GREY MATTER OFFSETS GREY HAIR AT SLAMFEST

Greying hair and creaking knees didn't keep a number of local basketball heroes from showing their stuff Saturday during the opening day of Slamfest at Indian Park.

Fans who braved the blazing sun said the seventh annual Slamfest tournament wasn't about who was the quickest or had the smoothest moves. Slamfest is a good mixture of the "old heads" and the "young bloods," they said, and the combination makes for an unpredictable, exceptional tournament.

"The reason I come back to the tournament every year is it brings back familiar faces and you have good talent young and old," said

Mike Colon, 36, who plays league basketball but spends most days working as a driver for the United Parcel Service. "Plus, I like to let the young boys know I can still play with them."

Many of the players were college standouts in their prime, including former Southeast players Colon, Tony McClellan and Ray Pugh, and former Mizzou stars Ron Jones and Ricky Frazier. The 30-something athletes battled throughout the day against younger standouts from their alma maters, like former Southeast players Mike Crain and Luther Vaughn, and former Mizzou starter Lamont Frazier.

"A lot of these guys are just playground legends," said Tim Lane, one of many fans on hand to watch the first competitors in the two-day, double elimination tournament. "It's great to watch them going at it."

Al McFerren, who often officiates Missouri high school and college basketball games, has refereed Slamfest games for six years. He said the older players generally perform very well against younger competitors despite their flagging physiques.

"What they lose in the way of athletic ability they gain up here," said McFerren, tapping his forefinger to his temple. "I didn't know experience meant so much."

McClellan said he believes he is in excellent physical condition because he continues to play pickup games three days each week. He said he's sure to be sore next week, however, because the playing environment at Slamfest is not what he's used to.

"I know Monday I'll be hurting because I usually play on wood, not concrete," said McClellan, 37, who works as a photojournalist for a St. Louis television station. "I have to keep playing, though, because I love it so much."

At 18 years old, Garrett DeBrock is one of youngest players on the court. A recent graduate of Delta High School, he said he enjoys Slamfest because it gives him an opportunity to learn from some of the area's best players -- period.

"Everybody out here has more experience, so I'm just out here to get better," said DeBrock, whose team includes Bud Eley and Kahn Cotton of Southeast. "They're the generals; I'm just a soldier.

"I do what they tell me, and if I can help the team win, so much the better."