11 area teams to participate in 2009 showcase at Covelli Centre

By TOM WILLIAMS

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — Four high school boys basketball games, two girls contests and one middle school clash are on tap for Saturday’s Fifth annual Youngstown-Warren Holiday Basketball Classic at the Covelli Centre.

The girls games tip off the arena’s busy day with morning showdowns. At 8:30 a.m., Chaney will take on Fitch. At approximately 10:15 a.m., Steel Valley Conference rivals East and Ursuline will play.

Asked how hard it is to get high school athletes ready to play a morning game, East coach Tanisha Franklin laughed.

“I’m not one to make excuses,” Franklin said. “We’ve been playing Ursuline for a while so it’s a pretty good rivalry. My girls are pretty pumped up for this game.”

Following a city middle school contest at noon, the varsity boys games will begin at 2 p.m. when East plays Youngstown Christian. That game will be followed at 4 p.m. when Chaney plays Fitch.

Mooney will take on Kennedy Catholic from Hermitage, Pa., at 6 p.m. The series will close at 8 p.m. when Warren Harding plays Cleveland East Tech.

The East-Ursuline game will be the first one for the Panthers not against a Stark County opponent. After opening with a win against Alliance and a loss to Canton Central Catholic, East walloped St. Thomas Aquinas on Wednesday.

“We lost a tough one when the ball didn’t bounce our way, so I’m not satisfied,” Franklin said. “But our girls are playing well.”

Ursuline coach Sean Durkin said his 1-2 team has room for improvement. The Irish will be playing for the first time in the Covelli Centre.

“I think the biggest difference for us will be [adjusting to] the shooting background,” Durkin said of the arena that has approximately 5,700 seats. “It’s a much bigger arena. But I’d rather play there than some of the hostile places we often play.

“It’s a concern,” said Durkin of the shooting background, “but the way we’ve been shooting lately, we can’t do much worse.”

East High boys coach Mark Cherol has coached teams in each Classic and believes “it takes a little while to get used to the depth perception. But it’s the same for both teams.

”It’s a beautiful venue, the kids enjoy playing there,” Cherol said. “I wish we could play there a couple times a year.”

The box office will open at 7:45 a.m. to sell tickets for the girls games. The arena will be cleared after the East-Ursuline game. Tickets for the boys games will go on sale at 11:45 a.m.

Cherol said another thing he enjoys about the Classic is it gives players a chances to see other teams on the court.

“One time, we went to the arena early to watch the game in front of ours,” Cherol said. “Then we stayed to watch some of the game that followed.”

The Panthers are 1-1 after losing to Harding (a Division I state team last year) and defeating East Liverpool.

“Youngstown Christian has a nice ballclub,” Cherol said. “They are Div. IV and we’re Div. I, but we’re going to have to bring our A game.” Prices are $5 for students and $6 for adults. Seating is general admission and league passes will not be accepted.

Durkin agreed with Franklin that getting his players in gear early provides a challenge.

“We’ll find out pretty quickly [who’s ready].” Durkin said. “We do play a lot of Saturday afternoon games so it’s probably easier for us than it would be for boys teams. The girls will certainly have to change their [pregame] routine.”

This will be the first of two games East and Ursuline will play.

“We’re pretty familiar with their personality,” Durkin said of the Panthers. “It’s a good rivalry, a lot of girls know each other and are friends off the court.”

williams@vindy.com