38th Annual TIMCO Invitational
Presented by NewBridge Bank
Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center; December 26-28, 2013
Pre-Tournament Notes
For Immediate Release. Dec. 10, 2013
► Championship Day Schedule Change: Championship game times will move two hours earlier this year at the TIMCO. Historically, the women’s championship game has begun at 6 p.m. with the men’s championship following at approximately 8 p.m. which occasionally caused the men’s championship game to end after 10 p.m. This year, championship day is on a Saturday; in order to provide as much scheduling flexibility as possible, the championship day schedule was moved up two hours to enable those with evening plans to keep them. In addition, the earlier start times will get small children home at a more reasonable hour and allow families to attend the championship games together.
► Aviation Jobs Fair: New at the TIMCO Invitational this year is an aviation jobs fair. At this point, TIMCO, HondaJet, GTCC, the United States Air Force and NewBridge Bank are scheduled to be included. It is possible additional entities could join the jobs fair between now and the TIMCO Invitational. Additional details will be released closer to the event.
► More than $1.3 Million Contributed to the Schools: Many things make the TIMCO Invitational presented by NewBridge Bank an exceptional high school basketball tournament, but what makes the TIMCO Invitational unique is that tournament proceeds are donated to charity and the participating schools. Last year, the eight participating schools each received $13,500 meaning the tournament donated $108,000 to the schools. In the last 14 years, the Greensboro Sports Council has now donated more than $1.3 Million to the schools that participated in the tournament.
► Sponsors Help with Advertising: Several TIMCO Invitational sponsors are helping advertise the tournament through their in-kind sponsorships. Fairway Outdoor Advertising is once again providing static and digital billboards while the Greensboro News & Record, WFMY-TV, Rock 92, 107.5 WKZL, 98.7 Simon, 102 Jamz, 97.1, QMG, 93.1 The Wolf and Sports Carolina Monthly are also advertising the tournament as in-kind sponsors.
► Sponsorship: TIMCO Invitational revenue comes from ticket sales and sponsorships; sales success contributes directly to how much money is donated to charities and the schools each year. The Greensboro Sports Council is very active in raising funds for the tournament, but for the 10th- consecutive year, participating schools are sharing in the sponsorship sales efforts. Each school is soliciting a minimum of $1,500 in sponsorship. TIMCO Invitational sponsorship is among the most economical sports marketing opportunities available to Piedmont Triad companies.
► Charity: In addition to making its donations to the participating schools, the TIMCO Invitational makes charitable contributions. This year, the tournament will make a donation to The First Tee of the Triad. The goal of The First Tee is to provide the golf-learning facilities and experience that will enable kids from every walk of life to partake of a game that teaches values for life and which can be played for a lifetime. The First Tee, an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, has as its mission, “To impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character-development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.” For more information, please visit www.firstteetriad.org. Past tournament proceeds have been contributed to Greensboro Urban Ministries, Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test, the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer, Children’s Home Society, the Eastern Guilford High School Fund, the Joey Cheek Fund, North Carolina State Games and the Girls and Boys Club.
► Honorary Chairman: Longtime Greensboro Sports Council member Irwin Smallwood is this year’s TIMCO Invitational Honorary Chairman. Smallwood spent nearly a half century as a writer and editor of the Greensboro News & Record working in both the news and sports departments. He was at Sedgefield Country Club in 1953 when the Atlantic Coast Conference was created and has been a part of the Greensboro sports landscape for decades. Smallwood pioneered golf writing in North Carolina, but he did not limit himself to PGA TOUR events. He had equal enthusiasm for covering junior tournaments, city amateurs, state amateurs and other events. In 2004, the media center at the Wyndham Championship was named in his honor. He is a member of the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame.
► Bill Lee Scholarship: The Bill Lee Scholarship has been awarded to four TIMCO Invitational participants again this year. Since its inception, 52 students have been awarded this scholarship which was established in 2001 in memory of Bill Lee, a Greensboro native and resident who was a major supporter of local sports. He was deeply involved with Greensboro’s minor league baseball efforts, basketball and golf. The Greensboro Sports Council established the scholarship following Lee’s death in 2001. Recipients are nominated by their schools, and the Greensboro Sports Council awards the scholarships. Each nomination is considered with the following criteria: 40% academic, 40% athletic and 20% civic. Four student-athletes receive a scholarship each year.
► Steak ‘N Shake Shooters Shootout: The Steak ‘N Shake Shooters Shootout, a halftime basketball shooting contest, returns to the TIMCO this year. The Steak ‘N Shake Shooters Shootout will be conducted during each of the 24 tournament games. During halftime, a maximum of 50 people may purchase a Steak ‘N Shake Shooters Shootout ticket for $1 for one chance to shoot a free throw. Those that make will advance to the next round until one shooter remains on each end. Those two shooters will shoot again to determine a winner for that game who earns a Steak ‘N Shake gift certificate for an order of Shooters (mini cheeseburgers) and a TIMCO Invitational T-Shirt. Winners from individual games no longer advance to a winner’s competition on championship night as each halftime features its own competition.
► The Tournament: The TIMCO Invitational was founded in 1976 as the Little 4. At that time, the Big Four Atlantic Coast Conference schools, Duke, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill and Wake Forest, competed in the Big 4 Tournament in the Greensboro Coliseum. The TIMCO Invitational was created to mirror the tournament that showcased North Carolina’s ACC teams and raise funds for the participating high schools’ athletic programs. In 1978, the tournament expanded to eight teams with Ragsdale, High Point Andrews, High Point Central and Thomasville High School joining the original four. The next two years, in 1979 and ’80, the tournament returned to its original four schools before expanding to eight teams permanently in 1981. The women’s side of the tournament began in 1980. The TIMCO Invitational is now widely considered the most successful holiday basketball tournament in North Carolina.
► 2012 Tournament Recap: In last year’s TIMCO Invitational, both top seeds held serve. The Greensboro Day School Bengals charged to the championship defeating Grimsley, Ragsdale and Page on the way to coach Freddy Johnson’s record 11th men’s title. On the women’s side, the Page Pirates knocked off Northeast Guilford, Northwest Guilford and Smith High School. It was the 12th TIMCO Invitational title for the Lady Pirates in 16 championship-game appearances – both tournament records.
► Amazing Runs:
■ Before losing in the 2009 men’s semifinals, Greensboro Day School won 17 consecutive TIMCO Invitational games including four consecutive championships in 2005 - ’08. Greensboro Day is the only men’s team to win four consecutive titles.
■ Greensboro Day School men’s coach Freddy Johnson has won 11 TIMCO Invitational titles – more than any other coach in tournament history.
■ The Page High School women won four straight in 1988 – ‘92 and the Western Guilford High School women did it 1992-‘94.
■ After joining the tournament in 2000, the Northwest Guilford lady Vikings have played in the championship game in seven of the last10 years winning three times. Coach Darlene Joyner joined the Vikings in 2002, and all of their championship-game appearances have come under Coach Joyner meaning she has made seven appearances in the championship game in her 11 seasons as the Vikings’ coach.
■ Either Page High School or Northwest Guilford has played in every women’s championship game since 2003. Page has played in three of the last four, and Northwest has played in seven of the last 10.
■ Page star Paris Kea will be trying to become the first three-time MVP in tournament history. Four players have done it twice, but none has done it three times.
► Women’s Stats: The Page Pirates have won more women’s tournaments than any other school with 12 titles. The Lady Pirates have played for the championship 17 times, also more than any other team. With last year’s title, the Lady Pirates now own more team championships than any other team in tournament history – men or women.
■ Championships ■ Title Game Appearances
■ Page High School 12 ■ Page High School 17
■ Grimsley High School 5 ■ Smith High School 10
■ Western Guilford 4 ■ Dudley High School 9
■ Northeast Guilford 3 ■ Grimsley High School 7
■ Smith High School 3 ■ Northwest Guilford 7
■ Northwest Guilford 3 ■ Western Guilford 6
■ Dudley High School 1 ■ NortheastGuilford 5
■ Ragsdale High School 1 ■ Eastern Guilford 2
■ Ragsdale High School 1
► Men’s Stats: Greensboro Day School has won more men’s championships than any other school taking top honors 11 times. Dudley High School still holds the mark for the most title-game appearances with 19.
■ Championships ■ Title Game Appearances
■ Greensboro Day 11 ■ Dudley High School 19
■ Dudley High School 10 ■ Greensboro Day School 15
■ Page High School 8 ■ Grimsley High School 13
■ Grimsley High School 6 ■ Page High School 12
■ Smith High School 2 ■ Smith High School 7
■ Northern Guilford 2
■ Northeast Guilford 2
■ Southeast Guilford 1
■ Southwest Guilford 1
■ Eastern Guilford 1
■ Ragsdale High School 1
■ Northern Guilford 1
►Coaching Statistics:
■ Women’s Wins by Coach: ■ Men’s Wins by Coach:
- Luke McKeel (PHS) 7 - Freddy Johnson (GDS) 11
- Ginger Moore (WG) 4 - Mac Morris (PHS) 7
- Debbie Jones (PHS) 3 - David Price (DHS) 7
- Darlene Joyner (NWG) 3 - Phil Weaver (GHS) 4
- Phil Weaver (GHS) 3 - Bill Chambers (DHS) 1
- Mike Bradley (NEG) 2 - Jack Chatham (DHS) 1
- Rick Hartsook (GHS) 2 - Darren Corbett (GHS) 1
- Kathy Turner (PHS) 2 - Steve Hankins (DHS) 1
- Kris Britton (DHS) 1 - Robert Kent (PHS) 1
- Hank Bullard (SHS) 1 - Reggie Peace (SHS) 1
- Jerry Fuqua (RHS) 1 - Art Wade (SHS) 1
- Crystal Hazelwood (NEG) 1 - Bill Walton (GHS) 1
- Ashton Jeffries (SHS) 1
- Lou Roshelli (SHS) 1
► Of the 16 men and women coaching in this year’s TIMCO Invitational, only five have won the tournament. Freddy Johnson won all 11 of his TIMCO Invitational titles at Greensboro Day; Bill Chambers, who won the tournament in 1983 while coaching at Dudley, is now the Northern Guilford coach. On the women’s side, only Debbie Jones (Page), Darlene Joyner (Northwest) and Jerry Fuqua (Ragsdale) have won the TIMCO Invitational.
► Overtime Championships: The TIMCO Invitational championship game has gone to overtime twice, and both times, it was a Dudley – Greensboro Day title tilt. In 1987, Greensboro Day beat Dudley 57-55 in Greensboro Day’s first TIMCO Invitational appearance. In 1992, the tables were turned as the Panthers beat the Bengals 66-63.
► 2013 Participating Schools: Greensboro Day School, Grimsley High School, Northeast Guilford, Northern Guilford, Northwest Guilford, Page High School, Ragsdale High School and Smith High School.
► Tickets: TIMCO Invitational tickets are available through the participating schools or at the Greensboro Coliseum Box Office. Tournament books containing tickets for all games are $15. Single-session tickets are $7 for the opening and semi-final rounds and $10 for championship day. Single session tickets are only available at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center box office.
► 2013 Women’s Seeds:
1. Page
2. Greensboro Day
3. Northwest Guilford
4. Northern Guilford
5. Ragsdale High School
6. Smith High School
7. Northeast Guilford
8. Grimsley High School
► 2013 Men’s Seeds:
1. Page
2. Greensboro Day
3. Northwest Guilford
4. Northeast Guilford
5. Northern Guilford
6. Smith High School
7. Ragsdale High School
8. Grimsley High School