Youth basketball to start Saturday
By Donnie A. Lucas
Local fifth and sixth graders who signed up for local youth basketball teams have started practicing in preparation for the first tournament on Saturday, Jan. 9.
According to coach and league coordinator Clint Chapman, enough students signed up for the four teams designated for fifth and sixth grade boys and girls.
Albany will host a boys tournament starting at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, with five sixth grade teams and seven fifth grade squads each playing at least two games during the day.
The sixth grade and fifth grade boys are both scheduled to play at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
The local girls teams will travel to Jim Ned High School for their first tournament. The sixth graders are playing at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., while the fifth grade team will 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Albany will host the girls’ tournament on Feb. 16. The remainder of the games will be played out of town.
“The teams have already started practicing and are ready to go this weekend,” Chapman said.
There are as many as seven teams competing in some divisions of the league that includes other rural towns surrounding Abilene. In addition to Albany, teams are included from Jim Ned (Tuscola), Eula, Hawley, Stamford, and Merkel. Some divisions include two teams from the same town.
Admission to the Albany tournament will be $2 for adults and $1 for students to help offset some of the expenses the league incurs.
Lindsey Edgar and Justin Trail are coaching the girls teams this season, while on the boys side, Morgan Smith and Clint Chapman will head up the coaching duties.
Team and individual photos will be taken of all four teams by the Albany News during the local tournaments. Order slips will be sent home with players.
The boys will be photographed this Saturday, and the girls’ pictures will be taken on Jan. 16.
