LOCAL TEAMS LOAD GUNS FOR SHOOTOUT

The fourth annual Tiger Shootout, which is hosted by Cape Central High School, figures to be as unpredictable as the recent weather.

There are no seeds. There are no obvious mismatches. And there are few, if any, scouting reports.

That's because the Shootout is geared toward uniting teams from Southeast Missouri -- Cape Central, Jackson and Notre Dame -- with teams they would not normally play.

The Shootout begins at noon Saturday and will feature five games.

"The idea is to match the ability of our kids in Southeast Missouri with kids from St. Louis and Southern Illinois," said Terry Kitchen, athletic director at Cape Central. "We thought it would be ideal to bring teams in on a Saturday and have a great day of basketball for the fans."

The boys' matchups include Notre Dame vs. Portageville, Jackson vs. Oakville and Central vs. Vianney. In girls action, Jackson will take on Massac County (Ill.) and Cape Central will face last year's Class 3A champs Rosary. Rosary is the only school other than the three local teams which was in the Shootout last year.

"I think it's great for Southeast Missouri basketball," said Jackson girls basketball coach Ron Cook. "You can watch five or six games for five or six bucks."

Events such as this pose problems for coaches, though.

With little knowledge of the other team, coaches will have their spontaneity put to the test.

Cook didn't know much about Massac County.

And Central head coach Brett Reutzel couldn't scout Vianney, a St. Louis school, from the bleachers or on tape, so he found what he could on the Internet and from the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Vianney, which competes in the same conference with basketball powers Desmet, St. Louis University High and Christian Brothers College, is 8-3.

"They've got several players back from last year and they're supposed to be pretty decent," Reutzel said. "They'll be one of the best teams we'll play. I think it gives us a chance to play someone different with a different style and a different flavor.

"It's kind of like having a tournament without having one."

Notre Dame boys coach Chris Janet was a little more familiar with his opponent, although his foe is more proximate than St. Louis or Southern Illinois.

The Bulldogs, who have already played a demanding schedule for a Class 2A school, will face Portageville, a team that made it to the state's Final Four last year.

"Their a very good basketball team," Janet said. "They may be the most athletic team we've played all year. They're one of the best teams in Southeast Missouri."

Of course the whole Shootout remains in jeopardy as long as freezing precipitation makes driving difficult. But as of Thursday evening, Kitchen said he had talked to the schools involved and was still shooting to have the Shootout.

"Our first concern is always safety," Kitchen said. "If it gets to that point (when it's not safe), we'll call it off."

Cape Central Tiger Shootout

Jackson girls vs. Massac Co., Ill., noon

Notre Dame boys vs. Portageville, 1:30 p.m.

Cape Central girls vs. Rosary, 3 p.m.

Jackson boys vs. Oakville, 4:30 p.m.

Cape Central boys vs. Vianney, 6 p.m.