RAY SWANSON | Keystoner Hoyle tourney making changes

If W.U. "Bill" Hoyle were alive today, he probably wouldn't recognize his basketball tournament, at one time one of the most anticipated events in Western Pennsylvania.
Since his death, the tournament has undergone numerous major facelifts since it was taken over by the Sharon Lions Club.
It once was a week-long event, with competition slated at the F.H. Buhl Club and later transferred to Sharon High School. It drew powerhouse teams mostly from the tri-state area, including Division I talent and there were players coming in from Chicago, Detroit, New York and Washington D.C.
It was a hotbed for scouts from big schools hoping to get a line on these top-notch players who performed before huge crowds on each night of competition.
Changed: Well, things have changed. The tournament is now a four-day event, the big-name players from across the nation do not show, and the fans, well, they have dwindled, too. I guess it's a sign of the times.
The Lions Club has been making numerous changes in hopes of returning the prized event to stability, and tournament director Joe Viola has hopes it can be done.
According to Viola, this year's tournament (slated for April 11-14 at Sharon High school) will feature all-star teams from eight regional counties.
Competing from the Keystone State will teams from Erie, Crawford, Venango, Lawrence, Beaver and Mercer counties; while entered from the Buckeye State are squads from Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Their focus: "What we're attempting to do," said Viola, "is get teams from the surrounding areas, ones who can come in, play, and drive home the same night and come back the next night."
It will be an eight-team open format with two pools (four teams in each). Each team will be guaranteed three games, with the pool winners playing April 14 for the championship.
According to Viola, the fan base has been declining for the last 10 years. "We're just not getting the people out, especially the young people. Maybe with the changes we are making, things will work out much better."
In addition to the boys competition, there will be a four-team girls all-star division featuring teams from Mercer, Crawford, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Not only seniors: Another change this year: The tournament will not be limited to senior players. "We want the county teams to put their 12 best players on the floor and it doesn't matter what class they are in," Viola said.
The bottom line for the Lions Club is that the Hoyle Tournament is a fund-raiser for local charities and they want to raise as much as they can each year. Those amounts have been dwindling.
Viola said the primary beneficiaries of the money are the Keystone Blind Association, Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, Community Food Warehouse of the Shenango Valley, Prince of Peace Center and the American Cancer Society.
The future: Viola also said the future of the tournament seems secure. "What we are attempting to do with all of these changes is boost our revenues.
"We've been making money with our program booklets and we have good backing from our area businesses and corporations. What we are attempting to do is increase our fanbase and with the changes we are hopeful of doing just that."
The change to an all-region tournament may be just what the doctor ordered. At least it could be a step in the right direction and hopefully the public will follow in those footsteps.
Viola also said the annual Sharon Lions Club pre-tournament banquet will be April 5.