Prep News and StuCo will renew a longstanding rivalry on the basketball court next Wednesday during eighth period. It will be the first time the clubs will face each other since May 2019, a game which Prep News won. 

Both teams feature an all-senior starting lineup. Jonny Grimes, Tilahun Murphy, Grant Sussman, Jack Rudder, and John Browdy will start for StuCo, while Carter Spence, Noah Apprill-Sokol, Luke Altier, Jacob Sprock, and Carter Fortman will take the court for Prep News.

Sussman declined to give any of his thoughts on the game when asked by Prep News.

“I’ll let my game do the talking, thank you,” he said.

Just one player competing in this year’s game has experience on this stage before: Sports Editor Luke Altier. Altier was a member of the 2019 Prep News team that took down StuCo.

“I played in the Prep News vs. StuCo game two years ago,” Altier said. “I expect a result that parallels my initial experience: pure victory.”

The game will be held in the Danis Field House, and students will be allowed to attend with strict distancing guidelines. While an exact number has not yet been provided, athletic director Chris Muskopf estimated that between 100 to 125 students can attend. For virtual students and the rest of the SLUH community, the game will be livestreamed on SLUH Sports Network.

The game will consist of two 15-minute halves. Fans will be allowed to participate in several halftime performances, most notably the halfcourt shot challenge. Students can donate $5 to the Mission Week fundraiser to shoot.

“I am playing for every Prep News volume ever—each of the 84 before us—in this game,” said Editor in Chief Carter Fortman. “From what I’ve seen from our team in practice and from StuCo, I’m not worried one bit.”

Sam Tarter, the coach of the Prep News, has embraced his role in full. 

“I’m bad at sports, period, but especially basketball,” said Tarter. “I decided the best thing for me to do for the team is to look good in a suit and tie, cheer them on and hype them up on the sidelines, and pull teammates out when they’re too burnt out. This is also a much better option than dressing up in a corset and skirt and being the team cheerleader.”