By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com

 

 

LAGRANGE – The young players will take center stage this weekend.

The Battle of the Border Jamboree, featuring middle-school basketball teams from across  the area, will take place on Friday and Saturday at Mariotti Gym on the LaGrange College campus.

The three Troup County middle schools, along with four other schools, will participate in the two-day event that includes boys’ and girls’ teams.

The organizer of the event is Otis Gilbert, who is extremely active on the youth basketball scene in the area.

Gilbert said LaGrange College men’s coach Kendall Wallace and women’s coach Lee Buchanan, were both fully on board with the idea of holding the tournament in Mariotti Gym.

“Other cities are doing these sorts of things,” Gilbert said. “So I decided to get with coach Wallace, and coach Buchanan, and we talked about it, and we’re going to try it. Next year we’ll have LaGrange Academy and Lafayette Christian on board. This year they couldn’t alter their schedule. So I’m looking forward to trying to making this an annual event.”

Gilbert wanted to hold the event in a college gymnasium, to give the players motivation to possibly play on that level one day.

“The object of it is to give the kids a chance to play on a college campus,” Gilbert said.

Middle-school teams from Gardner Newman, Long Cane, Callaway, Odyssey Charter from Newnan, Lanett, Valley and South Girard from Phenix City will participate.

Here is the tournament schedule. All of the games will be played at Mariotti Gym on the LaGrange College campus.

Friday

5:30 p.m. – Gardner Newman girls vs. Greenville

6:30 p.m. – Gardner Newnan boys vs. Greenville

7:30 p.m. – Long Cane girls vs. Odyssey Charter

8:30 p.m. – Long Cane boys vs. Odyssey Charter

Saturday

9:30 a.m. – Callaway girls vs. Lanett

10:30 a.m. – Callaway boys vs. Lanett

11:30 a.m. – Greenville girls vs. Valley

12:30 p.m. – Greenville boys vs. Valley

1:30 p.m. – South Girard girls vs. Long Cane

2:30 p.m. – South Girard boys vs. Long Cane

3:30 p.m. – Lanett girls vs. Odyssey Charter

4:30 p.m. – Lanett boys vs. Odyssey Charter

5:30 p.m. – South Girard girls vs. Gardner Newman

6:30 p.m. – South Girard boys vs. Gardner Newman

7:30 p.m. – Valley girls vs. Callaway

8:30 p.m. –  Valley boys vs. Callaway