After two hard-fought semifinal games, the matchup for the 2013 Bookstore Basketball championship has been set.
One team's appearance in the final might have been a surprise last year, but not so much this year. No. 1 Sophomores at Holy Cross, who was unranked last year, will look to defend its 2012 title against the No. 2 Romeo Medical Clinic.
For Holy Cross sophomore Alajowon Edwards, his team's journey this year has been a little more difficult since it has played with a target on its back over the course of the tournament.
"It's a big target because we're No. 1," Edwards said. "Everyone knows us. I don't know how, but they know us."
However, most Bookstore fans remember Edwards and the rest of his team - sophomore Holy Cross basketball players Zoe Bauer, George Stainko and Darrell McIntyre, along with Notre Dame Sports Properties employee Beau Bauer - as Hoops I Did it Again, not Sophomores at Holy Cross. Edwards said their new name not only reflects their current academic status, but also their desire for a fresh start in this year's tournament.
"It's a new year," he said. "We're trying to get another championship ... so we're just trying to do something new this year and trying to repeat."
The team on the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Romeo Medical Clinic, will certainly try to thwart Sophomores of Holy Cross' hopes of another championship title.
After falling to Hoops I Did it Again in the Final Four last year, Notre Dame juniors Tom Hickey and Tyler Sonsalla decided to regroup in hopes of making another run at a title. They found fellow juniors Dominic Romeo, Jack Gardner, Tim Fulnecky and Kevin Timperman, who were looking for a few more players to round out their own squad, and formed the team that is now Romeo Medical Clinic.
Though they still compete with their eyes on the prize, Romeo said his team is enjoying the ride as they progress round by round.
"It's been great," he said. "We've had a lot of support from all our fans, from each other, and from Romeo Medical Clinic, with doctors Mike Romeo, Sam Romeo, Chris Hawley and Ken Honsik, back at home."
Romeo said his team also relishes the opportunity to play in the nation's largest basketball tournament and being a part of all the competition that comes with it. Romeo Medical Clinic has faced tough competition in its past two games against teams with former Notre Dame basketball players Jack Cooley and Mike Broghammer - although Cooley did not play against Romeo Medical Clinic.
"[The best part is] getting to play strong, competitive basketball," he said. "Once you leave high school, it's kind of like your glory days are over. Here we get another shot at those glory days, which is really, really fun."
With the speed and chemistry of Sophomores at Holy Cross up against the size and strength of Romeo Medical Clinic, the Bookstore Basketball Championship will be an exciting affair.
The final step in the quest for the 2013 Bookstore Basketball title begins Saturday at 7 p.m. at the bookstore courts.
Contact Mary Green at mgreen8@nd.edu.
