East Meets West: A Full Day of Hoops, a Night of Remembrance

The future will be on display Saturday as budding basketball stars from sixth grade and up take to the big court at East High School in an all-day tournament before the East-West boys varsity match.

It will also be a day and night of remembrance, though, as the varsity game is being billed as a Coaches vs. Cancer game under the auspices of the American Cancer Society.

The game and evening activities comprise a charity tribute to the late Mike Landisch, former head coach of the West High Trojans who died last year of kidney cancer.

All together, six games will be played, beginning with three middle school grades and the high school freshmen players matching up in a series of tilts starting at 10 a.m. Following a break for a spaghetti dinner at 5 p.m., the East-West junior varsity teams will battle before the the big-name varsity players take the court at 7:30.

“This event allows the juniors to play at the high school ... and get them excited to play on the same court as the older players,” said Linda Cupertino of the Raiders Athletic Booster Club, sponsor of the tourney.

She said the tournament also is designed to bring the East-West school communities closer, as they did Aug. 20 in the "Battle of the Tosas" football game between the cross-town schools, which play in different conferences.

Admission to the four daytime juniors games are free. The evening junior varsity and varsity games are $5 per game for adults, free for students.

Along with lots of basketball, the Raiders Athletic Booster Club will hold its  spaghetti dinner fundraiser at 5 p.m. The dinner costs $8 a plate for adults, $4 for 8- to 18-year-olds and is free for kids 7 and younger. Dinner includes spaghetti, salad, rolls and a drink.

The Raider Athletic Booster Club will also raffle an iPod. Proceeds from the raffle and dinner will support the organization.

After dinner, the fundraising focus shifts to the American Cancer Society during the Coaches vs. Cancer main event. Representatives of the charity will be on hand to raise awareness, offer information and collect donations in the fight against cancer.

Before the final game, organizers will present a memorial slide show honoring Landisch’s legacy as both a West coach and a former East High player. During halftime, East High will retire Landisch's number and hang his jersey for display.

Game Schedule

• 6th grade    10 a.m.

• Freshman    12:30 p.m.  TE vs. TW

• 7th grade    2 p.m.

• 8th grade    3 p.m.    TE vs. TW      

Spaghetti Dinner starts at 5 p.m.

• JV              5:45 p.m.     TE vs. TW   

• Varsity       7:30 p.m.     TE vs. TW

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From the American Cancer Society website:

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs.

Coaches vs. Cancer evolved from a concept championed by Norm Stewart, former head coach of the University of Missouri's men's basketball program, cancer survivor, and member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He started the program by challenging fans to pledge a dollar amount for every three points made by his team during the season.

The American Cancer Society and the NABC adopted that concept in 1993 and transformed it into a nationwide effort to unite coaches across the country in the common mission to provide help and hope to all people facing cancer. Today, more than 2,000 Division I, II, and III college coaches are involved in the program. Coaches vs. Cancer has raised nearly $50 million since its inception to support the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a life-threatening disease. Additionally, more than 100 high school coaches also participate in the program.