Youth teams begin season

The youth fifth and sixth grade basketball teams will play their first games of the season on Saturday, Jan. 12, with the four local teams competing in both the Albany High School gym and the Albany practice gym.

Basketball games will take place every hour from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with two games scheduled for each of the 16 teams playing in Albany this Saturday. 

A total of 36 teams from Albany, Anson, Baird, Clyde, Eula, Hawley, Merkel, Jim Ned, and Stamford are in the league this year, and about half of those will start their season in Albany, while the rest begin in Merkel  this Saturday.

Admission

Admission is $2 for adults, and $1 for students and senior citizens. There is a maximum admission charge of $5 per family. 

Sixth Grade Girls

Albany’s sixth grade girls are scheduled to face off against Baird’s sixth graders at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12 in the high school gym, and then have a second game later that morning, in the same gym, taking on Jim Ned’s sixth grade girls #2 at 11:00 a.m.

The sixth grade girls are coached by Leslie Neve.

Fifth Grade Boys

The Albany fifth grade boys start their season in the high school gym with a 10:00 a.m. bout with the Eula fifth graders. 

The Albany team will also be in the high school gym for a 12:00 noon battle with the Clyde fifth grade boys.

The Albany fifth graders are coached by John Tom Heatly.

Sixth Grade Boys

The sixth grade boys team, coached by Campbell Terry, will play the Stamford sixth graders at 2:00 p.m. in the practice gym. They will follow up with a 4:00 p.m. game against the Jim Ned #2 team of sixth graders in the high school gym.

Fifth Grade Girls

Clint Chapman and Paul Ivy coach the fifth grade girls.

The Albany fifth grade girls are scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. game with Jim Ned’s fifth grade girls #1 team in the Albany High School gym this Saturday, and then stay at the same location for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off with Jim Ned’s fifth grade girls #2 team.

Future Travel

The Albany teams take to the road starting on Jan. 19, with the local youth basketball teams playing in either Stamford or Eula on Saturday, Jan. 19, at Anson or Jim Ned on Jan. 26, and in Hawley or Jim Ned on Feb. 2.

The final tournaments will be held in Clyde and Eula on Saturday, Feb. 9.

The final games were scheduled in Clyde and Eula because they are close enough to each other that parents can drive back and forth to watch brothers and sisters play, according to organizers.

Team Photos

Since Saturday’s tournament is the only at-home action for the fifth and sixth grade teams, the Albany News plans to take team photos during the day.

Tentatively, the sixth grade girls will meet in the gym lobby at 8:40 a.m. this Saturday, Jan. 12, followed by the fifth grade boys at 9:00 a.m.

Fifth grade girls will have photos at 1:15 p.m., with the sixth grade boys at 1:30 p.m.

Reminder slips will be sent home from school or practices this week.