Holiday tourneys make a busy week
THE GRINCH ARRIVES AT VCC - Vermilion staff member and assistant football coach Matt Collins dressed up as The Grinch and led an exuberant student section at a pre-Christmas men’s basketball home game won by the Ironhawks.
Boys and girls basketball, hockey events attract total of 13 teams
by Tom Coombe
There’s no shortage of high school sporting activity in Ely this week.
With Ely’s boys basketball, girls basketball and hockey teams all hosting holiday events, it’s a virtual smorgasbord of sports from Wednesday through Friday.
In all, the events include 13 teams encompassing 15 separate games over the three-day span.
Hockey was added to the lineup this year, adding to an already busy slate of basketball games from holiday tournaments that have been in existence for many years.
The four-team hockey event opens at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Ely Arena with Moose Lake Area taking on St. Paul Johnson. Host Ely, which is off to a 7-2 start, takes on Kittson County Central at 7 p.m.
Two more games are on tap Thursday evening in the round-robin event, with Friday’s docket a matinee with a contest at noon, followed by Ely and Moose Lake at 2:30 p.m. to close things out.
The holiday basketball tournaments take on different formats this season, with a late dropout leaving the annual Hoops for Hope Holiday Tournament with just three teams, resulting in single games Wednesday through Friday.
The boys basketball team includes six teams with games spread out over three days.
In the girls event, Ely hosts Floodwood at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday and Bigfork at 2:15 p.m. Friday.
Ely has a 4-2 record so far this winter and figures to be tested by both holiday opponents.
The Ely boys, meanwhile, have won four out of five contests to open the 2023-24 season and take on Two Harbors at 7 p.m. Thursday, and Bigfork at 4 p.m., Friday, in the tournament.
Greenway, International Falls, and Cook County are also in the event.
Because of the tournament format, season passes for Ely events will not be honored and daily admission prices are $6 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens.
• In conjunction with the holiday tournament, a spaghetti dinner fundraiser will be held at the school cafeteria on Thursday, Dec. 28, from 2 to 7 p.m. The menu includes all-you-can-eat spaghetti, with a salad, breadstick, beverage and dessert.
Tickets are $8 and available at the door and proceeds support the high school senior class trip to Washington, D.C.
