The 16 top Class 3A basketball teams in Oregon are in Coos Bay this weekend for the Class 3A State Tournament, and the players and coaches rightly get most of the attention.
But behind the scenes, dozens of people volunteer every year to make the tournament a success. And it pays off big time for Coos Bay and North Bend, with experts estimating $500,000 is brought into the community because of the three-day tournament.
As the teams compete on the court for the honor of being the best in the state, school district employees and many others do the more thankless work.
Whether it’s Marshfield High School employee Garrett King announcing the games, volunteers manning the concession stand or security guards sitting alone to keep an eye on who is coming and going, it takes a team to host a tournament.
Year after year, led by Athletic Director Greg Mulkey, the local hosts pull it off, making Coos Bay and North Bend another big winner in the Class 3A State Basketball Tournaments.
The games will continue through Saturday night, with boys and girls winners crowned at Marshfield High School.