Changes in Store for Padre Serra TournamentRead Time 4 min

LARRY HANSON

CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

While several facets of the annual Padre Serra eighth-grade basketball tournament have changed for the 2020 season, the event still ranks as the largest grade-school basketball tournament in the nation and provides three weekends of top-notch competition.

The tournament, after a decade-plus at Mount Mary University, is moving to Marquette University High School, with the 36-team boys tournament tipping off Thursday, March 12, and the 28-team girls tournament beginning Saturday, March 14.

Another big change this season is the final four teams in both tournaments will play two games on their final day of competition. The girls semifinals, championship and third-place games will be held Thursday, March 26, while the final day of competition for the boys will be on Sunday, March 29. The teams that win the championships will have to win two games that day, another change.

The tournament began in 1959 and is conducted by The Serra Club of Milwaukee, an organization whose mission is to nurture and provide assistance to those men and women who chose the path of religious life. Proceeds (admissions, concessions, programs and t-shirts) from the Padre Serra tournament provide financial assistance to candidates for the priesthood and those seeking religious life.

The recently renovated gym at Marquette High School can seat up to 1,800, twice the capacity of the tournament’s previous home at Mount Mary.

“Marquette gave us a great opportunity and we are happy to partner up with them this year, and hopefully in subsequent years,” Tournament Director Tony Gahn said.

Gahn said he and his committee sent out requests for a number of host sites, including all the local Catholic high schools, before making the decision to relocate to Marquette High School. He said one of the benefits they realized during the selection process is that hosting the tournament is a great way for the high schools to put their best foot forward to prospective students.

“With that in mind, we would be willing to move it from place to place if we can make something work for the school and for the tournament,” Gahn said. “If we can take the proceeds and not only support vocations, we could also give the tournament a second avenue of purpose to help promote some of these Catholic high schools in the archdiocese, it would be a natural.”

Admission to the games is $5 for adults and $4 for students and seniors (65-plus). Children younger than 4 are admitted free.

 

 

2020 Padre Serra Basketball Tournament

All games at Marquette University High School

BOYS Schedule

Thursday, March 12

Game 1: St. Matthew-Oak Creek vs. Catholic East-Milwaukee, 5:30 p.m.

Game 2: Mother of Good Counsel-Milwaukee vs. Christ Child Academy-Sheboygan, 6:30 p.m.

Game 3: St. Eugene-Fox Point vs. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton-Sheboygan, 7:45 p.m.

Game 4: St. Matthias-Milwaukee vs. St. Andrew-Delavan, 8:45 p.m.

Friday, March 13

Game 5: St. Leonard-Muskego vs. Brookfield Academy, 5:30 p.m.

Game 6: St. Frances Cabrini-West Bend vs. St. Charles-Milwaukee, 6:30 p.m.

Game 7: Blessed Savior-Milwaukee vs. All Saints Catholic-Kenosha, 7:45 p.m.

Game 8: St. John XXIII-Port Washington vs. Salam School-Milwaukee, 8:45 p.m.

Saturday, March 14

Game 17: Christ King-Wauwatosa vs. Winner 3, 7 p.m.

Game 18: St. Dominic-Brookfield vs. Winner 1, 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 15

Game 23: Lumen Christi-Mequon vs. Winner 4, 4:30 p.m.

Game 24: St. Anthony on the Lake-Pewaukee vs. St. Robert, Shorewood, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 19

Game 25: St. Alphonsus-Greendale vs. Holy Family-Whitefish Bay, 5:30 p.m.

Game 26: Holy Apostles-New Berlin vs. Winner 2, 6:30 p.m.

Game 27: St. Mary Visitation-Elm Grove vs. St. Jerome-Oconomowoc, 7:45 p.m.

Game 28: St. Rita-Racine vs. Messmer/St. Rose, Milwaukee, 8:45 p.m.

Friday, March 20

Game 29: University School-Milwaukee vs. St. Gabriel-Hubertus, 5:30 p.m.

Game 30: St. Joseph Academy-Kenosha vs. St. Mary-Menomonee Falls, 6:30 p.m.

Game 31: Messmer/St. Mary-Milwaukee vs. St. Charles-Hartland, 7:45 p.m.

Game 32: St. Mary-Hales Corners vs. St. Joseph-Racine, 8:45 p.m.

Saturday, March 21

Game 33: Winner 5 vs. Winner 7, 10 a.m.

Game 34: Winner 8 vs. Winner 18, 11 a.m.

Game 35: Winner 6 vs. Winner 23, 12:15 p.m.

Sunday, March 22

Game 44: Winner 24 vs. Winner 30, 1 p.m.

Game 45: Winner 25 vs. Winner 27, 2:15 p.m.

Game 46: Winner 26 vs. Winner 29, 3:15 p.m.

Game 47: Winner 17 vs. Winner 32, 4:30 p.m.

Game 48: Winner 28 vs. Winner 32, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 28

Game 57: Winner 45 vs. Winner 46, 10:30 a.m.

Game 58: Winner 33 vs. Winner 35, 11:30 a.m.

Game 59: Winner 34 vs. Winner 44, 12:45 p.m.

Game 60: Winner 47 vs. Winner 48, 1:45 p.m.

Sunday, March 29

Semifinals

Game 61: Winner 57 vs. Winner 59, noon

Game 62: Winner 58 vs. Winner 60, 1 p.m.

Third-Place Game

Game 63: Loser 61 vs. Loser 62, 2:30 p.m.

Championship Game

Game 64: Winner 61 vs. Winner 62, 4 p.m.

 

GIRLS Schedule

Saturday, March 14

Game 9: Brookfield Academy vs. Milwaukee Montessori School, 10 a.m.

Game 10: St. Alphonsus-Greendale/Burlington Catholic vs. St. Mary Visitation-Elm Grove, 11 a.m.

Game 11: St. Joseph-Grafton vs. St. Joan of Arc-Nashotah, 12:15 p.m.

Game 12: St. Matthias-Milwaukee/Holy Apostles-New Berlin vs. St. Francis Borgia-Cedarburg, 1:15 p.m.

Game 13: All Saints Academy-Kenosha vs. Lumen Christi-Mequon, 2:30 p.m.

Game 14: Holy Family-Whitefish Bay vs. St. Charles Borromeo-Milwaukee, 3:30 p.m.

Game 15: St. Anthony on the Lake-Pewaukee vs. St. Joseph Academy-Kenosha, 4:45 p.m.

Game 16: St. Monica-Whitefish Bay vs. St. Mary-Hales Corners/St. John the Evangelist-Greenfield, 5:45 p.m.

Sunday, March 15

Game 19: St. John Vianney-Brookfield vs. St. Kilian-Hartford, noon

Game 20: St. Robert-Shorewood vs. Waukesha Catholic School, 1 p.m.

Game 21: St. Jerome-Oconomowoc vs. St. John the Baptist-Plymouth, 2:15 p.m.

Game 22: Christ Child Academy-Sheboygan vs. St. Jude-Wauwatosa, 3:15 p.m.

Saturday, March 21

Game 36: St. Leonard-Muskego vs. Winner 9, 1:15 p.m.

Game 37: Winner 11 vs. Winner 12, 2:30 p.m.

Game 38: Winner 10 vs. Winner 13, 3:30 p.m.

Game 39: St. Charles-Hartland vs. Winner 22, 4:45 p.m.

Game 40: Winner 15 vs. Winner 20, 5:45 p.m.

Game 41: Winner 16 vs. Winner 19, 7 p.m.

Game 42: St. Joseph-Wauwatosa/St. Agnes-Butler vs. Winner 14, 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 22

Game 43: Christ King-Wauwatosa vs. Winner 21, noon

Wednesday, March 25

Game 49: Winner 40 vs. Winner 43, 5:30 p.m.

Game 50: Winner 37 vs. Winner 42, 6:30 p.m.

Game 51: Winner 39 vs. Winner 41, 7:45 p.m.

Game 52: Winner 36 vs. Winner 38, 8:45 p.m.

Thursday, March 26

Semifinals

Game 53: Winner 50 vs. Winner 52, 5 p.m.

Game 54: Winner 49 vs. Winner 51, 6 p.m.

Third-Place Game

Game 55: Loser 53 vs. Loser 54, 7:30 p.m.

Championship Game

Game 56: Winner 53 vs. Winner 54, 9 p.m.