By now, you’ve learned all about the happenings at this weekend’s Rock On Fest – the music, the fun, the fireworks.
But there’s also some high quality basketball taking over the White Park court. No, sadly Luke and Matt Bonner won’t be putting on a sweet dunk show. If only. Instead, the Rock On Foundation is teaming up with the Frank Monahan Foundation for a second straight year to host the Midsummer Classic.
It features the boys and girls basketball teams from Concord High, Bishop Brady, Merrimack Valley and Pembroke Academy in a single elimination tournament. Safe to say bragging rights on the line.
“It’s one and done,” said Monahan Foundation President Marshall Crane. “And who doesn’t want to be top dog in your community?”
The tournament begins at 1 p.m. with Merrimack Valley and Bishop Brady girls squaring off, followed by the Pembroke and Bishop Brady boys at 2 p.m.
The Concord girls take on Pembroke at 3 p.m., with the Concord boys battling it out with Merrimack Valley at 4 p.m.
The winners of each game advance to the championship round, with the girls playing at 5 p.m. and the boys at 6 p.m. It’s a different schedule from last year when all three girls games were played first, followed by the boys. Hopefully the rain will hold off this year and the boys tournament won’t have to be decided at Green Street again.
“This year we’re hoping for great weather,” Crane said.
White Park is the perfect place to host the tournament and not just because that’s where Rock On Fest is being held. The Rock On Foundation and the Frank Monahan Foundation partnered up a few years back to redo the court.
“For both the Frank Monahan Foundation and Rock On Foundation, it was one of the first donations we made,” Crane said. “So it’s great we’re able to do this together.”
The games will consist of two, 16-minute halves with all but the last two minutes of each half running time.
Adidas is providing the jerseys and the players get to keep them at the end of the day.
The tournament is free, so just grab a seat or stand along the fence and catch some quality high school hoops.
