Wexford Collegiate, a high school basketball team from Toronto, Canada, will visit Friday and play a scrimmage game against the Rock Hill Redmen.

Thursday, November 18, 1999

Wexford Collegiate, a high school basketball team from Toronto, Canada, will visit Friday and play a scrimmage game against the Rock Hill Redmen.

Wexford, which produced former Kentucky star Jamal Magloire, plans to spend the day with the students attending class, then playing the game Friday night at 7 p.m.

"We thought it would be a nice, educational thing," Rock Hill coach Rick Scarberry said. "It will be a learning experience for their kids and our kids."

The trip and scrimmage came about accidentally when Scarberry happened to be in a golf foursome at Myrtle Beach last summer with John Stavropolous, Wexford athletic director and soccer coach.

"We got to talking about what we did for a living. I told him I coach and he was the soccer coach and A.D. They take their soccer team to Myrtle Beach every spring to play," Scarberry said.

"We got to talking and he asked if we ever took any road trips. I told him we usually stay close to home and he asked if we’d like to play a regular season game and that they were willing to come here. Our schedule was full so we decided to play a scrimmage."

Scarberry said the scrimmage will be free to the public although donations will be accepted to help defray the team’s travel expenses. The scrimmage will be four quarters.

"We’re going to keep it as realistic as possible. It’s still a scrimmage. We’re going to have some fun," Scarberry said.

The team will eat breakfast at the school, attend classes, and Mark Bamer plans to feed them a steak dinner. The Rock Hill booster club plans to feed both teams pizza following the scrimmage.

Wexford has another scrimmage Saturday morning, but Scarberry said the team plans to attend the Ironton-Germantown Valley View playoff game Saturday night.

"They were excited. They don’t have football any more, so this will give them a chance to see two good teams," said Scarberry.

Scarberry said the scrimmage, meals, and events planned are the result of donations by local businesses including Tipton’s Foodland & Bakery, Bartram & Son Grocery, Corner Produce, Ironton Park Avenue Chiropractic & Sports Medicine, Mark Bamer, Rosie Mullins, Bud McCormack and the booster club, Leo’s Carry-Out, and Lambert’s Market.