Marsh Madness tournament coming to Burton Coliseum
Published 7:00 pm Wednesday, February 20, 2019
For the sixth consecutive year, Southwest Louisiana is gearing up to host LHSAA Marsh Madness boys basketball state tournament at Burton Coliseum.
The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Vistors Bureau hosted a press conference Tuesday.
“It is great to have Marsh Madness coming back to our community for the sixth time,” Calcasieu Parish Police Jury member Hal McMillin said. “I am very proud of our basketball programs that we have in Southwest Louisiana and honored to get the state championships here to Lake Charles and see this great talent that we have in Louisiana.”
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The tournament will start Monday, March 4, and run through Saturday, March 9, and will feature 48 teams in 12 classes/divisions. Admission is $10 per day, and a $40 tournament pass is available for the entire tournament.
Hamilton Christian head coach Dexter Washington said that having the state tournament in Lake Charles is a boon for his team. The Warriors are the No. 3-seed in Division IV and are looking to make their third consecutive trip to the state tournament.
“We would hope to have a little home court advantage and home crowd advantage,” Washington said.
“We would like to have the city of Lake Charles supporting us. A few years ago, as you know, Washington-Marion won a state title and I don’t think Burton Coliseum had ever been that packed before. There were people standing outside, trying to get in. This is our third time attempting this thing and we are not certain that we are going to make it there. We are going to do our very best to represent Lake Charles in the playoffs and our very best to represent the LHSAA because we are a member school.”
LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine got his first taste of Louisiana high school sports in four years ago at Marsh Madness not long after being hired and has been impressed every year with how SWLA handles the tournament.
“You all set the bar,” Bonine said. “When I left that event and started my tour as your executive director I thought wow this really sets the bar for other cities who want to host our events. I have seen how you have risen to the occasion in the past when we have had multiple events going on here in Southwest Louisiana and I expect nothing different than what we have had in the past.”
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The tournament will be up be open for bids again in June.
“We want to make sure there is a seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth,” McMillan said. “We are very thrilled to have many events here in Southwest Louisiana with our economic development and things that are going on here. This is just another star in our many lists of stars.”
