Davey Nolz Memorial Alumni Tournament
From Colton
Named for CHS Alum and Assistant Boys' Basketball coach David Nolz who was tragically killed in a 1984 vehicle accident, the tournament is a fundraiser for a Student/Athlete scholarship for Colton High School. Organized by CHS alum Grant Stanbro, the tournament's heyday was in the 1990s, when Colton Pride was still socially acceptable. With the annual Colton Craft Fair held in the adjacent CHS Multi-Purpose Room, CHS was a holiday destination for the entire family.
The tournament was usually organized in a round-robin format, with the initial games being held on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Teams were organized by graduating class, with many years combined in order to ensure enough personnel per team. The championship game, usually held on Saturday Evenings, was usually the least attended game of the tournament, as player fatigue necessitated lengthy convalescence at the Fir Valley Inn.
Notes
- The Class of '89 were crowned Tournament Champions 13 consecutive years, starting in their graduation year. This domination is thought by many to have been the demise of the tournament itself, as the results were seen by many potential attendees to be a foregone conclusion.
- Custom T-shirts were usually given to the Tournament Champions, though one year, despite vociferous complaints by some, hats were awarded.
- A newsletter was frequently published to coincide with the Tournament. Called Turkey Tourney Tidbits, the newsletter was intended to inform players just back home for the holiday of the recent goings-on in Colton.
Media
Below are video clips of the Class of '89 versus various opponents in the only surviving video from the Alumni Tournament. No sound is available. From 1992.
Class of '89 vs. Class of '91 Part 1
Class of '89 vs. Class of '91 Part 2
Class of '89 vs. Class of '83-84 Part 1
Class of '89 vs. Class of '83-84 Part 2
Class of '89 vs. Class of '80-82 Part 1
Class of '89 vs. Class of '80-82 Part 2
Categories: Thing | Event
