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Central bridges present, past

CENTRAL BRIDGES PRESENT, PAST

CHAMPAIGN — A few months into his career as the Champaign Central boys’ basketball coach, Jeff Finke is reaching into the program’s past. The Maroons will celebrate Alumni Night during and after Friday’s home opener against Normal West at Combes Gymnasium. “We were just brainstorming, ‘How do we get energy and excitement around (the program)?’ ” Finke said. “It was pretty unanimous that, at the core, was former players, and we want our current players to meet the former players, and when they’re former players to come back and experience it.” Alumni will be honored at halftime of the game, which starts at 7:30 p.m., and are invited to a meet-and-greet at the Esquire afterward. Alumni are encouraged to RSVP with Central athletics secretary Angela Tomlinson at 217-351-3933. “We thought the first home game would be a good opportunity to just invite people back, and hopefully we have some that are able to make it, and managers, coaches, players, anybody that’s been affiliated with Central boys’ basketball in the past is invited back,” Finke said, “just to watch the game, meet the players, and we’re going to have a social event afterward.” The Maroons are coming off a difficult first week. The new-look Maroons, who feature Finke’s two sons, Army commit Nick and top 2018 recruit Tim, dropped their first two games against Milwaukee Riverside and St. Louis CBC. Those teams are considered among the top teams in Wisconsin and Missouri, respectively. But Jeff Finke, whose team won its next two games, doesn’t see the losses as a complete negative. “For us, it was just an opportunity to see a little bit of what we have, just to let our guys compete and get their nose bloodied a little bit and see how they responded,” Finke said. “Those two were great opponents, probably two of the best we’ll play all year, although we do have some more that are that level throughout the course of the year.” On Friday, Central will kick off what Finke hopes becomes a tradition. “Football, obviously, there’s always a homecoming weekend traditionally at most high schools, and in basketball, that same thing doesn’t necessarily apply,” Finke said. “We’re going to try it this year and hope to make it a tradition going forward.”

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