Rick's Rants: Showdown to feature local teams

It didn't pay to be late, or early for that matter.

"The gym is at capacity. Fans will be admitted as room becomes available."

That's the sign that greeted fans arriving up to 90 minutes before the tip-off of Friday's varsity game when Aurora Central played at Marmion Academy. The gym was packed before the sophomore game, an eventual 40-point Cadet blowout, had reached halftime.

Fans were being allowed in only as another departed, which wasn't happening often. Some, spent more than an hour standing in the bone-chilling cold waiting to get in and I'm not sure they all made it in.

That won't likely be the case when the teams have their only scheduled regular season meeting next season under the new Suburban Christian Conference schedule. It, too, is slated to be played at Marmion, but we've learned it's very likely the game will be played at a different venue.

They haven't dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's yet, but ACC at Marmion Academy will very likely be part of the tripleheader for the 13th Annual High School Hoops Showdown at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.

Plenty of good seats will be available, guaranteed.

The event, which has included Batavia twice in the past three years and West Aurora once, is one of two events staged each year by The Integrity Group founded by R.M. Rylko and broadcaster David Kaplan. They also stage the two-game City-Suburban Showdown each year at Northwestern.

Organizers will be hoping an ACC-Marmion Academy rivalry matchup will be a good draw. This year's lineup included a rivalry matchup between Barrington and Hoffman Estates Conant that didn't draw as well as expected.

And we understand that if organizers have their way, the tripleheader will have another draw that is likely to lure Fox Valley area hoops fans. Tentative plans call for the event's lineup to be filled out by a Neuqua Valley-West Aurora contest and another involving Chicago St. Patrick-Jacobs.

The date? January 23rd, which won't conflict with tournaments and shootouts scheduled over the weekend that includes Martin Luther King Day.

We'll keep you posted when final details become available.