Florida Flight Headed to CBL Championship Game

Published on June 23, 2011 under Continental Basketball League (CBL)
Florida Flight News Release


(Orlando, FL) - After a victorious winning Father's Day double-header weekend, the Florida Flight will face off against the Cary Invasion for the 2011 Continental Basketball League (CBL) Championship Friday, June 24 in Cary, North Carolina.

The Flight had some immediate turbulence, beginning the season with an 0-3 start. Ever resilient, they finished 5-3 in their last 8, earning the right to play for the championship in their first year as a member team of the CBL.

The Flight ended the season for the Gainesville Galaxy by taking a 108-96 victory Saturday, June 18th. The win officially secured a playoff berth for the Flight. The team followed up with a 118-110 victory over the Heartland Prowl the very next day, silencing any critics questioning their ability to decisively beat either of their Southern Division foes.

"We never lost hope. We never lost sight of the goals we set during training camp in April of this year," said Flight Owner and Head Coach Mark King.

The Flight was set to play the Heartland Prowl in a Southern Division playoff this week. Unfortunately, late financial struggles within the Prowl ownership prevented the team from fulfilling their obligations to compete in or host a divisional playoff game, paving the way for a non-stop trip to the CBL championship for the Flight.

"Minor league basketball is a tough business to be in," said King. "You have to create a product that is more than just basketball and entertainment, especially in the Central Florida area that has so many other entertainment options. We utilize the platform that God has given us to invest in the lives of others, especially the kids, and that has helped us develop a loyal fan base and garner a solid sponsorship portfolio of businesses willing to support our franchise."

The Flight roster, which boasts 6 rookies to the professional ranks, is filled with a group of hungry guys passionately pursuing the ever elusive right to be called a basketball champion.

"We open and close every practice and every game with prayer," explained King. "We knew we had to have faith despite our slow start. We knew that if we paralleled that faith with the works required to win a championship, we still had a chance to get it done. Hopefully we finish this out and bring home this championship to our wonderful, supportive Avalon Park community!"

Ernest Jones, last week's CBL player of the week and starting guard for the Flight, is looking forward to playing for his first ever championship.

"Most of us have never played for a championship," said Jones. "I've been chasing this for 8 years in the minor leagues. It is a dream come true just to have the opportunity."

In typical minor league fashion, the Flight will depart from their home in the Avalon Park area of Orlando, Florida bright and early at 3AM for a 7PM championship game that same night. The game will be held at the Young Center in downtown Cary, North Carolina.

"Coach King sat us down, made us close our eyes and visualize getting on a bus AT 3AM headed to this championship game before preparing for the must win double header weekend last week," said rookie Herbert "Chip" Polite, starting forward for the Flight. "We could really see it. Now we'll be getting up at 3AM this Friday heading out to North Carolina to close the deal!" For regular updates on the game, visit and like the Florida Flight Facebook Fan Page, or follow "FloridaFlight" on twitter.

The Florida Flight is a member team of the Continental Basketball League. Its mission is to utilize the platform of professional basketball to invest in the lives of others. For more information, please visit www.flighthoops.com. Visit www.cblhoopsonline.com for more information regarding the league and its sponsors.

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Continental Basketball League Stories from June 23, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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