This year was the 35th annual alumni basketball tournament in Forest City, and while many teams started the weekend hopeful for championship T-shirts – three ended the weekend with the prize.
A new twist this year, live streaming. KIOW and partners FCIS, Wilson Dental, Holland Tire and Service, and MBT Bank teamed up with the Forest City Parks and Recreation Department to live stream all three championship games.
The young guns won the first of three championships—Forest City Class of 2021, led by Capt. Brandon Leber, Noah Miller, 7th all-time in Forest City scoring, and Kaylee Miller and Ellie Caylor, both in the girls’ record book, beat defending champions, Class of 2018, 51-34. Brock Moore, Austin Kirschbaum, Elijah Alsop, Cody Hall, Michael Olson, Brady Anderson, Devin Alamsya, Blake Skejeie, Matt Tweeten, and Kaden Hagy round out the other team members.
The youngest bracket also included teams from 2022, 2020, 2019, and 2017.
The middle bracket included teams from 2012, 2013, 2015, 2007, 2008-2011, and 2016. It was 2012’s bracket to win, and they did 62-43 over the Class of 2007.
The 2012 championship team included capt. Kyle Rosacker and wife Amanda (Busta) Rosacker both starred for the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams. Parker Farland and Tyler Flugum both rained in big shots, while Aaron Harms did a little of everything. Justin Putney controlled the inside while in the game for the class.
The most drama of the tournament came during the oldest bracket. The Class of 1997 was undefeated and fresh when they got set to take on the Classes of 2002-2004, a team that had to play in the morning on Sunday even to make the championship.
The 2002-2004 team forced a winner-take-all game when they defeated 1997 for the first time in the tournament in the first championship game. The two teams played an extra 10 minutes to decide the champion, and 1997 held off a late rally to win a low scoring 11-8 final game. David Reese, who holds Forest City record for most three-pointers made in a game, hit one late to give his team a chance and then came up empty on a game-tying heave at the buzzer.
Justin Haugen, 11th all-time in Forest City scoring and an all-stater, is the capt. of the 1997 team and hit plenty of buckets. Trent Anderson, Zach Raulie, Jason Blazers, Tom Greenwood, Mike Johnson, and first-team all-conference performer Simon Hjelm all played minutes for the champions. The roster also includes Brad Holtan, Adam Anderson, Scott Honken, and Jesse Olson.
