Elementary hoops honoring the past, building the future

By DON PERRY 

 

In a hoops time warp of sorts, McCreary Countians can enjoy present day basketball with a glimpse of future Raiders while reminiscing the past teams thanks to monikers paying homage to the elementaries of yesteryear.

When the elementary basketball program was restructured for this school year, the administration adopted the team names from former elementary schools, bringing life back to the Mohawks, Wildcats, Tigers, Eagles, Warriors and so on.

Those teams were then filled with any student wanting to play, introducing more potential future players into the fold. With the girls action now underway, fans can enjoy seeing even more players from throughout the county team up to learn the game.

While there have been a couple of road bumps along the way regarding the goal of equally competitive teams that needs ironed out, the league has seen lots of positives in its infancy, with more elementary students hitting the hardwood than in recent history.

With the girls teams currently playing their games rotating between Pine Knot and Whitley City Elementary, the boys season is just around the corner with their first games tentatively beginning Nov. 2.

With balanced competition and the focus on fundamentals of the game, the play among friends and classmates should help build a stronger foundation in which mortar and bricks along the way can make the high school program stronger down the road. At least that is the goal of the current system.

Not only is it a chance to see the future of McCreary basketball, it’s also a step back in time to the likes of long gone Revelo, Eagle, and Smithtown elementary rivalries that used to represent the pre-consolidation of schools.

Additional photos from some of the girls elementary action this week can be seen on page B2 of this issue.