Douglas High to host alumni basketball tournament

An alumni athletic tournament isn't a brand-new idea, but the Douglas High School All-Sports Boosters club decided to give one a try in an effort to create a yearly tradition at the beginning of every basketball season.

"The things we do, obviously we are trying to raise some money for some needed improvements for the athletic program," booster club president Samantha Thurm said. "But what we really wanted to do was to get our alumni involved in the high school again.

"We want them to be able to come out and see what is going on here. The kids that are playing sports here work so hard and are such good people. We want the alumni to be able to get involved with them."

What they came up with was the first annual Douglas High Alumni Basketball Tournament and Spaghetti Feed.

The tournament and feed are scheduled for Nov. 24, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

"We tried things like this at a couple of schools I was at before, and it was always very successful," Douglas High athletic director Jeff Evans said. "It's one of those things where it will probably start out a little smaller and grow into a much larger thing as it becomes an established tradition."

Players of any age, skill level and experience are welcome to sign up for the tournament, and teams will be chosen at random by Douglas boys' coach Corey Thacker. Participants who graduated prior to 1988 will be grouped in one division while those who graduated after 1988 will be in another.

Depending on the number of players entered, teams will get a minimum of one to two games this year.

Games will be on a running clock with two 20-minute halves. Each team will have to have at least six players.

Cost is $20 per player, or $5 for the spaghetti feed only ($3 for children under 12).

The tournament starts at 3 p.m. in the Douglas gym, with the spaghetti feed taking place in the commons.

All of the proceeds from the event will go toward the Douglas athletic program, with the goal this year being to raise enough for a new sound system in the gym and to refinish the gym floor.

For more information on the event, visit www.dcsd.k12.nv.us/dhs/Athletics.