Highway 10 Showdown set for Friday

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

Two schools separated by less-than 15 miles will be playing for much more than just bragging rights in the Park Region Conference on Friday night—there will be a new traveling trophy on the line.

The Highway 10 Showdown will be held on Friday at New York Mills School and features the host Eagles against the visiting Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines. The day will be a showcase of sorts for the NY Mills and Wadena-Deer Creek basketball programs as the two schools find a way to make an already growing rivalry a bit more special.    

“Kevin Tumberg and Mike Baune thought of the idea to get together and buy a traveling trophy and just start playing for it yearly as a way to promote boys basketball between the two schools,” said NY Mills School Activities Director Matt Radniecki.

The trophy will be awarded to the team who wins the most games between their two respective programs on Friday night. The day kicks off at 3:45 p.m. with the elementary boys basketball teams playing, before wrapping up with the varsity boys basketball game tipping off at 7:30 p.m. The Challenge Cup, as the trophy is being called, will be awarded to the team that wins the most games from third grade all the way through the varsity level. 

In addition to the basketball games on Friday night, the day will include a spaghetti supper served at the school. Proceeds from the supper will benefit the NY Mills boys basketball boosters club. 

“We hope to use it as a kind of fundraiser for the program and to put a spotlight on the K-12 programs,” said Radniecki.

In future years the Highway 10 Showdown will be held the second time the two teams play each year, meaning next year the event will be held at Wadena-Deer Creek High School. 

Games to be held on Friday include: 

3:45 p.m.- third and fifth grade boys

4:30 p.m.- fourth and sixth grade boys

5:30 p.m.- C-squad

6:30 p.m.- JV 

7:30 p.m.- varsity