By Cody Thomason
The Vicksburg Post

The 2018 Red Carpet Basketball Classic has shrunk by two games.

Porter’s Chapel Academy’s games vs. Brookhaven on Saturday, which were scheduled to be the first two of six in the Red Carpet lineup at Warren Central, have been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts caused by this week’s inclement weather.

Brookhaven Academy has had a district game against Sylva-Bay Academy postponed twice because of the weather related travel issues, and will play that game Saturday instead.

PCA boys coach Chad Lessard said the decision to cancel the Brookhaven game was mutual. PCA also needs to make up a postponed district game against Riverfield Academy, and is trying to do that on Saturday.

“Our schedule is already so full, Saturday was the only available date for both of us to open up and get our district game played. We’re probably going to play Riverfield away on Saturday,” Lessard said. “We just came to a mutual agreement, we thought it was best for our teams, our schools, and that way we weren’t killing our kids in the middle of our week or a church night.”

Lessard said the Brookhaven Academy game will not be rescheduled. If PCA is able to line up a game with Riverfield on Saturday, it will be on the road in Rayville, La., and not part of the Red Carpet Classic.

“It’s not something to me, I would’ve played anyone, but it’s sad for the kids because I know it’s something they look forward to, with the Red Carpet Bowl being a citywide thing,” Lessard said. “We have to do what’s best for our school and timing-wise, with the district game Tuesday that was cancelled for inclement weather, it’s something we have to make up. Brookhaven is not a district game and it’s a Saturday that’s open for us so I think the kids will understand.”

With Porter’s Chapel no longer on the schedule, the Red Carpet Classic will stick to the rest of its schedule as planned and begin at 1 p.m. when Vicksburg High’s girls’ team plays Forest Hill.
Vicksburg’s boys will face Port Gibson at 2:30 p.m., and Warren Central will play a girls-boys doubleheader with Starkville beginning at 4.

All games will be played at Warren Central. Admission is $8, and is good for all four games.
Red Carpet Bowl Committee chairman Dr. Calvin Masterson said he understood PCA and Brookhaven Academy’s decision.

“We would love to have all of the schools involved and participate, but we understand the cancellation, and we will proceed as scheduled,” Masterson said. “Hopefully next year we can have all four of our schools in the Vicksburg Warren area participate.”

Even without the games between PCA and Brookhaven, Masterson expected great support from the community.

“We anticipate a packed crowd, because we have some excellent teams coming in to play Vicksburg High School and Warren Central High School,” Masterson said. “The community is excited about doing the Red Carpet Bowl basketball games. We do the Red Carpet Bowl basketball games, we do it mainly for our schools and our students, so we can raise money to give out our scholarships every year.”

RED CARPET BASKETBALL CLASSIC
Saturday, at Warren Central
Admission: $8; ticket good for all games
Girls
1 p.m. – Forest Hill vs. Vicksburg
4 p.m. – Starkville vs. Warren Central
Boys
2:30 p.m. – Port Gibson vs. Vicksburg
5:30 p.m. – Starkville vs. Warren Central