Normandy High School will be the site of an impressive lineup of high school basketball games on Saturday.
The Second Annual Cricket Wireless Midwest Showdown High School Basketball Shootout is an all-day hoops feast that will feature talented teams from four different states around the region.
This eight-game event is being presented by Terrell Ramey of Rameybasketball.com and the Demetrious Johnson Charitable Foundation. These two forces have joined together to bring the area a high-powered prep basketball event.
Admission for the Shootout is $10. Tickets are on sale at all MetroTix outlets, MetroTix.com and at the participating schools.
Here is a brief capsule of the eight games on the schedule for Saturday.
Career Academy vs. Manassas (Tenn.), 11 a.m. n The girls game features PHL contender Career Academy against one of the top teams in the state of Tennessee. Career Academy features excellent guards Ciara Leak and Rashonda Willis while Manassas has one of the nation’s top juniors in 5’10” guard Desiree Phillips.
Wellston vs. Decatur McArthur (Ill.): 12:30 p.m. n The first boys game of the day will pit 2007 Class 2 state champion Wellston against a talented McArthur team from Illinois. The Trojans are led by 6’5” sophomore Ben McClemore while McArthur is led by 6’4” senior sharpshooter MontyWilson and 6’6” junior Kendall Kennison.
Harrisburg (Mo.) vs. Providence St. Mel (Ill.), 2 p.m. n Defending Missouri Class 2 state champion returns top player Cory Via while small-school Illinois power St. Mel is led by 6’9” junior Phillip Jackson and 6’5” junior transfer Mark Mack.
Parkway South vs. Evansville Harrison (Ind.), 3:30 p.m. n The Patriots have advanced to the Missouri Class 5 state quarterfinals the past two years behind talented senior point guard Ben Hoener, who is one of the top players in St. Louis. He will match up with Harrison’s 5’11” point guard Kendal Brown, who is headed to Southern Illinois.
Francis Howell vs. Schaumburg (Ill.), 5 p.m. n Howell will be one of the teams to watch in St. Charles County this year behind the trio of 6’6” senior Cody Sorenson, 6’3” junior Brevin McVicar and 6’2” senior Ryan Hinklemann. Schaumburg will counter with talented 6’2” guard Cully Payne, who is headed to the University of Alabama.
Whitfield vs. Memphis Manassas (Tenn.), 6:30 p.m. n Whitfield will be one of the area’s top small schools this year with talented juniors Julian Johnson and Maurice Burns leading the way while Manassas is led by 6’9” senior Reginald Buckner, who has signed with the University of Mississippi.
McCluer vs. Chicago Foreman, 8 p.m. n Coach Erwin Claggett’s Comets feature a strong perimeter trio of 6’3” senior Lonnie Boga (headed to Wisconsin-Milwaukee), 6’2” senior Jerrel Partlow and 5’10” sophomore guard Shaquille Boga. The Comets won the Pattonville Tournament last week. Foreman will counter with a strong backcourt of its own in juniors Lavonte Dority, Mike McCall and senior leaper Willie Howard.
Normandy vs. East St. Louis, 9:30 p.m. n The finale will be a border battle feature the host Vikings against the talented Flyers. Malcolm Hill’s Normandy squad will rebuild around 6’3” senior Darryl Dixon and talented juniors Quenton Townsend and Deandre Ballard. The Flyers feature excellent senior point guard Durand Sain, who had a 42-point outing last week, and 6’3” sophomore Keonte Minor, who was a standout on the Flyers’ state-championship football team. He averaged eight points a game as a freshman.