St. Paul Lutheran School was the place to be Thursday night, as Crusaders of all ages hit the hardwood for a first-ever alumni scrimmage game to recognize the 50th anniversary of the school’s junior varsity boys basketball tournament.
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ROCHELLE — St. Paul Lutheran School was the place to be Thursday night, as Crusaders of all ages hit the hardwood for a first-ever alumni scrimmage game to recognize the 50th anniversary of the school’s junior varsity boys basketball tournament.
Both teams battled hard throughout the evening, with the alums gaining an early advantage and the students rallying back toward the end. Although the game ended in a tie by a score of 65-65, the experience was rewarding for both the current players and the graduates.
“It was just a good time getting out there and playing against the kids who are on the team now,” said Brett Metzger, who graduated from St. Paul in 2006. “To have some of the guys come back who haven’t been around for a while… It was just a good time getting to play with everyone.”
The evening began with an opening prayer, and both teams took the court afterward for four 10-minute quarters of fast-paced basketball action. The alums and the students then got together for two games of knockout when the scrimmage game ended, with the winner of each game receiving a new water bottle as a prize.
But the night wasn’t over yet, as everyone in the building united for a group meal to wrap up the commemorative event before departing for the night.
Another person who enjoyed the festivities Thursday night was Henry Bunger, who began working at St. Paul in 1998 and currently coaches the boys basketball team. Bunger even acknowledged that some of the men on the alumni team were his former players, and he said it was awesome to see them return to honor the special occasion.
“It was pretty cool,” Bunger said. “I coached half of these guys… It was cool to have them come back and play, and to see the excitement on the kids’ faces and the faces of the people in the crowd… St. Paul is a tight-knit community and a lot of these guys grew up together and played sports together. It’s definitely a family atmosphere.”