HIGH POINT — The Headliners Challenge is back after a year away.
The annual high school basketball showcase over Thanksgiving weekend will resume after last year’s hiatus — this year at Wesleyan Christian.
Fifteen games, featuring some of the area’s top teams from both the public school and private school ranks, will take place Friday and Saturday, Nov. 26-27, at Wesleyan. Play will start at 11:30 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.
“I told the kids to enjoy the moment,” said Daniel McRae, Wesleyan’s girls basketball coach who will be co-directing the event alongside Kenny Carter. “We’ve gone really a year and a half without good basketball. “We played last year, but to have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family and students — just enjoy it because it’s been a long time.”
Bishop McGuinness’ boys, Wesleyan’s girls and boys, and High Point Christian’s girls and boys will be participating in this year’s event, sponsored by Sport Clips, while 18 other teams from across the state have signed on as well.
The challenge has been getting teams back on board after the unusual scheduling of last season, Carter said. But the goal remains the same: to provide an early-season challenge reminiscent of a playoff matchup.
“We want teams to be able to gauge who they are,” said Carter, formerly the girls basketball coach at High Point Central. “We want it to have the flavor of a season-opener — kind of like Kansas-Michigan State the other night. And we want to get it back to the level that it has been.”
Friday will feature seven games, including two in the auxiliary gym, that will conclude following the 5:30 p.m. game. Saturday will include eight games, all of which will be in the main gym, that will wrap up with the 8:30 p.m. game.
“I think it’s going to be exciting,” McRae said. “We picked up Sport Clips as a sponsor this year. They’re excited, and they’re going to bring some people out here. I offered to have them bring a chair and give free haircuts, but the health department wouldn’t let them do that,” he said with a laugh.
“But they’re excited to be a part of it. I’m happy to get the community involved. Subway’s donated some stuff — Domino’s, State Farm. We’ve had a lot of support from the community. So, I don’t think it’s just us who’s excited to get in the gym, but I think a lot of people around us are too.”
The annual high school basketball showcase over Thanksgiving weekend will resume after last year’s hiatus — this year at Wesleyan Christian.
Fifteen games, featuring some of the area’s top teams from both the public school and private school ranks, will take place Friday and Saturday, Nov. 26-27, at Wesleyan. Play will start at 11:30 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday.
“I told the kids to enjoy the moment,” said Daniel McRae, Wesleyan’s girls basketball coach who will be co-directing the event alongside Kenny Carter. “We’ve gone really a year and a half without good basketball. “We played last year, but to have the opportunity to play in front of friends and family and students — just enjoy it because it’s been a long time.”
Bishop McGuinness’ boys, Wesleyan’s girls and boys, and High Point Christian’s girls and boys will be participating in this year’s event, sponsored by Sport Clips, while 18 other teams from across the state have signed on as well.
The challenge has been getting teams back on board after the unusual scheduling of last season, Carter said. But the goal remains the same: to provide an early-season challenge reminiscent of a playoff matchup.
“We want teams to be able to gauge who they are,” said Carter, formerly the girls basketball coach at High Point Central. “We want it to have the flavor of a season-opener — kind of like Kansas-Michigan State the other night. And we want to get it back to the level that it has been.”
Friday will feature seven games, including two in the auxiliary gym, that will conclude following the 5:30 p.m. game. Saturday will include eight games, all of which will be in the main gym, that will wrap up with the 8:30 p.m. game.
“I think it’s going to be exciting,” McRae said. “We picked up Sport Clips as a sponsor this year. They’re excited, and they’re going to bring some people out here. I offered to have them bring a chair and give free haircuts, but the health department wouldn’t let them do that,” he said with a laugh.
“But they’re excited to be a part of it. I’m happy to get the community involved. Subway’s donated some stuff — Domino’s, State Farm. We’ve had a lot of support from the community. So, I don’t think it’s just us who’s excited to get in the gym, but I think a lot of people around us are too.”
