BonnerSprings.com

As the clock ticked past midnight Monday morning and most Bonner Springs residents were in bed preparing for yet another work or school week, the lights were on at the District Physical Education Center on the campus of Bonner Springs High School for the inaugural Midnight Madness basketball practice.

With basketball season tipping off in less than three weeks, hopefuls for the BSHS boys and girls basketball teams took to the court in style, scrimmaging for about 45 minutes with beating hip-hop tunes blaring in the gymnasium in front of about 30 parents.

Monday was the first day that basketball teams in the state of Kansas were allowed to start practicing, so BSHS took advantage of the trend that most colleges are doing and some high schools are turning to.

“This is a good opportunity for the girls to get to know each other,” BSHS girls basketball coach Clay Oakes said. “(Tonight) gives them an opportunity to get out there and play somewhat freely and to get excited for the upcoming season.”

Twenty girls were in attendance for Oakes, who will have his work cut out for him this year. His team will be very young and inexperienced, but he still thinks they can finish in the top half of the league because of some added height in their frontcourt. This night was not about wins and losses — it was about the girls having some fun.

“We were able to get up and down the court tonight and get a little freelancing in,” Oakes said. “They were really enthusiastic, and hopefully that excitement can carry over into practice starting.”

The girls came up with the idea to hold the practice and asked Oakes if they could do it. Once word got around to the boys, interest grew for them to share the floor the same night. After a last-minute decision approving the practice, about 35 boys showed up — much to third-year Braves boys coach Ryan Hull’s surprise.

“I had no idea we were going to have this many guys come out (for the team),” Hull said. “Looks like we are going to have some work in front of us to figure out what we have.”

The boys also will be a young and inexperienced team this year. The only returning starter will be senior Chance Crawford who was not in attendance because of illness. But this practice was about looking forward and getting a jumpstart to the 2008-09 season.

“This has made for a good start to the season,” Hull said. “The goal was to get a shot in the arm for the program, and I think we accomplished that tonight. We are looking forward to the season now.”

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