The Chamois boys and girls basketball teams are back after a two-year absence from the Capital City Shootout, and the Pirates and Lady Pirates couldn't be happier about that fact.
After their previous dual Shootout appearance in 2012 - the boys also made an appearance in the 2011 edition - the Pirates and Lady Pirates are itching to appear in the sixth incarnation of the event.
"It's just a really good way for us small schools to be recognized," girls head coach John Leach said during a Wednesday press conference for the event in Jefferson City. "I think a lot of the higher levels don't think the Class 1 schools can play and this really showcases our talent and shows we can do well. We do have athletes at the Class 1 level, even if we have just 66 kids in our high school."
Both Chamois teams will face off against Prairie Home in the event set for Dec. 19 at Fleming Fieldhouse, with the Lady Pirates playing at 1 p.m. and the Pirates taking the court at 2:30 p.m.
"The school and the community gets more involved when they're both playing," boys head coach Kyle Burkett said. "And with it being a Saturday, everybody can make it, for the most part."
The Shootout features its biggest slate of games to date, as there will be seven contests in a schedule that starts at 10 a.m. There are two other schools joining Chamois and Prairie Home in pulling off the boys-girls doubleheader, as Jamestown and Hermann will also do so.
Leach said he doesn't think the Lady Pirates will be wowed by the big stage.
"We have four seniors back and those four seniors were freshmen when we went to the Final Four (in 2013)," he said. "They've got the experience of being in the spotlight and something like this is going to be nice.
"It's such a great opportunity for our team to play against Prairie Home, which is in our district, so if we happen to get a win, it's going to be a feather in our cap for our district seeding."
Burkett said the event will be good for his young squad, which is improving on defense while struggling a bit on the offensive end.
"It's a great event - everybody takes really good care of you ... and it's run as good as anything I've ever been a part of," he said. "And it's a big stage that gives the kids good exposure. Plus it's close to Christmastime and we normally don't get a lot of games in around Christmas. So it breaks up the practice time."