Driving passed Landrum High School on Saturday night, everything would’ve looked normal. The lights were out and the school was closed.
However, in the back of the building, the gym lights were on. Inside was the Cardinals boys’ basketball team having a late night practice, which began at 9 p.m.
The reason?
The Cardinals have spent the last eight months saving up $10,000 so they could travel to Orlando, Fla. for the KSA Basketball Tournament. The Cardinals began play in that tournament on Monday. The tournament includes teams from around the country in Childress (Texas) and Eerie Cathedral (Pennsylvania).
On Monday, Landrum beat Childress 65-53.
“I’m very excited for our kids,” head coach Lyn Smith said. “This is truly a once in a lifetime experience for some of our kids.”
There are a couple of advantages to the tournament, Smith said. First, the level of competition will continue to help prepare the No. 2 1A team in the state for the tough region grind. The other is Mickey Mouse, he joked.
Smith wasn’t sure if this is the farthest from home a Landrum team has played, but he is sure it’s the farthest away in the last ten years.
The Cardinals will return home next week to host the Battle at the Border Tournament.