A crowd was in the stands and cheerleaders along the sidelines at Lincoln High School’s Roundhouse on Sunday morning for the final rounds of the Southside Schools League basketball tournament.
Co-ed teams made up of fourth and fifth graders from ten southside elementary schools – Howe, Jackson, Jefferson, Lovejoy, McKinley, Morris, Park Avenue, River Woods, Studebaker, and Wright – marked the conclusion of their games as the start of the high school basketball season is just around the corner.
“Since its inception in 2020, this league has offered our students a fantastic opportunity for skill-building, teamwork, and community support, fostering a love for basketball and uniting players, parents, and school staff,” noted Dom Shirley, head basketball coach at Lincoln High School. “We’ve seen remarkable growth in players’ development, with school teams and teachers rallying to create a supportive, fun atmosphere that encourages both improvement and camaraderie.”
Families and friends filled the stands to enjoy the last four games of the tournament. A squad of a dozen cheerleaders from Park Avenue school were along the sidelines, too, cheering on their classmates but, in the end, getting the entire crowd fired up for the young hoopsters.
In the championship game, two teams that have faced off before – Park Avenue and River Woods – were vying to be the pride of the southside. After two spirited halves of basketball, the Park Avenue Panthers came out on top. After a show of good sportmanship and handshakes between the two teams, Park Avenue had a chance to pose with their tournament trophy; even principal Dianna Anderson took a turn holding it aloft.
As Coach Shirley noted, the Southside Schools League is about fostering a love of the game. And bringing home some hardware is nice, too.
