For the second consecutive year, the Delray Beach city employees took down the city’s First Responders in the second annual Walk Against Violence & Hate basketball game at the Delray Beach Community Center.
This time, there was no second-half rally needed by the city employees. Last year, the First Responders jumped out to a double-digit lead and was up by as many as 11 in the second half before the city employee Allstars pulled out a 54-44 win in the event that kicked off the annual Walk Against Violence & Hate.
The City Allstars seized an early advantage lead behind Marcus Darrisaw, who dropped three, 3-pointers in the opening four minutes of the contest en route to a 48-37 victory.
“It is always a good time to come out here and show the kids out of our work clothes that we are still human beings,” said Darrisaw, a program manager at the teen center. “We partner with the police and fire departments all the time, so we have a great relationship anyways.”
Prentice Mobley, city of Delray Beach recreation superintendent who organized the game the past two years, and Roderick Jonson each added 3-pointers to give the Allstars a 15-3 lead.
The First Responders were able to draw as close as 20-16 on a 3-pointer by Rodney Patrick with 2:16 left in the first half. The Allstars’ Todney Evans dropped two free throws and John Adams added another free throw with 11.9 seconds remaining to give the employees a 23-16 advantage. Evans finished with a game-high 12 points to lead all scorers.
Rohan Sutherland added 10 points in a winning effort, while Marcus Darrisaw scored 9. Rodrick Johnson and Job Joseph added six and four points, respectively.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Sutherland, a Parks and Recreation supervisor for the city of Delray Beach. “I used to play ball, so coming out here gets me in shape, gives me a chance to be with some of my peers, and doing something for a good cause is always fun.”
He said he enjoyed the camaraderie.
“It’s fun. It brings togetherness and shows that we are a team,” Sutherland said. “No one is separate and we are always working together, and especially it is good for the culture of the city. It is always good coming together with the city and the first responders.”
The teams played two, 20-minute halves and both teams subbed every five minutes.
“Yes, or we would have been dead,” Sutherland said. “We always try and win every year, but it is fun, and we are always looking for ways to make it even more competitive.”
The First Responders were led by Andrew Fazekas with 10 points and Pierre Luckson and Casey Kelly, who each had six. The closest the First Responders could get in the second half was 32-29 on a 3-pointer by Luckson midway through the second half. The city employees put away scoring the next seven points.
Kelly, a sergeant with the Delray Beach Police Department, said he enjoyed playing in the game.
“It’s a great event,” Kelly said. “Parks and Rec versus the First Responders…you get to see the departments competing against each other in a friendly manner and showing camaraderie and having a good time.
“It is nice to have the community involved,” he said. “They are watching us, and it is entertainment…it’s a friendly game. Somebody has got to win, and somebody has got to lose. We do the best we can, and we have fun doing it. We got off to a slow start and changed the momentum late in the first half, but they were just too good to overcome. It was difficult. They were a good team.”
City of Delray Police Sgt. Terrace Scott, who heads up the community police unit, said the event is just another opportunity for the city to come together and be in unity with law enforcement and the employees of the city.
“It’s another opportunity to show them that we are just people and not robots,” Scott said. “It is an opportunity to show them that we are one and to showcase our city.”
Regarding the slow start?
“I think we are a little bit older, and it took us a little while to get going,” Scott said, laughing.
Mobley said the friendly game kicked off the Walk Against Violence march that took place the next morning in which the police and fire departments participated with the community.
He said there were about 300 people that took part and said the goal of both events is to increase camaraderie and unity throughout the city by honoring the first responders along with other city employees that together keep the city safe and vibrant. The Walk started and ended at Pompey Park.
“We just wanted to get the city employees, first responders, and some of the nonprofits to get together to show some unity and good fraternizing in an athletic event to have some fun.”
The game featured a DJ and a halftime show performance by the Platinum Steppers.
“It gives the community the opportunity to see we are regular people as well,” Mobley said. “They get to see the people who work behind the scenes or the officers in a different light, out of their uniform and you can see the PD came to support with the chief, the assistant chief…the first chief, we have a city commissioner here are well.
“It is just a great event for the community and for my peers who work it as well,” he said.
Delray Beach Police Officer Theodore Williams didn’t have an enjoyable stint last year when he dislocated his shoulder in the game, was taken out of the game on a stretcher and then missed six months while rehabbing. He shot a couple of practice free throws at halftime and played the final two minutes of the game this year.
“At the time, I didn’t know what to think,” he said, laughing. “My arm went numb and I kind of blacked out a little bit. I believe in overcoming adversity, so I came back this year to show my face today and support them. I can still shoot a little bit, but I am not in playing condition right now, but next year, you’ll definitely see me back here.”
