The Beginning of the Turkey Tourney:
Norm Schall served as Head Basketball Coach and as physical education instructor at Melvin-Sibley in the early 1970s when an idea occurred to him to tie in basketball with Thanksgiving. After presenting the information to his administration the tourney was accepted and born. The tourney is thought to be one of the first of its kind in the area and has served as one of the best Turkey Day Invitationals around. Jack Cowgill then began an invitational at Gibson City High School in 1976 and in 1993 the two merged. Mr. Schall currently serves as the official scorekeeper of the Turkey Tourney.
Norm Schall served as Head Basketball Coach and as physical education instructor at Melvin-Sibley in the early 1970s when an idea occurred to him to tie in basketball with Thanksgiving. After presenting the information to his administration the tourney was accepted and born. The tourney is thought to be one of the first of its kind in the area and has served as one of the best Turkey Day Invitationals around. Jack Cowgill then began an invitational at Gibson City High School in 1976 and in 1993 the two merged. Mr. Schall currently serves as the official scorekeeper of the Turkey Tourney.
past champions of the thanksgiving tournament
gcms thanksgiving tournament
1993 - Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Falcons, Coach Jack Cowgill
1994 - St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans, Coach Randy Wolken
1995 - St. Joseph-Odgen Spartans, Coach Randy Wolken
1996 - Cissna Park Red Devils, Coach Kevin Long
1997 - Armstrong-Potomac Trojans, Coach Bill Mulvaney
1998 - Armstrong-Potomac Trojans, Coach Bill Mulvaney
1999 - Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Falcons, Coach Jack Cowgill
2000 - St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans, Coach Randy Wolken
2001 - Braidwood-Reed Custer Comets, Coach Tim Ricketts
2002 - Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers, Coach Jim Jumper
2003 - Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers, Coach Jim Jumper
2004 - Armstrong-Potomac Trojans, Coach Gene Gourley
2005 - Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Falcons, Coach Ryan Tompkins
2006 - Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Falcons, Coach Ryan Tompkins
2007 - Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Falcons, Coach Ryan Tompkins
2008 - Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers, Coach Jim Jumper
2009 - Heritage Hawks, Coach Andy Place
2010 - Prairie Central Hawks, Coach Tim McGuire
2011 - Rantoul Eagles, Coach Brett Frerichs
2012 - Prairie Central Hawks, Coach Rick Shertz
2013 - Blue Ridge Knights, Coach Kyle Watson
2014 - Prairie Central, Coach Joe Moore
2015 - GCMS Falcons, Coach Ryan Tompkins
2016 - GCMS Falcons, Coach Ryan Tompkins
2017 - Fisher Bunnies, Coach Cody Diskin
2018 - Eureka Hornets, Coach Tim Meiss
2019 - Prairie Central Hawks - Coach Darin Bazzell
2020 - No Tournament (Covid)
2021 - Prairie Central Hawks - Coach Darin Bazzell
mel-sib turkey tourney greyhound invitational
1972 Donovan Wildcats, Coach Ron Biery
1973 Melvin-Sibley Rams, Coach Norm Schall 1974 Buckley-Loda Rockets, Coach Steve Sanders 1975 Fisher Bunnies, Coach Max Norman 1976 Atwood-Hammond Rajahs, Coach Leonard McKean 1977 Ford Central Cougars, Coach Randy Feller 1978 Saybrook-Arrowsmith Comanches,Coach Gerry Thornton 1979 Ford Central Cougars, Coach Randy Feller 1980 Ford Central Cougars, Coach Randy Feller 1981 Ford Central Cougars, Larry Clones 1982 Saunemin Eagles, Coach Rick Patarozzi 1983 Fairbury-Cropsey Tartars, Coach Jerry Freadhoff 1984 Rankin Rangers, Coach Dave Cox 1985 Saunemin Eagles, Coach Rick Patarozzi 1986 Saunemin Eagles, Coach Rick Patarozzi 1987 Octavia Rockets, Coach Rodney Keller 1988 Buckley-Loda Rockets, Coach Paul Kastner 1989 Blue Ridge Knights, Coach Wayne Brown 1990 Melvin-Sibley Rams, Coach John Overley 1991 Tri-Point Chargers, Coach Jim Workman 1992 Deland-Weldon Eagles, Coach Karl Parrish |
1976 Gibson City Greyhounds, Coach Jack Cowgill
1977 Gibson City Greyhounds, Coach Jack Cowgill 1978 Gibson City Greyhounds, Coach Jack Cowgill 1979 Olympia Spartans, Coach Bill Gaddis 1980 Gibson City Greyhounds, Coach Jack Cowgill 1981 Monticello Sages, Coach Bob Trimble 1982 Kankakee Bishop Mac Fightin' Irish, Coach Jerry Kreig 1983 Monticello Sages, Coach Bob Trimble 1984 Gibson City Greyhounds, Coach Jack Cowgill 1985 St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans, Coach Randy Wolken 1986 Monticello Sages, Coach Bob Trimble 1987 Tuscola Warriors, Coach Kerry Kincaid 1988 Monticello Sages, Coach Bob Trimble 1989 Monticello Sages, Coach Bob Trimble 1990 St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans, Coach Randy Wolken 1991 Gibson City Greyhounds, Coach Jack Cowgill 1992 Gibson City Greyhounds, Coach Jack Cowgill |
49th ANNUAL GCMS THANKSGIVING TOURNEY:
Champions - Prairie Central Hawks Runner-Up - Iroquois West Raiders 3rd Place - GCMS Falcons ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM Dylan Bazzell - Prairie Central Hawks Levi Goad - Prairie Central Hawks Peyton Rhodes - Iroquois West Raiders Cannon Leonard - Iroquois West Raiders Seth Kollross - GCMS Falcons Seth Barnes - GCMS Falcons Alec Thomas - Lexington Minutemen Carter Coffman - Lexington Minutemen Connor Cardenas - Tri-Point Chargers Kollin Asbury - Armstrong-Potomac Trojans 44th ANNUAL GCMS THANKSGIVING TOURNEY: Champions - GCMS Falcons Runner-Up - LeRoy Panthers 3rd Place - Blue Ridge Knights All-Tournament Team James Fairfield - GCMS Falcons Tucker Cribbett- GCMS Falcons Hayden Wenger - Prairie Central Tom Shafer - Prairie Central Lindi Balazi - Blue Ridge Thomas Hallstein - Olympia Jacob Overton - Clinton Dylan Lytel - Blue Ridge Matt Chastain - LeRoy Noah Perry - LeRoy 43rd ANNUAL GCMS THANKSGIVING TOURNEY RESULTS: Champions - Prairie Central Hawks Runner-Up - GCMS Falcons 3rd Place - Olympia Spartans All-Tournament Team: Hayden Wenger - Prairie Central Tom Shafer - Prairie Central James Fairfield - GCMS Tyler Hinshaw - GCMS Thomas Hallstein - Olympia Timmy Crouch - Tri-Point Lindi Balazi - Blue Ridge Jacob Overton - Clinton 42nd ANNUAL GCMS THANKSGIVING TOURNEY RESULTS: Champions - Blue Ridge Knights Runner-Up - GCMS Falcons 3rd Place - Roanoke-Benson Rockets All-Tournament Team: Ross Royal - GCMS Tyler Hinshaw - GCMS Michael Plunk - Blue Ridge Dylan Trent - Blue Ridge Timmy Crouch - Tri-Point Alex Ogle - Tri-Point Grant Pointer - Fisher Drew Stribling - Olympia Clayton Barth - Roanoke-Benson Charlie Sullivan - Roanoke-Benson Hayden Wenger - Prairie Central 41st ANNUAL GCMS THANKSGIVING TOURNEY RESULTS: Champions – Prairie Central Hawks Runner-Up – Rantoul Eagles 3rd Place – Blue Ridge Knights Cheerleading Champions – GCMS Falcons All-Tournament Team: Talon Hardin – Rantoul Devine Thompson – Rantoul Addison Bounds – Prairie Central Lane Maurer – Prairie Central Reese Simpson – GCMS Ben Eads – GCMS Derek Kennell – Roanoke Benson Travys Nichols – Blue Ridge Michael Plunk – Blue Ridge Jordan Tharp – Tri-Point 40th ANNUAL GCMS THANKSGIVING TOURNEY RESULTS: Rantoul Eagles - Champs Bismarck-Henning - Runner Up Prairie Central Hawks - 3rd Place ALL-TOURNEY TEAM Travis Britt – Rantoul Tanner Ribbe – Bismarck Henning Addison Bounds – Prairie Central Johnny Jones –Rantoul Ian Briscoe – Prairie Central Terry Barnhart – Tri-Point John Taylor – Heritage Brandon deFreese – Roanoke Benson Tucker Johnson – Blue Ridge Sam Johnson – GCMS |
39th ANNUAL GCMS THANKSGIVING TOURNEY RESULTS:
Prairie Central Hawks - Champs Rantoul Eagles - Runner Up Blue Ridge Knights - 3rd Place ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: Travis Britt – Rantoul C.J. Morris - Rantoul Jack Plunk – Blue Ridge Kody Brown – Heritage Cory Titus – Mt. Pulaski Ian Briscoe – Prairie Central Will Robinson – Prairie Central Stephan Krout – Bismarck-Henning Tanner Ribbe – Bismarck – Henning Danny Olson – Tri-Point 38th ANNUAL GCMS THANKSGIVING TOURNEY RESULTS: Heritage Hawks - Champions Tri-Point Chargers - Runner Up GCMS Falcons - 3rd Place All-Tourney Team: Austin Borton - GCMS Danny Olson - Tri-Point Cole Judy - Heritage Matt McWhorter - Heritage Mitch Holmes - Mt. Pulaski Mitch Litterly - Mt. Pulaski Jack Plunk - Blue Ridge Alec Smith - Coal City Josh Fields - PC Hawks Shaquille White - Rantoul 37th ANNUAL GCMS THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENT RESULTS: 1st Place - Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers 2nd Place - GCMS Falcons 3rd Place - Rantoul Eagles ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: James Monroe - Rantoul Eagles Golden Hairston - Rantoul Eagles Mark Brandt - Blue Ridge Knights Josh Lytel - Blue Ridge Knights Danny Olson - Tri-Point Chargers Kyle Titus - Mt. Pulaski Cory Titus - Mt. Pulaski Kendal Gibbs - Mt. Pulaski Michael Romshek - GCMS Bruce Hendricks - GCMS 36th ANNUAL TOURNEY RESULTS: 1st Place - GCMS Falcons 2nd Place - Blue Ridge Knights 3rd Place - Tri-Point Chargers 4th Place - Cornerstone Cyclones ALL-TOURNEY TEAM: GCMS - Bruce Hendricks GCMS - T.J. Lutz Blue Ridge - Josh Lytel Blue Ridge - Jonathan Cox Tri-Point - Chip Block 35TH ANNUAL GCMS TURKEY TOURNEY TOURNEY RESULTS: 1st Place - GCMS Falcons 2nd Place - Blue Ridge Knights 3rd Place - Tri-Point Chargers ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: #42 Brad Wells - Blue Ridge #21 Cody Birky - GCMS #11 Ian Conkling - Tri-Point #13 Troy Moritz - Tri-Point #42 Brent Markwalder - Armstrong-Potomac |