HILLSBORO – Big-time men’s basketball returns to the Jefferson College Field House for the first time in more than three decades, and the welcome mat is being rolled out for the players and potential fans.
Opening night begins with a Tailgate Party at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1, featuring free food and T-shirts for the first 250 fans through the door. The game against Southwest Illinois College will begin following a ceremonial tip off at 7 p.m.
“We are going to have a hot dog, bag of chips, and bottle of water for the first 250 people who show up that night,” said Jefferson College Athletic Director Bob Deutschman. “I’ll start cooking hot dogs at about 4:30. That’s my job for the pre-game. We’ll have music and giveaways inside the atrium at the field house.”
The college’s color guard and chorus will open the festivities inside the gym with a performance of the national anthem. The Hillsboro High School Dance team is scheduled to perform for the half-time show. Deutschman said he is hopeful the community rallies around the team and the game.
“I remember in my first year here – before the pandemic. I was new to the community, and I was here for a quarterfinal MSHSAA playoff with two high school games. The building was full of passionate fans. I looked into the stands and said, ‘We want to create a version of this.’ I saw how this community embraces the game. My vision is to provide the game at the next level for this community.”
Led by CB Walker who serves as the head coach for both the women’s and men’s teams, Deutschman said he believes the personnel is in place to make that dream a reality.
“We are hoping to capture the attention of the people on campus and throughout the county,” he said. “I knew we would need a dynamic and diversified person to be the face of our program, and within five minutes of meeting Coach Walker, I knew we had the perfect fit.”
In addition to bringing back men’s basketball after a 30-plus year absence, cheer returns to the sidelines after it was shut down by the pandemic.
“We are inviting all former members of past basketball teams and cheer squads to be acknowledged that night,” Deutschman said. “We have met every Tuesday for the past several weeks, and we are pretty air-tight for the script and schedule of events.”
The unknown comes from what the team full of all new recruits brings to the floor, but again he has confidence the coaching staff will have them prepared to play. Deutschman also believes in the success of the student athletes in the classroom.
“The numbers speak for themselves. Our teams have a 3.26 cumulative grade point average as an athletic department. Every program has earned academic all team honors, meaning they all have an average GPA over 3.0,” he said with pride. “We expect that to continue with the men’s basketball program.”
The Vikings women’s basketball team home opener is Saturday, Nov. 4, with a game at 1 p.m. versus Southeastern Iowa Community College. A special event for the team is being planned for January when they begin regional play.