Mustangs and Highlanders face off in doubleheader at Tufts University on Sunday, Jan. 15th; donations will be collected for area food banks
The Medford High School Mustangs and Somerville High School Highlanders girls and boys basketball teams will continue their rivalry at the Annual Tufts Classic on Sunday, Jan. 15, at the Cousens Gymnasium (161 College Avenue, Medford) on Tufts' Medford/Somerville campus. The girls' game will tip off at 12 p.m., and the boys’ game will tip off at 1:30 p.m.
The winners of each game will receive the "Tufts Classic" trophy, which will stay in their possession until the next Tufts Classic.
Players from all four teams will receive specially branded Tufts Classic t-shirts to commemorate their participation in the doubleheader.
Admission to the Tufts Classic is free. Fans are encouraged to bring nonperishable food and household items to support those in need in both Medford and Somerville. Donations will be delivered to Medford’s Mystic Community Market and the Somerville Homeless Coalition’s Project SOUP. Preferred items include canned foods and shelf stable pantry items, in addition to hygiene and household products.
The Medford boys' team coach John Skerry will be making a return to the Medford/Somerville campus; the Tufts alumnus captained the Jumbo men's basketball team in 1994.
The Tufts Classic is just one way that Tufts Athletics supports young athletes in the Jumbos' host communities. This fall, the Tufts Men’s Basketball team signed 12-year-old Andrew Story, through Team Impact. Andrew, who has end stage renal disease, will participate in several events alongside the team, including games, practices and more. Also, in the past month, Tufts athletes raised over $2,400 worth of holiday gifts and gift cards for Medford families and hosted two free youth basketball clinics for local children.
Members of the community can find out about future sports clinics and other opportunities open to the public by subscribing to Tufts University’s monthly newsletter for neighbors at communityrelations.tufts.edu/contact-us/newsletter.
