I see where the annual Faith 7 bowl is back after a taking a year off due to COVID-19.
The game is slated for Saturday, June 5, at Oklahoma Baptist University’s Noble Complex.
Bobby Canty, who has been associated with the annual bowl game for 35 years, says this is the 55th edition of the boys’ game and it’s the fourth time a girls’ game will be held. The contests feature Oklahoma All-Stars against Texas All-Stars.
Canty also has a long history at OBU starting June 1, 1984 as Academic Dean moving to Student Development in 1988 and spending his last nine years as Dean of Students.
Oklahoma leads the series in the boys 37-22. The difference in games and years is because in some years two contests were played. That’s the way it was when it originated.
Oklahoma leads the girls’ series 2-1.
The boys’ game will be played this year at 5:30 p.m. followed by the girls’ contest at 7:30 p.m.
Many years ago, one of the games was played at the gymnasium at the now former St. Gregory’s College before the former W.P. Wood Fieldhouse was even built and one at the former Clark Craig Fieldhouse at OBU.
I can recall when former longtime St. Gregory’s College Coach Don Sumner coached the Oklahoma All-Stars. If I remember correctly, there may have been two games when he was the coach.
Sumner later became athletic director and also served as an instructor and in other capacities.
There’s a three-point shooting contest slated for halftime of the girls’ game and during halftime of the boys’ game there’s a slam dunk contest. Both of those are sponsored by Chick-fil-A, Canty said.
The game is a charity event. All proceeds go to the Faith 7 Activity Center that provides activities and training for challenged adults in the Shawnee area.
These are some of the facts about the contest that Canty provided:
Name of the game comes from the Faith 7 spacecraft. Gordon Cooper, local resident, was an astronaut on the Faith 7 spacecraft.
Reporting date for all the players is Friday, 11 a.m., June 4.
There are two Oklahoma boys coaches selected by the Oklahoma Coaches Association.
The two Oklahoma girls coaches are chosen by the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Association.
The two Texas boys’ coaches and two Texas girls’ coaches are chosen by the previous head coaches.
The respective state coaches choose 10 players from each state. Players are 2021 high school graduates that will be playing collegiately in the Fall of 2021.
Housing is at the Quality Inn this year, Canty said.
Local churches and Chick fil-A provide the meals for the players and coaches.
Each game consists of four 10-minute quarters. Each team has two units and each unit plays five minutes the first three quarters.
In the fourth quarter, coaches play who they want for as long as they want.
Fouls: Each player is allowed six personal fouls.
A shot clock is not used. An MVP plaque is awarded to a player from each state. The coaches from each state select the MVP from their respective state.
Players receive a Faith 7 Bowl t-shirt, their game jersey, and a plaque.
Coaches and players receive their respective state team picture and a combined teams picture.
A shot clock is not used.