebenezer shooting blanks all day beating them by 27; 9 seed Fellowship won the battle of the angry birds beating the 2 seed Bronx hawks clipping their wings by 3; and in the rematch from last year championship game Bethany balled and finally took down their nemesis and defending champs T&T Kings by 10. Now the stage is set and only 4 teams are left standing. But before I get into my final four picks let’s do our traditional send off to those teams that lost last week. So to the Triumphant Tabernacle Kings, the sharp shooters of Ebenezer, the sustainers of River of Life, and the Bronx hawks express sorry fella but it just wasn't meant to be. You fought a good battle and played hard but in the end it just wasn't good enough. I booked another large boat to accommodate all your fans, families, players and coaches so try and reflect on how you can get better and blow off some steam because you are going fishing for Bass on the Jersey Shore. Take time to relax and enjoy the cool breeze because before you know it next season will be upon us. Don't forget some blankets I hear the weather would be a bit chilly this week. With that said let’s see what Milo thinks about this week games which is do or die for two teams and a trip to the championship for the others. Let’s go.
Bethany Ballers vs New Life Rejuvenators
3 seed meets 5 seed as the ballers of Bethany try and stop the rejuvenators of New Life and punch their ticket to the championship. Bethany finally balled last week and took down their nemesis and defending champs T&T kings by 10 points. It was a monumental win because the last couple of years T&T has been the thorn in their sides during the regular season and playoffs. It was sweet revenge for the ballers who finally played a complete game and made the proper adjustments last week. Now they face a hungry and rejuvenated New Life team that is jelling at the right time. What stood out to me with this team is the fact that their best players play big in pressure games and it show with the way their players followed their lead. I wanted to see how well they would rebound against a bigger team and last week it did not matter. Now the stage is set and to the victor goes the spoils. What are the keys to victory for both teams. Bethany must out rebound their opponent, shoot well from the field, play solid defense, and minimize the turnovers. New Life on the other hand must push the rock, make stops, pressure the guards into turnovers, and get bench contributions. Look for a close game because both teams are playing on a high level. However, I did say that New Life would make it to the final 4 and being they didn't play the ballers all year I feel this game would be difficult for them to dominate. Bethany has the size and skilled players to combat any run the rejuvenators make, the key would be if the game is close in the final few minutes which team would crack. I like the way New Life has been holding it down but I feel this year Bethany is on a mission to finish what they started last year. Bethany wins this match up in the closing seconds by 3 points as they get back to the championship game with the hopes of finishing what they started.
Christian Fellowship Hawks vs White Plains Professors
9 seed battles 1 seed for the right to play in the championship game. What a victory last week for the hawks who I predicted would win the battle of the angry birds. Fellowship played the style I expected and pressured the Bronx team into uncharacteristic poor play. Fellowship is healthy and had all their weapons on disposal. Now they face the daunting task of battling a familiar opponent who quietly proved that they are still the cream of the crop. White Plains destroyed the River of Life sustainers sucking the life out of them. Coach Felix again is quietly proving that good coaching isn't always about winning one particular game but the process of creating a system that players could perform on a level of consistency. Now the stage is set and a trip to the championship is on the line. What are the keys to victory for both teams. Fellowship must play solid defense, out rebound their opponent, shoot well from everywhere, and get major bench contributions. White Plains on the other hand must play their style and attack the paint, shoot well from the line, minimize the turnovers, and make stops. I expect to see a close game this time round because Fellowship is playing great team ball at the moment. However, White Plains has been in this position before and Fellowship with their new core haven't. I expect to see a high scoring game but in the end I feel Fellowship wings would be clopped by the professors and for that reason I'm picking them to win this match up by 8 points as they punch their ticket to the championship. White Plains wins this match up and sends Fellowship fishing for the summer.
Well that's all for Milo's Final 4 picks, players come out and give the fans a show, fans come out and support your teams and lets fellowship together. Remember God said he would never let the righteous suffer or their seed beg bread, all we have to do is trust and obey him and he would direct our path. The devil like conspiracies and it's another way for him to confuse the children of God in doubting God's promise. Sometimes in life things are as simple as it looks and we tend to try and answer questions that only God could answer. The Bible says there will be many false prophets in the last days and that's because we are all looking to justify our faith. But if we go by the definition of faith we would know it's the evidence of things not seen and the belief that God is the only one in control. Don't listen to others, study for yourselves because each of us would be judged on our merits not someone else's belief. Until next time this is Milo signing out. God Bless.
