On the evening of Monday, Nov. 18, the Trojan Mania basketball event was postponed by organizers in Facebook and Instagram posts.
Trojan Mania, a parent-organized basketball event, was supposed to be held on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 at the beginning of the boy’s basketball season. The event was inspired by MSU’s “Midnight Madness” and was announced on Nov. 1 by Charlita Torbert, parent of varsity basketball player KJ Torbert (11). Charlita hoped it would bring more attention to the team from the community.
However, after the boys football team made it to the state semi-finals, organizers postponed the event. After losing to Byron Center on Nov. 23, the football team’s season ended and the event was not immediately rescheduled.
As of Dec. 3, Trojan Mania was canceled via an email to Portrait from Ainslie Branson, the sister of varsity basketball member JL Branson.
Despite the event not coming to fruition, it’s announcement stirred controversy, as it was unclear if it would include both the boys and girls basketball teams.
In interviews with individuals on both teams leading up to the originally scheduled event, members of the boy’s team stated the girls were invited to the event, but members of the girl’s team believed they were not.
According to the parents in charge of the event, it was originally scheduled for the boys team. However, the girls team was allowed to participate with parental involvement from the team.
Amelia McNutt, assistant girls’ varsity basketball coach, was made aware of the event during the week it was supposed to run and does not believe they were invited to participate. This lack of inclusion reinforced her belief that the girls team is overlooked.
“In the past years, we’ve been really great, and then after COVID, they got a new coach, and things kind of went downhill. But that’s why we’re trying to bring the girl’s basketball up and get more people coming to the games,” McNutt said.
Girl’s varsity basketball player, Maeve Hadden (12), felt that it was odd that the girls were not included in the event.
“I think that it is weird that they wouldn’t include the girls, because, with other sports, girls are included,” Hadden said.
Cameron Hutson (12), a member of the varsity boys basketball team, was unaware of the controversy and saw the event as an exiting way to kick off the start of basketball season.
“The team has a lot of hype, so we just wanted to have a night to get the season going and have people come out to watch us play basketball and have some competitions,” Hutson said.
Hutson believes that this season will continue the success of last season as long as they keep working hard and winning games.
“I guess I was disappointed it didn’t happen,” Hutson said. “But I think we still have a good amount of awareness, and as long as people keep posting and we keep winning games, it’ll be good.”
