A partnership between a business and the community in which it is located is a key for success, Waseem Moorad firmly believes, even when that business is a professional sports team. That theory will be the business model for the Bowling Green Hornets, which will make their home in Russellville.
The Hornets are one of the five charter franchises of the Central Basketball League. Moorad is one of the guiding forces in making the league a reality.
Although the team sports the name of Bowling Green, the hub of South Central Kentucky, Russellville will be an integral player in its operation. Tryouts were held last Friday at Russellville High School’s Jim Young Gymnasium, and a second set of tryouts is scheduled this Friday at 7 p.m. at the gym. Then next Friday, April 26, the Hornets’ first-ever game—against the Dayton Air Strikers—will also be played at RHS. The other three teams in the league will be Middle Tennessee from the Nashville/Murfreesboro area, St. Louis and River City in Illinois.
The Hornets’ other five home games will also be played at Jim Young Gymnasium with the season lasting into June. “We also plan a fall schedule, but games won’t conflict with Friday Night Lights, since we know how important high school football is there,” says Moorad, who lives in Virginia but plans to arrive in Russellville next week.
Continuing with the Russellville connection, the coaches will be former Panther stars. The head coach is Otis Key, who helped Coach Phil Todd’s first team reach the 1992 regional finals. He went on to a solid college career at Austin Peay State University and Lincoln University before playing professionally overseas and then becoming one of the Harlem Globetrotters’ best-known players for eight seasons. He’s also a former assistant coach at Logan County High School and was the Coach of the Year and national champion coach of the Kentucky Bisons of the ABA, a former professional league which played its games in Owensboro.
The assistant coach is Nathan Thompson, who started for Coach Todd’s Panthers on two state Final Four teams. Thompson, who may be the school’s best-ever soccer player, is former head soccer coach at the school and an assistant basketball coach who now serves as Russellville’s athletic director.
One of the star players is expected to be Squeaky Hampton, also a starter on both of those Final Four teams who has followed up a great career at Austin Peay by playing professionally overseas for seven seasons. He should join the team as soon as his season in Israel ends in early May. Also expected to play is Tony Key, the brother of Coach Otis. He was the center on the 2000 Final Four team.
Moorad says 17 players tried out last week and another 17 or so are expected to seek a place on the teamFriday, including former Western Kentucky University players Teng Akol and Jamal Crook. A team of 10 players should be formed by Saturday afternoon, the owner says, with two to five more on a reserve practice squad.
In return for making RHS the team’s headquarters, the Hornets plan to give back to the school and community. “We will purchase new uniforms for both the boys and girls basketball teams at Russellville High,” Moorad says. “We will furnish the school a shot clock and improve the concession area. We also plan to fund for scholarships for students, and we will provide jobs for students from Russellville and Logan County involving the team so that they can have on their resumes that they worked for a professional sports team.
“Our players will be available to do motivational programs with the schools. We’re going to have a pep rally at RHS next Friday, and we hope to visit Adairville, Auburn and other schools. We want our players to be role models for young people. We’re encouraging our players to show respect to fans, coaches and community members. It is at their mercy we are here. We want to be a part of the community.”
The owner, who says Coach Key will be in charge of basketball operations while Moorad handles the business side of it, says tickets for games will be $7.50 in advance online and $9 game days, although students and seniors will pay just $5 in advance and $6 game days.
For more information, go to the CBL website at www.centralbasketballleague.com. On that site, this message can be found: “A special thanks to the administration of Russellville High School in Russellville, Kentucky for their generosity and support in hosting the Bowling Green Hornets at their school facility. With a basketball gymnasium seating approximately 2,500 people, the Bowling Green Hornets have one of the biggest venues in the Central Basketball League. Without their support, the formation of a new minor league basketball team in the Bowling Green area would have been a bit more challenging, so thank you again to everyone at Russellville High School. Visit the link above to learn about the programs and vision of the Russellville Independent School system.” That link is http://www.russellville.kyschools.us/
“We believe businesses thrive because of a grassroots effort. We know we’ll be shown Southern hospitality in Logan County and in the Bowling Green area. We want to return that hospitality by providing a part of the community that everyone can benefit from,” Waseem Moorad says.