CENTERBURG — The basketball players at Centerburg on Saturday were stubborn as mules. In fact, they were mules.
The first annual Donkey Basketball games filled the Centerburg High School gym. Two games entertained the crowd in a dual main event on Saturday.
Although the games featured some of Centerburg’s best basketball stars — including Claire Harvey, Drew Osborne and Nick Myers among others — there was little in the way of hoops skills on display.
More accurately, players got a cheer when they were just able to stay on their donkey’s back the entire time.
Several times, the donkeys bucked off their riders or bent down so the riders slid off over the donkeys’ heads.
Despite the troubles with their four-legged comrades, two players — Harvey and Tyler Griffith — managed to hit three-point shots, something the trainers said they had never seen in over 400 games.
Pre-game entertainment was provided by Don McCracken, Bob Griffith, Phil Lohmeyer and Josh Franks, who raced to don a complete outfit of women’s clothing including wigs, hats and purses. Former Mayor Dennis Sykes was the official judge and Bob Griffith became the first “Miss Donkey Ball 2011”.
Several Centerburg high school students performed on unicycles, juggling and other antics throughout the evening. High school administrator John Morgan and principal Mike Hebenthal were official “pooper scoopers”.
