Promise of rematches fuels interest in Hamilton Tournament

Next week marks the final regular season tournament for several area schools, including those in the 9th Annual Hamilton Invitational. The tournament, with its diverse selection of teams, has produced some top notch games. This year’s event promises more of the same.

The Hamilton and West Platte girls rarely, if ever, met before this season, but Monday’s first round matchup makes the third time these two teams have met, and it will be the third loss for the Lady Blue Jays, who were outscored a combined 106-42, in their previous meetings with the Lady Hornets.

Gallatin’s girls are the #3 seed and if they get by a dangerous Maysville team that has had their number in most recent meetings, will face Hamilton for the third time in the semifinal round. The Lady Bulldogs still have a chance to even the season series against the Lady Hornets. The two teams will meet again in Gallatin on the first Tuesday after the tournament.

Lathrop’s state-ranked girls (Class 3), controlled the #1 seed by beating East Buchanan, 57-51, Friday night in the championship game of the Lathrop Shootout. The Lady Mules, who up until the seeding meeting had won 5 straight since a humbling (61-28) loss to state-ranked Savannah on Dec. 20, have the deepest bench in the tournament. Juniors Tahnee Russell, Jessica Shrewsbury and Audrey Bailey lead an LHS squad that appears to be an up and coming team.

On the boys side, Hamilton and West Platte will see each other for the third time, if everything falls as predicted. The Hornets soundly defeated the Blue Jays, 67-33, in Weston, but West Platte was without the services of the Barmann brothers, Adam and Brian. West Platte edged Hamilton, 58-51, in Saturday night’s championship at Lawson, but in all fairness the Hornets were at a disadvantage this time. Senior center Jason Holt was visibly weak and off his game after battling the flu all week long. Hornet coach Ken Ruffcorn was so sick he couldn’t answer the call Saturday night. What made it worse for him was the fact that the game wasn’t broadcast on any radio station, plus all the rest of the Ruffcorn clan were at the game.

Last year’s HIT boys final was one of the best in the tournament’s history as the Blue Jays trailed the Hornets the entire game but came back to win on a last-second tip-in.

Gallatin’s boys have yet to face Hamilton, but they could do so if they can move past Carrollton in the first round. The Trojans failed to win a game last week in the Lawson Tournament, falling to Smithville in the opening round and Lawson in the consolation semifinals. Gallatin matches up favorably in size with the Trojans, who have only one player on their roster over 6’1″. Carrollton beat Gallatin last year in a closely- contested HIT first round encounter.

Trenton, the #3 boys seed, faces a rematch against #6 Lathrop. The Mules have struggled of late after a good season start. Lathrop beat Trenton in the Nov. 26 season opener.