It will be a big day for high school basketball fans Saturday when South Warren hosts the second annual Rafferty’s Shootout.

The event will feature five games with four District 14 teams – South Warren, Bowling Green, Warren East and Warren Central – and Franklin-Simpson facing off against some of the best players and teams in Kentucky and Tennessee.

South Warren boys’ basketball coach Nelson Cundiff said he is excited about the event’s second season, which has moved up a month from last season.

“This is our big fundraiser,” Cundiff said. “We were afraid of snow in January, so we wanted to move it up. Plus, it is the beginning of the season. Everybody is still feeling everyone out. It’s a good opportunity for everyone to come out and see these teams up close and see what they had.”

Last year’s field included future Mr. Basketball and Western Kentucky signee Taveion Hollingsworth and Paul Laurence Dunbar, Hopkinsville, Owensboro Catholic, Shelby County and Marshall County.

Owensboro Catholic is back this year, with Central Hardin, Cumberland County, Ensworth (Tenn.) and Paducah Tilghman rounding out the field.

“You get to see all the other teams from the area,” Warren Central coach William Unseld said. “Even though the season is still early and we all change as the season goes along, it still gives you a chance to put your eyes on other programs that you are going to compete against in our district, our region, and also see some good teams from outside the region like a Paducah Tilghman or Owensboro Catholic – teams that are really good outside of our area.”

Warren Central, the No. 1 ranked team in the Daily News Area Top 10, will face Tilghman at 2 p.m. Tilghman is one of the top contenders in Region 1, led by Region 1 preseason player of the year J.J. Reed.

“It’s a chance to play another game against another really good team,” Unseld said. “It’s another game against a team that has a chance to win (Region 1). I like playing these type of games as a barometer to see how we stack up.”

Bowling Green will face an Ensworth team out of Nashville that has developed into one of Tennessee’s top programs. Ensworth was ranked ninth in the state, according to maxpreps, and is a top 30 team in the state this year.

“We think they are a great basketball team,” Bowling Green coach Derrick Clubb said. “Their reputation precedes itself, but that is what we like to do at Bowling Green. We want to go out and play really good teams, especially in the month of December. We think that is how you find out about your team.”

Saturday’s game is part of a brutal month for the defending state champions. The Purples will be competing in their third shootout in eight days. Bowling Green will play in shootouts at Hopkinsville and Barren County before competing in the King of the Bluegrass in Louisville before Christmas break.

“We joked that we have had an NBA schedule to start the season,” Clubb said.

The Purples and Ensworth are scheduled to tip at 4 p.m.

The day will begin with Warren East facing Owenboro Catholic, coached by former Warren Central coach Tim Riley, at noon.

Owenboro Catholic is the preseason favorite in Region 3, led by Luke Hayden and Max Reid.

The matchup will come less than 24 hours after the Raiders open District 14 play at South Warren. Warren East coach Brandon Combs said it will be a big test for his young team.

“It’s probably a little earlier than I would like to play this type of opponent that we are playing, but this will make us better down the road,” Combs said. “Going out to South Warren the night before for a district game, which is always a dogfight, and turning around less than 24 hours and playing the (Region 3) favorite is not the most ideal situation, but we are young and inexperienced and it will definitely help us down the road.”

The final two games of the day will feature Franklin-Simpson against Central Hardin at 6 p.m., with host South Warren facing Cumberland County at 8 p.m.

Cundiff said it should be an exciting day for hoops fans and one that he hopes to continue for years to come.

“Rafferty’s is committed with us in this shootout, so I think this is something that will continue to grow and get better,” Cundiff said.{&end}