[Photo Story] Returning finalists win 18th annual Sweep the Streets tournament

Fourth-consecutive-time finalists Fuhrman Ind. clinched a victory during Sunday’s championship match at the 18th annual Sweep the Streets tournament.

Once again facing off against Ask4Noah, the winners of last year tournament, the Fuhrman Industrial Sales-sponsored team ultimately won the match 39 points to 27.

Fuhrman Ind. player Lucardy explained that the team went into the match with high spirits, having won all their matches in Saturday’s leg of the double-elimination tournament.

“We thought, as long as we keep on moving the ball and pushing the tempo, we should be good,” said Lucardy.

Each of the last three years, the Fuhrman Industrial team made it to the final match but lost the final game. The team’s victory this year was “much needed after losing by a buzzer beater last year,” said Lucardy.

After the game, members of the winning team received commemorative T-shirts and rings, an award, and a custom-designed rug for the team’s MVP.

Between sunny, clear weather, high turnout, and competitive matches (with the championship match standing at 20-19 at halftime), organizer George Rodriguez said he felt this year’s tournament went exceptionally well.

He said 16 teams participated this year, with 160 players and between 600 and 700 attendees between Saturday and Sunday, Rodriguez said.

In addition to the double-elimination tournament, the weekend also included a slam dunk contest and kids’ foul shot contest on Saturday, a DJ, and a variety of food and drinks for sale.

Rodriguez explained that when the annual Sweep the Streets tournament first started, he was 21. Over the years, he’s watched some of the young kids that watched early tournaments grow into capable players.

“This year, we noticed a lot of the younger generation is starting to come out, some of the kids I saw watching the tournament year one are now able to play in the tournament,” he said.

In addition to local teams, last weekend’s tournament saw players coming from as far as Virginia and Maryland, said Rodriguez.

A benefit of the tournament, Rodriguez said, is “bringing everybody together from all walks of life. It doesn’t matter where you came from; when you come here, it’s all love: the love of basketball.”

Though this year’s tournament only just ended, Rodriguez is already looking to the future. In addition to next year’s tournament, he is also considering ideas for the 20th Sweep the Streets tournament, planned for 2027.

Though the tournament has been going on since 2007, this is its fourth year taking place at Coleman Memorial Park. The location is perfect for it, he said, between ample parking, some shade on the court, and the lack of traffic disruption posed to nearby roads.

This year, the Friends of Coleman Memorial Park got involved in planning. Member Lydya Renninger explained that, while talking with Rodriguez (also on the Coleman Memorial Park Board of Trustees), he said the courts could use more of a sense of ownership from users, particularly in keeping the courts tidy.

The Friends held a slogan contest for the courts which received over 60 entries, Renninger said. The group ultimately chose the slogan “Buckets are earned, respect is too. A clean court says a lot about you.”

When asked about the success of the tournament, Renninger, who was involved in planning the tournament for the first time, said she was glad to see such high turnout.

“It’s amazing, it’s absolutely amazing,” she said. “We want to see a busy, bustling park: no matter how that looks.”

Throughout the year, the park hosts a variety of events, including a summer concert series, youth tournaments, and festivals like the Harvest Festival and Spinstock. View the full calendar here.