WORCESTER—As the 82nd edition of the Clark Tournament heads into its final weekend with the championship round Friday and Saturday night, it’s hard not to feel nostalgic.
What started in 1939 as a way to give small- and medium-sized Central MA high school basketball teams a competitive tournament of their own in response to city and parochial school tournaments that attracted many larger schools, has weathered a World War, a pandemic, and turnover on the managing committee over the years.
Steeped in tradition, the Clark Tournament, which was founded by Clark University Hall of Famer and former Athletic Director Russ Granger and former Oxford High School Principal Frank Sannella, returned last year after a two-year, COVID-inflicted hiatus. The only other time the tourney wasn’t held was in 1943, because of World War II. For the players who take part, it is one of the major highlights of their high school careers. For fans, it’s something not to miss – and many don’t. In fact, some of the same fans have been coming for years, sitting in the same seats year after year.
Here’s a look at some of the traditions and changes with the Clark Tournament over the years:
Off-site games
As Tournament Committee Co-Chair Brad Monroe explained to The Worcester Guardian, Clark University allows 12 tournament games to be played at the Kneller Athletic Center. With 32 teams playing in this year’s tournament, that presented a bit of a problem. Thanks to four high schools stepping up, however, off-site games were able to be held last weekend at West Boylston, Shepherd Hill, Grafton, and Oxford.
“These schools were critical in having the tournament,” Monroe said.
Off-site boys’ games had to be held last year as well, Monroe said.
Girls on court
While 2023 is regarded by some as the first year that girls’ teams were allowed in the Clark Tournament, that’s not entirely true. The first year was actually 1973. It’s just that it didn’t quite stick.
“We tried it off and on over the years…mostly off,” Monroe said.
Last year, eight girls’ teams took part, and were split into two, four-team categories: large and small schools, just like the boys. Grafton took home the large schools’ trophy, while Sutton claimed the small schools’ title. This year, the field expanded to 16 teams, allowing for eight teams to play in each category.
While it’s not exactly a bona fide tradition yet, girls playing in the Clark may just have some staying power.
Scholarships
This one has been around from the beginning. Proceeds from every tournament go toward scholarships for incoming Clark University freshmen from all 43 eligible Clark Tournament teams. The students don’t have to be basketball players. Since 1995, according to Monroe, more than $118,000 has been doled out in scholarships. It is done in honor of the late Dick Mulligan, former Lunenburg High School athletic director and a member of its Hall of Fame.
“He was a strong advocate for the most money possible going to these scholarships,” Monroe said.
No “I” in team
There are no MVP or All-Star awards – no individual honors – bestowed upon players in the Clark Tournament. It’s all about the team. While each player from the championship games receives a ribbon with a medal, no one player is singled out. The winning teams in each division get a team plaque to display in their school.
No Worcester high schools
It was founded in Worcester, at a Worcester school, but no Worcester high schools take part in the Clark Tournament. Well, almost none. A passionate case from Worcester Public Schools Athletic Director Dave Shea last year led to the committee granting eligibility to University Park Campus School/Main South.
“They’re an integral part of the Clark community,” Monroe acknowledged of the school which operates in the shadow of the Clark University campus.
Other than that, however, it’s a no-go for Worcester high schools in the tournament.
“I’m not so sure about the rest of the schools [in Worcester],” Monroe said, “because we’d have other cities in Central Mass lining up. I don’t think we could accommodate them.”
Championship games in the Clark Tournament will be played Friday night, Feb. 23, and Saturday night, Feb. 24 at the Kneller Athletic Center. On Friday, the Boys Small School Championship will feature No. 1 seed Maynard taking on second-seeded David Prouty, starting at 6. The Boys Large School Championship starts at 7:45 and pits No. 4 Millbury against No. 6 Tantasqua. The girls teams take the floor on Saturday, with No. 1 seed Sutton going up against No. 2 seed West Boylston at 6 p.m. in the Girls Small School Championship. At 7:45, the Girls Large School Championship will also feature the top two seeds: Tantasqua and Northbridge.
Find the full schedule here.
With more than 30 years’ experience as a journalist, Walter Bird is a former editor of Worcester Magazine, former executive editor of Stonebridge Press Newspapers, and a two-time Weekly Reporter of the Year through the New England Newspaper & Press Association. He can be reached at walterbirdjr@gmail.com
