Press Release
For Immediate Release; September 29, 2008 (revised)
Contact: Scott Chandler (630-963-7355)
14th Annual McDonald’s City-Suburban Showdown - date confirmation and revised matchups
Chicago, IL --- The Integrity Group confirmed today that its’
nationally recognized McDonald’s “City-Suburban Showdown” Boys H.S.
Basketball doubleheader event, which has averaged over 7,000 fans, will
be held on Saturday, February 14, 2009. The site again is Northwestern’s
Welsh-Ryan Arena, in Evanston, IL.
In Game 1 (6:15) it’s a battle of two highly rated Class 4A programs
with big expectations. The “Spartans” of Northbrook-Glenbrook North
(19-6), who have won (or tied for) seven straight Central Suburban
League North titles, return a strong nucleus and will be led by Jr. Alex
Dragicevich (G/F, 6’7”). They will clash with area rival Gurnee-Warren
(16-10). The “Blue Devils” also return several key players and will be
led by Brandon Paul (G, 6’4” - Illinois), the top-rated senior, and only
Junior named to the 2008 AP Class 4A All-State team.
Game 2 (8:00) matches two teams, Chicago-De La Salle Institute (24-4)
and Chicago-North Lawndale College Prep (30-4), who figure to be ranked
among the Top-5 --- regardless of class --- in most pre-season state
polls. The Class 4A “Meteors”, are young, very talented, and making
their first appearance in the “Showdown”. They will be led by Michael
Shaw (SF, 6’7”), one of the top-rated Sophomores in the state. The
“Phoenix”, the defending Class 2A Champions, also making their first
showdown appearance, will be one of the top Class 3A teams and is lead
by Sr. Jonathan Mills (F, 6’5”).
Fans now expect to see some of the top talent in Illinois, if not the
nation, and this past season was no exception. In Game 1, Oak Park-River
Forest topped Waukegan by the score of 49-39. That game featured the
“Huskies” Iman Shumpert (Georgia Tech), the #1 rated Senior in
pre-season polls, and the “Bulldogs” Jereme Richmond (Illinois), the #1
rated Sophomore. In Game 2, it was a battle between defending Indiana
Class 4A state champion East Chicago Central, and Winnetka-New Trier.
The “Cardinals”, featuring Angel Garcia (Memphis), one of the top-rated
players in the country, beat the “Trevians” 61-53, thanks, in large
part, to Kawaan Short, the 6’5”, 280 lb. all-state football player
(Purdue) who contributed 16 pts. and 17 rebounds.
Tickets are priced at $12 for Adults and $10 for Students (18 and under)
and will be available at the schools. They can also be purchased on the
web at TicketWeb.com, or by
calling them at 1-866-468-3401. Tickets ARE NOT available at NU. All
seats are reserved and sold on a “First Come, First Served” basis, so
get your tickets early for the best seats.
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The Integrity Group previously announced the teams for it's
12th Annual Meijer "High School Hoops Showdown"
which will be held at the Sears Centre Arena, in Hoffman Estates, IL. The
date is Saturday, January 17, 2009. In Game 1 (4:30) of the new
triple-header format, it’s Hoffman Estates-Conant (20-7) taking on rival
Barrington (8-20). Game 2 (6:30) features Schaumburg (19-10) meeting
Algonquin-Jacobs (26-3), followed by Game 3 (8:30) as Chicago-North Lawndale
(30-4), the defending Class 2A state champions, takes on Westchester-St.
Joseph (21-7), one of the elite programs in Illinois.
For more information on either event, you can call The Integrity Group at
630-963-7355, or e-mail us at:
info@integritygrp.com.
