I would like to begin this week’s column by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a very safe holiday season.
After sharing some valuable family time with the opening of presents as well as the obligatory grubbing that goes on at the dinner table, nothing completes the holiday sports season like the glut of basketball tournaments that will begin this weekend.
I must make special mention of the Normandy Holiday Tournament, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The Normandy Tournament was at one time one of the biggest Christmas Tournaments in the Midwest. It was so big, that it had 32 teams and two divisions (Red and Green) and it attracted all of the top teams from around the St. Louis area. They came from the city, the county, and the rural areas with a common goal; to prove that they were the best.
They came from public schools and private schools, large and small schools. Whether you were from Beaumont, Vashon, DeSmet, Webster Groves, Kirkwood, St. Charles, or even New Haven, St. Clair or Crystal City, if you had game, you wanted to show your stuff at the Normandy Tournament. It was the place to be.
At one time, you could show up at Normandy at 9 a.m. and stay until midnight and walk away having seen virtually every top team in the St. Louis area. To take an adage from college football’s Rose Bowl, it was the “Granddaddy” of all Christmas Tournaments.
Some of the greatest players in the history of the St. Louis showcased their skills at Normandy, including future NBA players such as Bill Bradley (Crystal City), David Thirdkill (Soldan), Steve Stipanovich (DeSmet), Anthony Bonner (Vashon), Rich Niemann (Bishop DuBourg) and Jahidi White and Loren Woods (Cardinal Ritter).
There is not a better basketball venue to watch such a tournament than the venerable Viking Hall at Normandy. I have been to just about every holiday tournament in the two-state area, and nothing comes close to Viking Hall when it comes to watching a basketball game. The only thing I can compare it to is the old Trout Gym in Centralia, which also host a great holiday tradition-laden tournament.
So, if you wish to watch a little high school basketball and get into the holiday spirit, take a little trip over the Viking Hall and Normandy High and enjoy the atmosphere.
The action gets underway on Friday with eight games, beginning at 10 a.m.. Cardinal Ritter College Prep drew the No. 1 seed. The Lions are led by the exciting junior-duo of Eric Clark and Wendell Crowder.
This year’s field has been invigorated by the addition to defending Class 3 state-champion Maplewood and Chicago Manley, who is the No. 2 seed. Maplewood brings a talented team to Normandy, led by standout senior guard Bryant Allen. The host Vikings are the No. 4 seed. Normandy defeated Ritter for the championship last year. The semifinals will be held on Sunday at 6:30 and 8 p.m. The championship game will be held on Monday night, Dec. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
The Meramec Holiday Festival, which also begins on Friday, should be a wide-open tournament. Hazelwood Central got the No. 1 seed, followed by McCluer, Lafayette, Webster Groves, Parkway West and St. Charles West. The semifinals will be held on Monday at 7 and 8:30 p.m. with the championship game to follow next Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The MICDS Tournament is underway this week, with Francis Howell, Parkway South, Jennings, Clayton and SLUH heading the field. The championship game is scheduled for next Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The Chaminade Tournament is highlighted by the host Flyers and its outstanding sophomore Bradley Beal. The championship game is scheduled for next Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. On the Illinois side, the Collinsville Tournament features two teams from the bi-state area as well as No. 1 seed Walton High from Georgia. The finals are set for next Tuesday at 8:15 p.m.
The top girls tournaments in town will be the Visitation and Mascoutah Tournaments. Incarnate Word is the top seed at Visitation, followed by Nerinx Hall, Hazelwood Central, Parkway South and newcomer McCluer South-Berkeley.