RETURN TO ACTION: Chris Hatchell heads upcourt last year for Winberie’s as he helped the team win the championship in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. After announcing his retirement from the league, Hatchell changed his mind and was back in action for Winberie’s last Monday as it topped King’s Pizzarama 63-54. In other action on Monday, Dr. Palmer defeated Princeton Youth Sports 50-30 and Princeton Pi topped Aria Health 67-64. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Chris Hatchell appeared to have gone out in a blaze of glory last year in the Princeton Recreation Department Summer Men’s Basketball League.

Hatchell, the sharpshooting guard and longtime stalwart for Winberie’s, helped the team top King’s Pizzarama 2-0 in the best-of-three championship series and then said he was retiring from the league as he approached his 40th birthday.

But Hatchell couldn’t stay away from the game and he was back on the court for Winberie’s last Monday as it dueled King’s at John Witherspoon School in a rematch of last year’s finals.

“I wasn’t going to play but I asked Kurt to put me down on the roster too because a lot of guys don’t always show,” said Hatchell.

“When you have been playing the game for as long as I have been playing it is hard to get away from and I got an itch. I can still play. I probably won’t make all the games; it is more about staying in shape.”

Hatchell also had some family reasons for returning to the fray. “My son is two and I want him to see a little bit more,” said Hatchell, gesturing to the boy who was sitting in a corner of the gym.

“He was out there last year but he is a little older and I want him to see me running up and down the court.”

With Winberie’s trailing 17-7 in the early going on Monday, Hatchell caught fire from the outside to help the team forge ahead 31-30 at halftime.

“We are an older team so we just have to get into the rhythm of things,” said a smiling Hatchell who scored all six of his points on the evening in the first half.

With the game tied at 44-44 with about nine minutes left in regulation, Winberie’s went on a 19-10 run to pull away to a 63-54 win.

“In close games we have the advantage because of our experience,” said Hatchell, reflecting on the team’s late surge in a game that saw Terrence Bailey score a game-high 19 points for Winberie’s with Princeton University football star Anthony Gaffney scoring 18 for King’s in a losing cause.

“We had a little size against those guys so we were able to post up down low.”

Experiencing a 49-46 loss to Aria Health in its season opener last Friday helped Winberie’s sharpen its focus, according to Hatchell.

“I think it is kind of good to lose early with a new team because now we have the loss under our belt and we should be playing together a little bit more,” said Hatchell.

“We are a veteran team; as the season goes on and we get our legs back under us, we will be OK.”

In Hatchell’s view, the team’s veteran leadership makes it formidable. “I can’t say enough about our core, Kurt (Simmons), Chris (Edwards), and Cliff (Pollard),” said Hatchell.

“I think as long as we stay together and we just add pieces, we will be able to play for a long time.”

Having made the decision to keep playing with his buddies, Hatchell is poised for another title run.

“I didn’t come back for nothing,” said Hatchell with a laugh. “Kurt said let’s do it again so I said one more time.”