Republic will be the centerpiece for a celebration of southwest Missouri high school basketball when it hosts a Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser event on December 20. Former Mizzou coach Norm Stewart, a co-founder of Coaches vs. Cancer, is scheduled to attend. So are some of the most-celebrated basketball players in Republic High School history.
(Note: Since the original publication of the story, Stewart has said he will not attend.)
The game between Republic and Reeds Spring will be the marquee matchup in a ten-day fundraising event called “DC-10.” The “DC” stands for “Defeat Cancer” and “Don Carlson,” a former Republic and SMSU great who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. A series of ten games in the Ozarks will comprise the event, with the signature game in Republic.
The night in Republic will also be an opportunity to honor some of the school’s greats. The only four Tigers to ever receive multiple all-state honors will all be in attendance. They include three-time all-stater Howard Arndt, and two-time all-staters Carlson, Jack Trogdon, and Nick Yocum. Yocum, who graduated last year, will receive his plaque to commemorate his all-state selection.
Mike Keltner, longtime Glendale coach and Missouri State University radio commentator, is helping organize the event. Carlson was an assistant under Keltner for many years at Glendale.
“Republic made sense because that’s where Donny played. He led the ’63 Tigers to a state championship, and the ’61 and ’62 Tigers to a Blue & Gold Championship,” says Keltner. “It’s an opportunity to bring prostate cancer to the forefront.”
The Republic Lady Tigers will get in on the action when they host their own Coaches vs. Cancer game this Thursday, December 13th. Organizers will take a collection for the American Cancer Society during the game, and fans are encouraged to wear pink (for breast cancer awareness) or light blue (for prostate cancer awareness).
Keltner says he hopes the event will start a tradition among schools in the Ozarks.
“We hope it becomes an annual thing. It can move from school to school. Once we get it started and get it off the ground, the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association is going to join in with us,” he says. “We think it will be a great opportunity to have something we can all be proud of in Southwest Missouri.”
December 20 will also feature a silent auction with items from several major college basketball programs, including memorabilia from Duke University and the University of Kansas.
“We think it’s going to be a big night for Republic High School, a big night for Republic basketball, and a big night for all of Southwest Missouri,” Keltner says.
“We know that basketball is in the fabric of Southwest Missouri, always has been, and we know that high school basketball is a big deal, and this is an opportunity to celebrate a whole bunch of things. A lot of good people who’ve accomplished a whole lot of good things.”
