Do you like Metro boys basketball?

Do you like getting an early peek at the local teams?

Would you like to see all eight Metro clubs on the same day, at the same place and at a reasonable cost?

The inaugural Metro Sports Report.com Classic is just for you.

All eight Metro boys basketball teams will play in the MSR Classic on Saturday, Nov. 30 at Johnson Hall on the Kirkwood Community College campus.

The pairings have been set and feature natural geographic matchups.

The Jefferson J-Hawks and Prairie Hawks will battle in the opening game of the Classic in the Battle of Southwest Cedar Rapids.

The Linn-Mar Lions and Marion Indians will play next in the Battle of Marion.

The Xavier Saints and Kennedy Cougars will take center stage in Game 3 in the renewal of their Battle of 42nd Street.

The Washington Warriors and Cedar Valley Christian Huskies will finish the day with their first-ever Battle for Cottage Grove Avenue.

There will be two doubleheaders on Nov. 30 with the following game times:

11 a.m. -- Jefferson vs. Prairie
1 p.m. -- Linn-Mar vs. Marion
5 p.m. -- Xavier vs. Kennedy
7 p.m. -- Washington vs. Cedar Valley Christian

The ticket prices have been set at $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and $1 for students for each doubleheader.

All of the preseason games will be part of the Hall of Pride Scrimmages and sanctioned by the Iowa High School Athletic Association. They will be full 32-minute games, but the contests will not count toward each school's allotment of 21 regular-season games.

"We think this will be a really special day for boys basketball in the Metro area," said Metro Sports Report president Jim Ecker. "This will be the first time that all eight schools will be playing in the same event on the same day, which should be a treat for everyone who cares about the sport."

The Metro Sports Report will be working with the Cedar Rapids Salvation Army on the MSR Classic. The Salvation Army is celebrating its 125th anniversary in Cedar Rapids in 2013 and the organization will be featured in many ways.

In addition to the basketball, the MSR Classic will feature halftime entertainment along with fan contests and other attractions. The Metro Sports Report plans to invite cheerleading teams, dance teams, pom squads and pep bands from each school to participate in this special event as we showcase the schools.

The Cotton Gallery of Marion is one of the Silver Medal sponsors for the event. American Family Insurance is one of the Bronze Medal sponsors.

For more information, contact Ecker at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .