The Pocket City Basketball League is being hosted at Gibson Southern High School for yet another year. Early on, the league featured some of the top 150 players in Southern Indiana and Southern Illinois but has since expanded into several smaller teams for any type of athlete. Teams are formed based on age group and are composed of players from different schools and skill sets.
“Pocket City League isn’t a structured basketball event in terms of running plays; it’s more of a run-and-gun style of play,” junior varsity coach Matt Obert said. “As a result, it certainly helps players get into shape. Without plays being set up, it’s constant action up and down the court!”
The league was originally hosted at Gibson Southern several years ago but is now back for two consecutive years.
“As a Gibson Southern basketball program, we enjoy being able to host the Pocket City Fall League,” head varsity coach Mark Rohrer said. “We have over 50 players participating in grades 5-12 in the South Gibson School Corporation.”
The league is meant to get high school players in shape for the upcoming basketball season while also being introduced to some early-season competition. Players from all over the area come to play in this league, as it boosts exposure and helps get them an early edge over their peers.
“There is always a great amount of talent at Pocket City,” Obert said. “Iron sharpens iron, and if you can mitigate some of the potential downfalls, while playing against high-level talent, then Pocket City could be a good experience for many. In addition, for many younger kids especially, it might be their first exposure to high school basketball. Gaining confidence and a sense of belonging on the high school basketball scene can be a positive step in the development for many younger players.”
Hosting this huge operation is a testament to the facilities that Gibson Southern High School has compared to many other schools, as other campuses cannot handle this many courts and spectators at one time.
“One of the main reasons we are fortunate enough to be able to host the Pocket City League is because of our top notch facilities,” Rohrer said. “It is a luxury for us to have five courts within our high school for games to be played. We also have a tremendous custodial staff who works hard to allow for our facilities to be used outside of normal school hours as well.”
Gibson Southern will finish playing host to the league in a few weeks, as players will begin to look towards their high school seasons.
“Pocket City gives me a lot more reps against a live defense and gets me used to the competition that I will be facing in the season,” junior guard Brodey Lamb said.
Pocket City marked the start of basketball season and has sparked the quiet gymnasiums with action until the Titans and Lady Titans soon fill that void.
