January 18, 2020

By Fred Liggett
FredL@lstribune.net

It’s winter time in the Kansas City area and that means to many people bundle up and head out to a local high school basketball tournament where the play on the court will keep you warm all night long. Lee’s Summit High School has enjoyed a fine history of hosting a week long tournament held each year in mid-January and the year 2020 will be no different.

The 45th Annual Boys Basketball Tournament to be played at the Lee’s Summit High Fieldhouse will take place January 20-24. The event now known as the Summit Grill Shootout starts with four games on Monday, Jan. 20 with first tip time at 4 p.m. Four more games will be played on Wednesday, Jan. 22 and finally a champion will be crowned at the end of the fourth game on Friday, Jan. 24.

Playing in this year’s tournament will be host the Lee’s Summit Tigers, Lee’s Summit North Broncos, Raytown Blue Jays, William Chrisman Bears, the Central Academy Eagles, Hogan Prep Rams, Lincoln Blue Tigers and the Ruskin Eagles.

The level of competition that fans will enjoy each night is easy to see as the LS North Broncos are coming off a year that saw them make the State Final Four. William Chrisman made it to the state quarterfinals and the Ruskin Eagles surprised everyone this season by winning the Patterson Division Championship at the William Jewell Holiday Classic.

Lee’s Summit North Head Coach Mike Hilbert knows each night will be a tough one, “We open up against Raytown who is solid year in and year out.” “We played Central at the William Jewell Holiday Classic and lost.” Hilbert feels the 45th annual event “is a really good tourney to be a part of.” For the Broncos Hilbert is “excited to continue the season against non-conference opponents.” In the end the experience will be worth it as Hilbert feels “the LS tourney gives our team an opportunity to get better.” As an added incentive for the Broncos Hilbert admits “good to get used to playing inside the LSHS fieldhouse due to the site serving as host to this year’s district tournament.”

Coming to Lee’s Summit from farther away to play all week are the William Chrisman Bears. William Chrisman Head Coach Jake Kates calls the event at Lee’s Summit HS “a great tournament.” Kates adds “really looking forward to being a part of it.” Not always knowing who your next opponent can be tough as Kates admits “tourney play is always a little different.” Kates and his group of Bears know about their first round opponent already from Central Academy. Kates admits “have watched them play” earlier in the season. The possibility exists for the Bears to play two other conference teams pending how the tournament plays out.

Kates is very happy to bring his team to the Lee’s Summit High School Fieldhouse saying, “The Fieldhouse is one of my favorite gyms in the city.” “A great fieldhouse where I enjoyed taking my teams there when I was at Summit Christian.” Like Lee’s Summit North the Bears also have previous tournament experience as they went down to play in the Joplin Classic Jan. 9 -11.

Every night of the three-night tournament will have games tip off at 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and at 8:30 p.m. Pending overtime games and a possible nail biter with several time outs, the last three game times each night are approximate. Fans of all ages can expect the action to heat up inside the fieldhouse as the eight teams compete for a championship and a place in tournament history.