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

MARSHALL COUNTY – Five county basketball gymnasiums will host 37 middle school basketball teams in next weekend’s inaugural Gunnin’ for Gunner Memorial Basketball Tournament.

Seventh and eighth grade boys and girls teams will compete in the event, which will start at 5 p.m. Friday and run throughout Saturday. Games will be played at both Marshall County High School gyms – Reed Conder Gymnasium and the Auxiliary Gym – and at each county middle school – Benton, North Marshall and South Marshall.

In addition to the games, little league teams will be recognized Friday night. Cheerleaders from several participating schools will perform, as well.

Event co-organizer Dennis Foust said the event was originally planned as a fundraiser for 8-year-old Gunner Gillespie. When Gunner passed away two weeks ago after a battle with a brain tumor, the event was changed to a memorial with all proceeds benefiting the Gunner Gillespie Fund at Community Financial Services Bank.

Foust credited co-orgainzer Keith Steele for moving the project forward.

“I’m helping Keith, but he’s the one that deserves the credit for organizing this,” Foust said. “When he came up with this idea, I thought it was a great thing to do. It gives us a chance to bring our teams together with teams across the area.”
Foust said he and Steele hope to make the tournament an annual event.

Fundraising events during the tournament will include a silent auction and various concessions at each school, including bake sales.

Admission will be $5 for adults and $3 for students each day.

For more information on the tournament and fundraising events, contact Foust at 527-1480 or Steele at 703-6773.

Schedule: By the end of the tournament, 55 games will have been played across five locations. Each game will be played with six-minute quarters.


FRIDAY
5 p.m. – 8th girls, North Marshall vs. Graves County Blue (Conder); 8th boys, Calloway County vs. Paducah (Aux.); 7th boys, Reidland vs. Graves County Blue (NMMS); 8th girls, Benton vs. Graves County Gray (BMS); 8th girls, Calloway County vs. Paducah (SMMS)

6:15 p.m. – 7th boys, North Marshall vs. Ballard (Conder); 7th boys, Calloway County vs. St. Mary (Aux.); 7th girls, Ballard vs. Graves County Blue (NMMS); 7th girls, Benton vs. Graves County Gray (BMS); 7th girls, South Marshall vs. Paducah (SMMS).

7:30 p.m. – 8th boys, North Marshall vs. Ballard (Conder); 7th boys, Murray vs. Paducah (Aux.); 8th girls, Ballard vs. Graves County Blue (NMMS); 7th boys, Benton vs. Graves County Gray (BMS); 8th girls, South Marshall vs. Paducah (SMMS).

8:45 p.m. – 8th boys, Benton vs. St. Mary (Conder); 8th boys, Murray vs. Paducah (Aux.); 7th girls, North Marshall vs. Graves County Blue (NMMS); 8th boys, South Marshall vs. Graves County (SMMS).

SATURDAY
9 a.m. – 7th boys, Benton vs. Reidland (Conder); 7th girls, South Marshall vs. Ballard (Aux.); 7th boys, Calloway County vs. Paducah (BMS).

10:15 a.m. – 7th girls, North Marshall vs. Centraila, Ill. (Conder); 8th girls, Ballard vs. Calloway County (Aux.); 8th boys, North Marshall vs. St. Mary (NMMS); 8th boys, Calloway vs. Centralia, Ill. (BMS).

11:30 a.m. – 7th boys, North Marshall vs. Centralia, Ill. (Conder); 8th boys, Paducah vs. Graves County (Aux.); 8th girls, North Marshall vs. Graves County Gray (NMMS); 7th boys, Graves County Gray vs. St. Mary (BMS); 7th boys, Murray vs. Ballard (SMMS).

12:45 p.m. – 7th boys, Paducah vs. Graves County Blue (Conder); 7th girls, Centralia, Ill. vs. Graves County Blue (Aux.); 7th girls, North Marshall vs. Paducah (NMMS); 8th boys, Benton vs. Murray (BMS); 8th boys, South Marshall vs. Ballard (SMMS).

2 p.m. – 7th girls, South Marshall vs. Graves County Gray (Conder); 7th boys, Reidland vs. Graves County Gray (Aux.); 8th boys, North Marshall vs. Centralia, Ill. (NMMS); 8th girls, Benton vs. Ballard (BMS); 8th girls, South Marshall vs. Graves County Gray (SMMS).

3:15 p.m. – 7th girls, Benton vs. Centralia, Ill. (Conder); 7th boys, Benton vs. Centralia, Ill. (Aux.); 8th girls, North Marshall vs. Paducah (NMMS); 8th boys, Murray vs. Graves County (BMS); 8th boys, South Marshall vs. St. Mary (SMMS).

4:30 p.m. – 7th girls, Ballard vs. Graves County Gray (Conder); 7th boys, Ballard vs. Calloway County (Aux.); 7th boys, North Marshall vs. St. Mary (NMMS); 7th boys, Graves County Blue vs. Murray (BMS); 8th girls, South Marshall vs. Calloway County (SMMS).

5:45 p.m. – 8th boys, Benton vs. Centralia, Ill. (Conder); 8th boys, Ballard vs. Calloway County (Aux.); 7th Girls, Benton vs. Paducah (BMS).

7 p.m. – 8th girls, Benton vs. Graves County Blue (Conder).