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Highlands Today

It's Taveniere Time

Brian Gjurgevich/Highlands Today

Lake Placid's Andre Young left and Sebring's Tevin Toney will take to the floor Friday night as the Green Dragons and Blue Streaks participate in the annual Taviniere Tournament at SHS.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: December 19, 2008

SEBRING - The show must go on.

Or in this case, the Jim Taveniere Holiday Tournament, which has become a cottage industry in Highlands County longer than most can remember, but economic hard times nearly put the annual event in jeopardy.

"I remember playing in this tournament when I was in high school and it was always something we, as players, looked forward too," said Sebring head coach Princeton Harris. "There were some hard times in putting together the event this year, but we pulled it off."

With a lineup featuring teams from the West Palm Beach/Fort Lauderdale area coming up to Highlands County to play in the tourney, Harris received some bad news just after school began.

"I had four teams cancel in the space of a week," Harris said. "They just didn't have the funds to travel up for the tournament and I understand the hardships that these athletic programs are under.

"So I began to scramble around looking for teams ... any teams that would play."

Harris began a phone campaign to recruit teams from the surrounding regions, but in the end he was able to get just four teams, so the tournament has been modified from an eight-team tournament to a shootout for 2008.

Martin County of Stuart will play Lake Wales today at 6 p.m. and Lake Placid will play cross-county rival Sebring in the nightcap. On Saturday, Sebring will face Lake Wales for the second time in three days at 6 p.m., while Lake Placid will take on Walker Academy at 7:30 p.m.

The tournament has always been an event that gave Highlands County teams a chance to play against teams they wouldn't normally have a chance to play and test out their skills against some of the top programs in the state.

"I remember that we had to turn teams away that wanted to play in the tournament," Harris said. "But times have changed and some teams have been given serious limitations in where they travel for games this year.

"It's just a fact of life."

Harris promises the tournament will remain a staple at Sebring at least as long as he's head coach of the Streaks. In fact, he's already recruiting for next year's event.

"I've already been working the phones and we'll bring back the tournament format next year," Harris said. "The Taveniere isn't going anywhere as long as I'm here. I've got too much respect for the event and what it means to play in it."

JIM TAVENIERE HOLIDAY TOURNEY

TONIGHT Lake Wales vs. Martin County, 6 p.m.

TONIGHT Sebring vs. Lake Placid, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY Lake Wales vs. Sebring, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY Walker vs. Lake Placid, 7:30 p.m.

Chris Hoffman can be reached at 863-386-5837 or choffman@highlandstoday.com.

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