Tourney Talk

It’s great to see all 3 local boys’ high school basketball teams earn their way into the 74th Clark Tournament.Please remember, our fourth local boys’ team, Bay Path, is not a participant of the Clark because of their Vocational school status. Bay Path is heading into the post season tournament in C Mass as their 11-5 record indicates that the Minutemen are having a fantastic season.

Now for the Clark Tournament. The Clark Tournament is 74 years old this year. The Oxford Pirates will open up the Clark at 1 p.m. this coming Sunday against Maynard in the small schools division. Oxford (number 3 seed) is the "darkhorse" for the rest of 2013 as they are closing out the regular season very strong, i.e. a win over Northbridge on Sunday. Bartlett will open the doors at Clark on Monday, Presidents’ Day, against up and coming Auburn. Bartlett lost to Auburn two weeks ago. Bartlett’s running style in the huge Clark gym should benefit the Indians. The Indians need a head count before they get on the bus to Worcester. They need to show up for this important game and run Auburn out of the Kneller Center and into Park Avenue. Bartlett is the number 3 seed in the large schools division.Shepherd Hill plays defending large school champ Quabbin at 6 p.m. on Monday. The Rams are the fourth seed in the large shools division. The Rams already beat Quabbin in a regular season game over a month ago.

The Oxford Insurance Agency will be at the Clark Tournament this year and will be part of the WGFP AM 940 broadcasting of all the local games mentioned above. Matt Morway and Pete Geanis will provide the play by play for all the local listeners and the Oxford Insurance Agency is the proud sponsor of the Clark Tournament pre-game show on WGFP. The pre-game show will get you ready for the upcoming game as well as all the action from the Kneller Center on the campus of Clark University.

The Oxford Insurance Agency pre-game show will begin 20 minutes from tip off. Please join Matt Morway and Pete Geanis from Clark University on WGFP AM 940.

Since it’s vacation week next week, please call or stop by the Oxford Insurance Agency and check out their low rates. They specialize in newly licensed drivers and family packages that can save you a lot of money.

Bartlett will also be covered by the Webster access cable network with veteran announcers Ted Avlas and Ed Kunkel Jr. making the calls from the half court sideline. The Clark Tournament really brings out everybody from South County. Bartlett makes their 43rd appearance at the Clark this year and Shepherd Hill has been a consistent participant since 1974. Good Luck to all the local teams.

A huge tip of the hat goes out to the Oxford Unified Basketball Team. This team strikes the heart in a great way. Oxford, under the leadership of Patty Ross and Coach Kevin Wells, gives kids with a disability a chance to participte in organized sports. Unified sports is an initiative of the special olympics.The Unified team works their skills in a team concept where they compete in an organized environment. Promoting physical fitness and having fun are what the Unified basketball team of Oxford have been working at with the assistance of Oxford high school students. Senior Andrew St. Germain has been a big help in assisting the Oxford Unified Team. What a great story and here’s hoping the best for this group.