The Tenth Annual “Hoops 4 Healing” Basketball Classic will celebrate it’s first decade by expanding the event to include two weekends of basketball competition.
On Saturday, Dec. 6, the College of Wooster will be the site of a full slate of women’s basketball games featuring varsity teams from Lake, Wooster, Medina and Wadsworth High Schools, along with collegiate women’s teams Case Western Reserve University and the College of Wooster.
The next weekend, the men square off as Malone University is the host site for this year’s college teams and GlenOak High School entertains the high school match-ups. On Friday, Dec. 12, Walsh will take on Concordia (MI) in the opener at 6:00 p.m. with Malone and Lake Erie College in the nightcap.
On Saturday, Dec. 13, Walsh and Malone will switch opponents at 1 and 3 p.m. starts, respectively at Malone University. At GlenOak, the high school version of the Classic will tip-off with Perrysburg vs. Massillon Perry, followed by Bedford Chanel vs. Lake and the final being Poland facing GlenOak.
On both Dec. 6 and Dec. 13, each of the teams playing at their respective sites will be guests at the annual public breakfast. The women’s teams will host their breakfast at the College of Wooster’s Lowry Center on Dec. 6.
The men’s breakfast will be at the Hartville Kitchen on Dec. 13. Both breakfasts will start at 8:30 a.m. and are open to the public. Tickets for each breakfast may be purchased at the door that morning for $10 per person.
The “Hoops 4 Healing” Classic started 10 years ago as an opportunity to promote liver disease research and organ donation education.
The concept of the “Hoops 4 Healing” Classic was generated by some unique circumstances. Three Canton-area basketball coaches, Hal Smith of Malone College, Steve Loy of Walsh University, and Bruce Brown of Uniontown Lake High School were all diagnosed with a rare liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC.
The acknowledgement of all three men’s illness became national news and received the attention of people from literally around the world. Adding to the coincidence was the diagnosis of another area man’s episode with PSC: Chuck Cooper, then director of athletics at Wooster High School, and yet another former basketball coach.
Of these four men, Cooper eventually had a transplant. Hal Smith recently received a second liver transplant (and kidney transplant). Steve Loy’s condition developed into cholangiocarcinoma (liver cancer); he succumbed to the disease in February of 2004. Bruce Brown continues to monitor his own condition.
The bond of a common illness, along with the four men’s shared relationship with the sport of basketball led to the eventual development of the “Hoops 4 Healing” basketball games ten years ago. The event took a one-year “road trip” to Indiana in 2005 as the high school games were played in the famous “Wigwam” Gymnasium at Anderson (IN) High School.
As to this year’s event, the expansion to two sites has been in the works for some time.
“We had discussed the creation of additional games and promotions in other areas of Ohio,” stated Chuck Cooper. “When we added women’s high school games last year, we explored the opportunities right here in my home town (Wooster) and found the interest and enthusiasm to move this initiative forward. With the help of Wooster High School athletics director, Keri Hamsher, and the College of Wooster’s head women’s coach, Lisa Campanell Komara, we believe we have the makings of a great opportunity to showcase some outstanding high school and college basketball.”
The college and high school events for the men promise to feature just as much excitement. Both Walsh and Malone programs will face strong opponents in Lake Erie and Concordia. Lake Erie, coached by former West Geauga and Perry High School coach, Cliff Hunt, have gone 64-19 in the past three seasons and are an NCAA DII program. Concordia is a member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and is coming off an 11-20 season in 2007-2008.
The high school games leave the past confines of Lake High School to be played at GlenOak High School. “Jack (head GlenOak coach Greynolds) and Dave (assistant coach Monter) have always been supportive of ‘Hoops 4 Healing’ and our efforts,” said Bruce Brown. “They were kind enough to make the trek over to Indiana in 2005 and have been involved with our games previously. They offered to host our event in their beautiful facility and this worked out well schedule-wise.”
The high school games will feature Perrysburg (a Regional semi-finalist in 2008) against the Federal League’s Perry Panthers at 5:00 p.m. Following the opener, Federal League cohort Lake High School will take on last year’s state finalists, the Bedford Chanel Firebirds. Closing out the evening will be two of Ohio’s recent state finalists in their respective divisions, Poland and GlenOak.
Tickets will be sold pre-sale at all participating schools. Pre-sale student tickets are $4 with adult pre-sale at $6. All tickets at the door will be $7. One ticket is good for all games at the same venue. All profits from the event will go toward donations for liver disease research, organ donor education and other related causes.
For more details about the “Hoops 4 Healing” Foundation, go to www.hoops4healing.org.
