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Basketball fans will have plenty of games to watch this weekend while supporting a noble cause at the ninth annual Rock the Ribbon Roundball Shootout this Friday and Saturday at Rockbridge County High School.
All four local high school teams will participate in the event, which is presented by Alcova Mortgage, with many other sponsors contributing, and is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The event consists of 11 games, showcasing some of the best basketball players in the Mid-Atlantic Region. In the first eight years, Rock the Ribbon raised a little over $80,000.
Day passes for Rock the Ribbon are $10, with children 10 and under getting in free. Spectators can come and go as they please. Concessions and t-shirts will be sold.
There will be three games on Friday night and eight games on Saturday. Looking ahead to the games, Rock the Ribbon founder and director Travis Patterson said, “It should be an exciting weekend of basketball.”
Starting the action on Friday at 5:30 p.m. will be the sharpshooting Fort Defiance girls against Strasburg. The prestigious Oak Hill Academy boys will then take on Huntington Prep (W.Va.), making its first appearance, at 7 p.m.
In the nightcap on Friday, scheduled for 8:30 p.m., the Rockbridge County boys will face Stuarts Draft. The Wildcats were 7-9 after last week’s games, while Stuarts Draft was 6-8. When the two teams met at Stuarts Draft on Jan. 11, the Cougars won 68-61.
Saturday’s action will start with games involving two local teams. The Parry McCluer girls, who were Class 1 state semifinalists last year and 12-2 through last week, will take on James River (9-7) at 10 a.m.
At 11:30 a.m., the PM boys (9-7) will face Eastern Mennonite (10-4), which won the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association state championship last year.
The third game on Saturday, scheduled for 1 p.m., will be between the Floyd County and Staunton girls. The RC girls (2-14) will then take on Salem (11-6) at 2:30 p.m.
Next up will be a 4 p.m. matchup between the Spotswood girls (13-3) and Carroll County, which won the Class 3 state championship last year.
Three boys’ games will follow: a 5:30 p.m. showdown between Spotswood and Wilson Memorial, and 7 p.m. matchup between Oak Hill Academy and Blue Ridge School, making its Rock the Ribbon debut, and an 8:30 p.m. contest between Alleghany and East Rockingham.
For updates on the event, visit www.facebook.com/Rockthe-RibbonRoundballShootout, and see next week’s newspaper for the full stories and photos.
Friday, Jan. 27
5:30 p.m. – Strasburg vs. Fort Defiance (Girls 7 p.m. – Oak Hill Academy vs. Huntington Prep (W.Va.) (Boys) 8:30 p.m. – Rockbridge County vs. Stuarts Draft (B)
Saturday, Jan. 28
10 a.m. – Parry McCluer vs. James River (G) 11:30 a.m. – Parry McCluer vs. Eastern Mennonite (B) 1 p.m. – Floyd County vs. Staunton (B) 2:30 p.m. – Rockbridge County vs. Salem (G) 4 p.m. – Spotswood vs. Carroll County (G) 5:30 p.m. – Spotswood vs. Wilson Memorial (B) 7 p.m. – Blue Ridge vs. Oak Hill Academy (B) 8:30 p.m. – Alleghany vs. East Rockingham (B)
