This past weekend, the world of show choir came to Danville High School. Now this weekend, on Saturday, the world of basketball comes to Danville High School. Although they missed a couple years due to COVID, the Watchfire Shootout is established, and back again this year in full force.
It’s high school basketball all day Saturday starting at 11 AM with the Bloomington vs Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin game. DHS Athletic Director Mark Bacys says the idea of getting Chicago area teams against downstate teams has proven to be quite popular. Although this year, a couple of previously scheduled teams had to back out.
AUDIO: We’ve had two or three teams along the way drop out. Thanks to some of our conference friends, Urbana and Bloomington, we were able to fill those gaps and put the six games on.
The other five games are Peoria Richwoods vs Mahomet-Seymour at 12-30, Urbana taking on Rantoul at 2, Rich Township vs Chicago Leo at 3:30, Normal West vs Wheaton Warrenville South at 5, and then Danville against Lincoln Park at 6:30.
Bacys says Westville has played in this before, and so has La Salette Academy. This year, Bismark-Henning-Rossville-Alvin once again adds some local flavor.
AUDIO: We try and mix in one local school, to help out with some of the travel. On a Saturday everyone’s played a Friday game, and if you can get a local team to play that early time slot, that always helps.
And just like with show choir weekend, it helps to have great volunteers. And for the shootout, it all begins with the main sponsor, Watchfire Signs.
AUDIO: They send over four or five volunteers that come and stay throughout the day. And then we have our staff that comes here and gives up a Saturday to work the event; our booster club here all day feeding the coaches in the hospitality room. You can’t do it without all of them.
Saturday will be an incredible basketball day in Danville, as also going on will be a women’s and men’s double-header at Danville Area Community College, as the Jaguars host Illinois Central starting at 1 PM.
