2008 Hoop Fest schedule nearly finalized

By Justin McGill
Tribune-Courier Managing Editor
jmcgill@tribunecourier.com

DRAFFENVILLE – Seven years ago, the future of Marshall County sports was made brighter by the hiring of Steve Woodward as the high school’s athletic director. Even with his resignation this month, the immediate future of local sports still appears bright.

Woodward, who made a splash regionally when he founded the Players’ Shootout at Massac County and made a bigger splash nationally when he brought the event here, will step down from MCHS effective April 1.

“I’ve been doing this for 41 years as an AD or basketball coach,” Woodward said. “At this age, you either do what you want to do or you don’t do anything. I’ve narrowed it down to Hoop Fest.”

Woodward’s event, renamed Hoop Fest when he came to MCHS, reached its peak this season as the games were made available for viewing on the internet at WazooSports.com, a Knoxville, Tenn.- based organization. Woodward leaves MCHS to become Wazoo’s special events coordinator. In that position, which Woodward will fill in an office at the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce, he will continue administration of Hoop Fest.

MCHS athletic secretary Ronecca Joseph will also step down from the school and join Woodward.

Woodward’s duties will also include organizing and operating another Hoop Fest hosted by South Laurel High School in London, Ky. Wazoo’s future plans include similar events it intends to play at Rupp Arena and in Charlotte, N.C.

MCHS principal and soon-to-be district superintendent Trent Lovett said the athletic director’s opening has been posted, and he hopes to have Woodward’s successor named in June. An interim athletic director had not been named at press time.

“His experience is going to be hard to replace,” Lovett said. “That’s some big shoes to fill, but with him continuing to work with Hoop Fest in another capacity, that’s going to be less of a headache on the next athletic director. He’s done a tremendous job for the community and the school system and will definitely be missed.”

Woodward said he’s enjoyed his time as athletic director and is happy he’ll be able to maintain a connection to Marshall County.

“Marshall County is the best place to work,” Woodward said. “I’ve enjoyed it. I would like to have been here in the 1980s in the heyday of boys and girls basketball, but I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve had the freedom to do things I couldn’t have done at other schools.”

Current plans for this year’s Marshall County Hoop Fest, scheduled for Dec. 4-6, call for ESPN to return and broadcast a game from the event. Teams like Oak Hill (Va.), Chicago Whitney Young and St. Benedict’s (N.J.) are scheduled to return, joined by schools including Fairfax (Calif.), Monteverde (Fla.) and Duncanville (Texas).

The South Laurel Hoop Fest will feature more of Kentucky’s top teams rather than nationally-renowned clubs. Marshall County’s boys are currently scheduled to play games against North Laurel and Boone County in the event,