Hoop Fest schedule announced

No Thursday
night games
to be played

By Ann Beckett
Tribune-Courier Features Editor
sports@tribunecourier.com

MARSHALL COUNTY – Marshall County High School has released the 2010 Hoop Fest line-up. One noticeable change this year is the absence of Thursday evening games. “It’s hard to bring out-of-state teams in for Thursday games because they have to miss school,” said MCHS Athletic Director Jeff Stokes. “We moved the Thursday evening session to Saturday morning to make things easier on everyone.”

The Hoop Fest, scheduled for Dec. 3 and 4, as always will feature several nationally ranked teams as well as strong 2010-2011 Kentucky state contenders.

The first session on Friday will begin with the Lady Marshals and new head coach Joseph Simmons facing the Massac County Lady Patriots at 5:00 p.m. Coach Gus Gillespie and the Marshals will play Middle College High School from Memphis in the second game on Friday.

Duncanville High School from Texas will take on Louisville Ballard in game three. Ballard made it to the Elite 8 in the state tournament last season finishing with a 32-5 record. The team from Duncanville will play with heavy hearts this season. On July 3rd they lost teammate Deion Jackson-Houston to an automobile accident. Jackson-Houston would have been their starting point guard this season and was considered a top 2012 recruit for the state of Texas.

Finishing off Friday evening, Christ School from Asheville, North Carolina will play another North Carolina opponent in Quality Education. Christ School is the defending 3A NCISAA State Champions for the fourth year in a row and finished last season with a 37-1 record. Their only loss was to Findley Prep at last year’s Hoop Fest.

Quality Education from Winston-Salem finished the season last year ranked fifth in North Carolina with a 22-8 overall record.

Saturday morning’s line-up will see Massac County playing Muhlenberg at 11:00 a.m. followed by the Lady Marshals taking on McClean County. Rounding out the Saturday early session will be Graves County and Scott Central.

Beginning at 5:00 Saturday evening, Warren Central will play Duncanville, TX. Warren Central lost in last season’s state tournament Elite 8 round of the play to Louisville Ballard.

The Marshals will take on Bowling Green in game two Saturday evening. This will be the Marshals first appearance in the Saturday evening session.

Oak Hill Academy and Coach Steve Smith will play Quality Education in the 8:00 p.m. game. Always a Hoop Fest favorite, Oak Hill alums include NBA players Ty Lawson, Rajon Rondo and Carmello Anthony just to name a few.

Christian County will play Melrose out of Memphis in the final Hoop Fest game of the weekend. Christian County finished the 2009-2010 season with a 30-5 record and were Region Two Champions. Melrose was last season’s Tennessee state class 3A champions with a win over former Hoop Fest participants White Station. Melrose finished the season ranked 11th nationally, one better than Oak Hill Academy.