The Jefferson City Jays know they will find out a lot about themselves in the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic this week. The Jays open up the three-day tournament at 7 p.m. today against Rogers, Ark., at Fleming Fieldhouse and they will be tested against a talented field.
The Helias Crusaders and first-round wins in the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic have been synonymous with each other. Helias is playing in the Classic for the 25th straight season, and the Crusaders are 18-4 in first-round games when the tournament has been an eight-team format.
There are two teams making their debut this week in the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic. The Fatima Comets are one of them, and they’ve been relishing this opportunity for a long time. “Our kids are super excited,” Fatima coach Ryan Robertson said. “They’ve been growing up watching this tournament as kids. They come to practice during Christmas break every year, talking about the tournament, the performances, the teams."
The bragging rights are back in Osage County. Tuesday night’s rivalry matchup was a seesaw battle, but the Fatima Comets never trailed. Fatima ended the first half on an 8-0 run and made plenty of free throws in the fourth quarter, pulling away to a 57-46 victory against the Blair Oaks Falcons. The win snaps an eight-game losing streak for the Comets against the Falcons, but Fatima coach Ryan Robertson was quick to note Blair Oaks made it difficult on his team to finally break the streak Tuesday.
The Fatima Comets have watched the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic year after year from the bleachers at Fleming Fieldhouse. This year, they’ll be one of the eight teams playing on the court. “They were excited to go watch. For them to be a part of it, you can feel the energy from them,” Fatima coach Ryan Robertson said of the Comets’ first Classic appearance during Wednesday’s press conference. “They’re excited, they want to compete.