In a game almost 30 years in the making, the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams for Pleasantville and Melcher-Dallas will square off tonight for the first time in a while. The game is dubbed “The Hunger Game” because of a friendly competition the two schools are having, to see who can raise the most food for area food shelves. The winning school will force a member of the losing school’s faculty to sweep the floor during halftime of the boys’ game. On the girls’ side for Pleasantville, they’re coming off two tough losses to start their season against experienced Twin Cedars and Eddyville-Blakesburg teams. Sophomore Kennedy Core has been the shining light for the Trojans, scoring 33 points in those two games on 12-for-30 shooting. For the Saints, they also started off on the wrong foot in the 2012-13 season, with a 58 – 19 loss at the hands of Wayne last Tuesday. Coach Jon Suntken told KNIA/KRLS Sports he’s looking to see his girls limit the turnovers, as his team racked up 30 of them in last Tuesday’s defeat. For the boys, it’ll be both teams’ season debuts for the 2012-13 campaign. For Pleasantville, they lost a good core of their 20 – 4 team from a year ago. Pleasantville boys’ head coach, Tom Wilkins, said that the youth will be the biggest Achilles’ heel for his team to begin this season, and he said he wants to see his team limit the mistakes and turnovers as much as possible. For the Saints’ boys, head coach, Jim Wells, said it’s very simple what his keys to the game are for tonight.
“Obviously, we’ve got to take care of the ball, it’s going to be a key,” Wells said. “Playing solid, defense, taking care of the ball, and running the offense like it’s supposed to be ran; if we do those three things, then some good things are going to happen from that.”
Remember, if you want to donate the food towards “The Hunger Game,” you can still do so tonight at the game; they will be taking donations until halftime of the girls’ game, which tips off at 6:15 PM, and the boys’ game will begin immediately after.

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