Cottonwood juniors and seniors get a chance to play against top hoops players

The Cottonwood Eagles AUU basketball team will be traveling to Orlando, Fla. April 1 - 9 to play hoops at the ESPN World Wide World of Sports complex in Disney World. Many of the top high school teams from the country will be there to play, including top college prospects.

Josh Schwerdt, the coach for Cottonwood Eagles, said there are 13 players going and some parents to give them a group of 20 people.

"A lot of these kids haven't been to Florida," said Schwerdt. "It seemed far away when we had our first meeting back in September. Once the calendar hit March it started becoming more real."

Schwerdt and Mark Wyman, an assistant coach, were looking for something fun the team could do after their season ended. According to Schwerdt, they had thought about going to Hawaii, but then he did an internet search after remembering a high school basketball tournament that went on a few years ago while he was in Orlando.

Once he talked it over with Wyman, they brought it to the parents to see if it was something they would be interested in letting their children participate in. Once they received the green light they started getting sponsorships and holding fundraisers.

"It's a good trip to look forward to, it made the end a little less crushing," said Tyler Stevenson, a senior at West Valley High School.

According to Luke Alward, a senior at West Valley, they get to play against teams from across the nation, with some of the players from those teams going to Division I colleges and see what it feels like to compete at that level.

Besides basketball, both Stevenson and Alward are looking forward to getting Coach Wyman on the "Tower of Terror" ride and hanging out with their teammates.

"The parents and fans that came to all of our games, who watched us, felt like we deserved it," said Stevenson. "There are a lot of people willing to chip in."

Alward agreed with Stevenson, saying that members of the community have been supportive of their trip. Schwerdt said that they have received a lot of community support, with many of the local businesses donating to the either the trip or items that can be raffled off at their funraisers.

Schwerdt added that the trip would not have been possible without the help and support of the community. He wanted to thank Mary's Pizza Shack, I-5 Rentals, A & A Machines, Lollar Chiropractic in Redding, Anderson Athletic Club, Vince Demato, Mt. Shasta Resort, and the McCloud Golf Course.

The Cottonwood Eagles are also having a yard sale fundraiser and raffle in the A & A Machines parking lot on Saturday, March 13 from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.