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Lady Crusaders host holiday showcase tonight

john cate, the sanford herald, n.c.
·4 min read

Dec. 15—Grace Christian's Lady Crusaders have been grabbing headlines both in and out of North Carolina for more than a month now. Tonight, the state's top-ranked team returns to Torgerson Gym for another big game, and a chance for fans to help those in need at Christmas.

Six teams from Raleigh-area high schools will compete in the first Elite Exposure Barefoot Classic Basketball Tournament today at Grace. The tripleheader will culminate in a showdown between the 9-0 Lady Crusaders, the top-ranked NCISAA 3A team and the top-ranked team at any level in North Carolina; and 8-1 Cannon School, the top-ranked NCISAA 4A team and No. 4 overall in the state, at 8 p.m.

During the showcase, gently used athletic shoes may be donated, and monetary donations will also be accepted at the event.

The event is hosted by Grace Christian School and sponsored by Elite Exposure, a Raleigh-based training and scouting service for young athletes; and by Samaritan's Feet International. Samaritan's Feet is a 501©(3) humanitarian aid organization that serves and inspires hope in people by providing shoes as the foundation to a spiritual and healthy life resulting in the advancement of education and economic opportunities. Since its founding by Manny and Tracie Ohonme in 2003, Samaritan's Feet and its partners have served more than 10 million people in 109 nations and more than 600 U.S. cities. For more information about Samaritan's Feet International, visit SamaritansFeet.org.

The two organizations joined forces to present this event.

"When I met Manny and he explained his story and the story of so many others worldwide I didn't even know about, I was instantly drawn to the cause. Having at least one pair of shoes is something we seem to take for granted living in this country," said Gerroid Doughty, Founder, Elite Exposure. "Manny and I have the same heart to help others in need. The entire Elite Exposure staff is happy to do all we can to help Samaritan's Feet get closer their vision of "A World with Zero Shoeless Children."

Grace is offering a few special promotions of its own for the event. It is "Neon Night" for students, who will be admitted free and receive a free gift if wearing GCS spirit wear. Dinner will be available at the concession stand, with items such as pulled pork and carnitas street tacos; cheese, chicken or steak quesadillas; ribeye sandwiches; and the more typical fare of hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken tenders.

The Barefoot Classic starts at 5 p.m., with a game following at 6:30 before the Lady Crusaders play in the nightcap.

Game one pits undefeated Concord Academy (5-0), the sixth-ranked NCISAA 3A team, against Word of God Christian Academy. Word of God is a young team and has struggled this season against a challenging schedule, but Concord is off to an impressive start and will be making the first of two appearances at Torgerson this winter. Concord will return on Jan. 30 and play Grace.

In game two, starting at about 6:30 p.m., another set of Lady Crusaders will take to the floor in the form of Trinity Christian (6-5) of Fayetteville, which leads the NCISAA Sandhills Conference standings at 3-0 and is ranked No. 8 in the NCISAA 2A. Trinity will play NC GBB (Good Better Best) Academy's National team, which is 4-4 this season but would be ranked 11th in the NCHSAA 4A ranks if it were eligible to be rated there. They are also a future Grace opponent, and will play here on Jan. 18 and at their place on Feb. 8.

The Grace-Cannon game will no doubt attract much attention from college scouts. The Cougars recently took their first loss to Shining Star Academy of Petersburg, Va., during the same showcase event in Washington, D.C. where Grace earned a win. Cannon senior forward Kierra Morrow is a Division I recruit who committed to Elon back in August and averages 11 points and 11 rebounds per game. Junior combo guard Maya McCorkle, who averages 14.4 points per game, is also considered a D1 prospect. But the Cougars' leading scorer is actually a freshman, 5'10" swing player Madison Drayton, who averages 15.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per outing. All of these players are part of the Team Curry travel ball program.

Cannon blew through the early part of its schedule, beating independent school powers like Winston-Salem Christian and Victory Christian Center before beating up on three strong public school teams in Watauga, Mallard Creek and Sun Valley. On Dec. 8, they took on Orlando (Fla.) Colonial, the third-ranked 7A team in Florida, in a DC showcase game and beat them 53-42 in a game that wasn't actually that close, but then took their first loss the next night.

Admission to the full event is $7 and can be purchased in advance at gracesanford.shop.