MORGAN PARK — After Morgan Park High School parents threatened to have their sons boycott their basketball game with Simeon, CPS backed down and will allow the game to be played at Morgan Park's gym on Jan. 28, parent spokeswoman Tiffany Burrell said Thursday
The hotly anticipated game between the two basketball powerhouses, dubbed "The Battle Of Vincennes," was initially scheduled to be played at Morgan Park on Jan. 16, but then CPS decided to move the game to Little Village High School and then Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep to accommodate expected crowds. But the parents threatened to boycott and forfeit the game, saying they wanted it played at Morgan Park.
They said they wanted to call attention to the poor state of Morgan Park's gym, which holds about 250 people and is often too small of a venue when teams with a large fanbases are on the schedule.
Jamarra Dosunmu's son, Ayo, plays on the team. She said that getting the game back on the school's campus was the first step in getting a new gym.
"[It's] a milestone but we have so far to go. Ultimately the goal is a new gym," Dosunmu said. "Hopefully we will capitalize on the attention the boycott has brought on not only the gym but the many other necessities MP needs. This is just the beginning."
That sentiment was echoed by Darlene Randall, whose son Jarrin plays on the team, calling the home game "step one in our quest... [to] reaching our long-term objective."
The parents met with school principal Dr. Carolyn Epps last week and hammered out a solution where both sides agreed that a game had to be played by Jan. 28. Tip-off will be at 4:30 p.m.
At this point, no information has been released about ticketing or seating or what safety precautions will be taken, Burrell said.
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