March madness has been in full effect for two Tacoma basketball teams that happen to share the nickname Titans.

The men’s team at Tacoma Community College clinched the title at the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Tournament in Kennewick on March 6. The Titans put together a decisive 110-98 victory over Chemekata in the championship game. This was their fourth win in four days at the competition. The Titans wrap up the 2011/12 campaign with a record of 25-6, going 14-2 in division play.

This is the Titans’ seventh title and the second under head coach Carl Howell. The last came 10 years ago, also with Howell at the helm. We congratulate them on their success this season.

The other team is the Tacoma Titans, organized through the adaptive recreation program of Metro Parks. Next week they head off to Colorado Springs, Colo. to compete in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s National Championships. Some 20 squads from around the United States will compete for the title.

The Titans began as a casual, intramural league for local men in wheelchairs. Some have been disabled their entire lives. Others have found themselves in wheelchairs due to injuries suffered as adults, including active-duty military personnel from Joint Base Lewis-McChord who got involved in the program through the Warrior Transition Battalion.

We salute these athletes for their love of the game and for not allowing a disability to stop them from participating in basketball and excelling at it.

On March 10 the Titans played an exhibition game as a fundraiser to cover the costs of their journey to Colorado. About 130 fans showed up and generated about half of the goal of $5,000. Readers interested in helping the team with fundraising can learn how by visiting www.metroparkstacoma.org/titans or by calling (253) 591-5313