The sixth annual Higbee shootout got underway last week with a variety of basketball teams heading to the mid-Missouri town for three days of basketball.

A total of 88 games were played between the gym at Higbee and Central Christian College of the Bible during the first week of the shootout. 

“The experience in the summer pays dividends in the season,” said Higbee head coach and shootout organizer Tanner Burton. “I think that’s why our shootout has become one of the largest in the area, if not the state outside of the commercialized events.”

Even with 88 games having already been played, the shootout is not even close to being over. The week of June 13-18 will dawn with approximately 200 more games being played at the two venues. To accomplish this, 50-plus additional teams will travel to the area in addition to 20 that have already played this week.

“I’m proud of how large this event has become,” said Burton. “Those that volunteer their time making this event successful and I am so thankful for them. I have the crazy ideas and they make it happen.”

Things looked good for the future of the Higbee Tigers during the first week of the shootout. “The incoming sixth through eighth-grade girls team stole the show as they beat some high school junior varsity teams,” said Burton. Adding to the junior high team was incoming freshman Lauren Spilman. As the only incoming freshman, Burton had Spilman play with the junior high team and placed them in the JV group.

“We’ve got a JV and varsity team here today,” said Harrisburg girls’ head coach Ryan Richardson. “The great thing about this shootout is it is right at the beginning of summer and we’ve had all of one practice. It gives our girls a chance to get back in the flow of things and helps them to want to get back in the gym and keep working throughout the summer.”

The mixture of teams from Class 1 through 4 allows teams from all levels to compete and work on needs for next season.