Central's Tiger Field house sees its last varsity games

At the buzzer

Cape's Tiger Field House sees its last varsity games this week as students and others bid farewell

"Am I going to miss this gym? You're doggone right. I love it." -- Central athletics director Terry Kitchen

By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian

The sign identifies the surroundings as "the jungle."

It's an appropriate enough name, considering how many Tigers have roamed the terrain over the years, looking for a weak opponent, waiting to pounce on those with less aggressive instincts.

Soon, however, they will be moved to a new place to hunt.

Of course, we're talking about the Tiger Field House at Central High School in Cape Girardeau, which has been the home of the high school's boys and girls basketball Tigers teams since it opened in 1977.

But this week all that comes to an end. Today, the girl's basketball team will play its final game in "the jungle" against Jackson. On Friday, the boys final home game against Sikeston will be the last time a varsity game is played in that building at 205 Caruthers.

There's a new school and a new gym opening in the fall.

Emotional memories

In the meantime, some of the school's coaches and players are getting sentimental about the place where many of them have played or coached their favorite organized sport for years.

"There are so many memories, I get emotional sometimes," said Central athletics director Terry Kitchen, who has been coaching for 24 years. "There were so many great students and athletes that went into that gym."

Kitchen pointed out that the 1980 Tigers won the state championship, and there have been several other talented teams. But it's more than the basketball players.

The two gyms -- the big gym and the nearby smaller gym -- have also housed physical education classes, provided a staging grounds for nervous teenagers at dances and been the meeting point for many school pep rallies.

"There's something special about the orange and black in that gym," Kitchen said. "Am I going to miss this gym? You're doggone right. I love it."

On Friday, a celebration is planned around the boys' game against Sikeston. The event will feature a good-bye to senior cheerleaders and basketball players followed by the game.

Following the game, the lights will be turned out on the main floor as the school's alma mater is sung. After that will be the school's homecoming dance.

To mark the event, commemorative T-shirts are being sold that say "I was in the Tiger Field House when the lights went out." Pictures can be made with a tiger head, and there will be face painting before the game.

"We want to go out with a bang," Kitchen said. "We want it to be a night people will remember."

Missing the gym

On Wednesday afternoon, the boys team practiced in one gym and the girls practiced in the other.

"I am going to miss this gym," said junior Michael Zimmer, 16. "The whole team's nostalgic. We don't know what to expect at the new gym, but we like playing here."

Other students remembered the gym from childhood.

"It's almost like sanctuary," said senior Elliott Swoboda, 18. "It's where I wanted to play when I was little, with the big boys."

Sarah Hyslop, a 17-year-old senior, said since she's graduating, she wouldn't be playing at any of the gyms anyway.

"It's going to be sad that it's my last home game and it's Jackson, so that makes it more exciting," she said. "This is a nice gym, but I'm not that sentimental about it."

The Tiger Field House will not go empty for long. As the high school students file into their new school, the seventh and eighth graders will occupy the old high school and their teams will play at Tiger Field House.

Kitchen said some high school wrestling might take place there, too.

"It will be used," Kitchen said. "But to think of so many people, so many grown adults with ties to that building, it's somewhat overwhelming. This Friday is going to be a special event and a special night. It's hard to give up the memories. It's going to be tough on me."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137