Langdon chants “Win-Win” in Watts’ decider

Ron Bailey, Publisher

Langdon takes home the 'Chip.

August 25, 2011 – The sound system blared “So tonight everything’s on me, this is victory…Win win, win win, win win, win win, win”, while Langdon Park's players danced on Watts Branch Park’s main court’s center line yesterday evening. Players and fans alike joined in, spraying themselves and others with liquid in celebration, bouncing to the sounds of Young Jeezy. One could have shot a music video in the midst of that revelry.

This surreal scene at Watts, also dubbed the ‘Palm Tree Palace’, took place because Langdon Park, the number one ranked team in the Watts League playoffs held serve, defeating sixth seeded Seat Pleasant 61-50 to capture the Watts League’s championship.

Langdon players and supporters sport hardware.

How did Langdon Park maintain such a level of consistency, in both the playoffs and regular season?

“We played together, unselfishly on offense, that was our main thing” answered Delonte Taylor, Langdon’s coach amongst the joyous reaction of his team and their fans to winning. “And on defense we played hard and played together. We pride ourselves on defending”.

They did both last night, leading 32-23 at halftime, and for about 12 minutes in the second half, going on a 19-9 run. During first half play Langdon Park enjoyed an aggressive inside game, while in the second stanza used vigorous defense to produce stops and resulting fast breaks. Before the game Taylor indicated “We are going to be aggressive on both ends of the court, and use our bench”, words that would ring true.

Chawkoby ‘Kobe’ Hicks led the victors with 16 points, Rob ‘Young Melo’ Lumpkins added 14 points. Hicks was tabbed finals MVP for Langdon, which swept Seat Pleasant 2-0 to win the crown.

Langdon Park's Delonte Taylor early in the matchup.

Seat Pleasant got 18 points from Air Boomer and 13 from Tony ‘Big Sexy’ Durant while Twin added 12 points for a team that competed despite facing numerous challenges. With 14:06 remaining in regulation, they were only down four.

“I’m very proud” noted Seat Pleasant’s coach, Brian Shivers afterward. “They (his team) came from being the 6th placed team to the finals, being shorthanded (several of his squad’s players did not participate in the finals). They played hard, competed. Langdon earned it”.

He also lamented his teams’ missed free throws and “easy baskets”. Though Durant did score points, based on game one it was evident his participation threw off Seat Pleasant’s flow as well; the ball seemed to stick more, as point guard Francis Ashe wasn’t distributing it like in the first contest, a double overtime affair (this series was best two of three).

Walking away from Watts Park, a certain refrain could still be heard in this writer’s mind – “Win win, win win, win win, win win, win”. That Langdon Park did, and until around this time next year, that crew from Northeast’s Rhode Island Avenue area can rightly claim 2011 Watts League Champion status.