Seventeen high schools will be represented in the 2006 North Central Missouri College Foundation-sponsored High School Holiday Shootout, scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 27-29 in Trenton.
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“The second annual shootout has grown in participation as well as planning,” says NCMC Foundation Director Steve Maxey. “Our first event in 2005 was such a great hit and immediately brought attention from schools wanting to participate as well as special efforts to grow the event professionally and financially.”
Boys and girls teams from throughout northern and mid-Missouri will bring outstanding high school basketball to the Ketcham Community Center for three days this year. Schools contracted to compete include Chillicothe, Gilman City, Green City, Hale, Lafayette County of Higginsville, Lawson, Macon County of New Cambria, Monroe City, Newtown-Harris, North Mercer, Plattsburg, Princeton, Putnam County of Unionville, Richmond, Ridgeway, Trenton and Tri-County of Jamesport. Of this number, 16 schools will field boy’s teams while 13 schools will be bringing girls basketball squads.
As in the past, the shootout format will be used. This type of event does not allow teams to advance in play to a winner’s or loser’s bracket and, as a result, an overall champion is not selected. Maxey says this format has been very well accepted by coaches and athletic directors, allowing teams to know in advance when they play and who their opponent will be. Schools do not have to anticipate a winner or loser for further play and teams may play up or down in school size as classes ranging from 1A through 3A are involved in this year’s event.
Maxey says the participating teams are excited to play a game or two during the long holiday break with hopes of meeting an opponent that they normally will not meet during the regular season.
“We try very hard to schedule teams against similar sizes and uncommon opponents, but that is not always possible,” Maxey said.
A shootout committee has worked since the 2005 event was held to grow this year’s event and Maxey says the change from two to three days is the greatest change as well as games to be played all day long and into the evening allowing for three days of great basketball for the loyal fan.
“We hope to present ballgames into the evening that will also allow for those who work during the day to be able to enjoy the event as well,” Maxey said.
The overall committee includes Wendell Lenhart, Steve Busch, Brent Wyant, Steve Ockenfels, George Moore, Allen Berry and Maxey.
“Others are being added as the shootout expands and lots of volunteers will be needed to stage such an event,” said Maxey. “We will be looking for lots of support and individuals interested may contact the college’s foundation office for additional information.”
College foundation officials say the event was organized last year to assist in marketing the community college to prospective students and their families, to generate financial support to the college foundation, the opportunity to generate economic benefit to the community and to schedule outstanding high school basketball during the holiday season for the entire region to enjoy.
Special efforts are being made to involve the business community and bring an economic impact to the town. Commemorative t-shirts are available for sale and encouraged for individuals to wear to promote the event – both in advance and during the three-day event. The shirt depicts the official logo for 2006 as designed by professional artist and NCMC alum Dan Maxey of St. Louis. The listing of each participating team appears on the back of the shirts. These are available at the Office of Development at NCMC or during the shootout while the supply lasts.
In addition, a souvenir program will be for sale with a colored cover and individual photos of each participating team. Sponsors are being sought for page sponsorships as well as discount coupons to be included in the back of the program designed to encourage patronage in the area businesses.
Banners and special signage will be displayed during the week of the shootout and individual businesses wanting to post official signage in their store windows or have exterior signage placed on their own sandwich boards are available by contacting the college’s development office.
“We hope to find a tremendous impact with area businesses during this holiday break when stores are likely not as busy during holiday shopping season,” Maxey said. “We see tremendous opportunity for merchants to ‘roll out the red carpet’ for these 16 high schools and their families/fans who are coming to Trenton for this big event. We see exciting opportunity for this shootout to grow in record numbers with high schools already requesting information for the 2007 and 2008 event.”
Persons wanting more information may contact the NCMC Office of Development at 359-3948, extension 403 and either volunteer or join in on the excitement.