Local basketball fans will have an opportunity to see some of the best high school basketball players and teams in the area at the 21st annual W-K Holiday Shoot-Out. The Shoot-Out features 52 local teams playing 26 games throughout the month of December. The event begins on Wednesday, Dec. 14 and continues Dec. 15, Dec. 16, Dec. 17, and Dec. 28 at the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center on the State Fair Community College campus.
The idea for the Shoot-Out came 22 years ago from Tom Knight, who was the athletic director at Smith-Cotton High School.
"We implemented it in the spring and summer of 2001 and had the first Shoot-Out that December," said SFCC Athletic Director Darren Pannier. "He (Knight) had the idea to bring in different opponents for the area schools to play. After he gave me the idea, I just started calling local high schools and asking them if they would play a school from outside their area."
The Wednesday, Dec. 14 action consists of a doubleheader between Lincoln and Concordia. The girl's contest will tipoff at 6 p.m., followed by the boy's contest at 7:30 p.m.
The games on Thursday, Dec. 15 consist of a pair of doubleheaders, starting with a matchup between Tuscumbia and New Franklin. The girl's game begins at 4:30 p.m. and the boy's contest will follow at 6 p.m. A girl's game between Bunceton/Prairie Home and Northwest will tipoff at 7:30 p.m., and a boy's contest between Prairie Home/Bunceton and Northwest will close out the action on day two of the Shoot-Out at 9 p.m.
The Friday, Dec. 16 action will consist of a pair of doubleheaders between Chilhowee and La Monte, and Smithton and Climax Springs. The girl's game between Chilhowee and La Monte will tipoff at 4:30 p.m., followed by the boy's contest at 6 p.m. The girl's contest between Smithton and Climax Springs is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., followed by the boy's contest at 9 p.m. to close out the action.
The games on Dec. 17 will begin with a doubleheader between Cole Camp and St. Paul's Concordia. The girl's game will tipoff at 10:30 a.m., followed by the boy's contest at noon. A doubleheader between Santa Fe and Stover will begin at 1:30 p.m. with the girl's game. The boy's game will follow at 3 p.m. Sacred Heart and Sweet Springs will play a doubleheader beginning with the girl's contest (Sacred Heart girls with the Otterville girls) at 4:30 p.m., with the boy's game to follow at 6 p.m. Smith-Cotton will take on Kansas City Northeast in a girl's contest at 7:30 p.m. The Smith-Cotton boys will close out the action with a game against Kansas City Northeast and tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m.
After a break for the Christmas holiday, action will resume on Dec. 28. A doubleheader between Green Ridge and Hardin-Central will begin with a girl's game at 9:00 a.m., followed by a boy's game at 10:30 a.m. A doubleheader between Pilot Grove and Montrose will follow. The girl's contest is scheduled to start at Noon, followed by the boy's contest at 1: 30 p.m. A doubleheader between Macks Creek and Leeton is scheduled for a 3 p.m. tipoff for the girl's game, with the boy's game to follow at 4:30 p.m. A doubleheader between Tipton and Russellville will close out this year's event. The girl's contest is scheduled to tipoff at 6 p.m., followed by the boy's game at 7:30 p.m.
The title sponsor of the event is W-K Sedalia-Boonville. The co-sponsors are McDonald's, Pummill's Sporting Goods, Culligan, Ditzfeld Transfer and Container/Trash Service, and Jones Bros. Marine.
"The sponsors help make sure that the doors stay open," said Pannier. "It's a costly event. I believe SFCC really benefits from it because it gets prospective students on campus."
The admission prices for the event are five dollars per day for adults, and kids 12 and under are admitted free.
David Rohrbach SFCC Athletics