CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA–The Charlottesville Cardinals wheelchair basketball team opens its 2015-16 this weekend at the ‘Boro Shootout at the University of Pennsylvania-Edinboro.
This season marks the 36th year of competition for the 16th-ranked Cardinals.
“We’re very proud to have represented this region for so many years,” said player-coach Tom Vandever. “We have had over 650 disabled athletes participate in our program since we began and the community has really embraced our team.”
The squad has 16 players on the roster this year, but is fielding an eight-player squad this weekend in Pennsylvania.
“We should have a very strong squad this weekend even without all of our horses.” noted Vandever. The squad this weekend will feature Arthur Tracy, Brandon Rush, Jacob Tyree, Eddie Wimbish, Joey Leavitt, Gino Wilson, Allen Champagne, and Vandever.
The Cardinals anticipate being joined later in the season by veterans Mike Looney, Andrea Woodson-Smith, Jeremy Smith, Alfonzo Pinkney, Penney Dodson, and Chris Robinson.
The Cardinals face the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first game on Saturday at 10:45 a.m. The remaining round-robin matches on Saturday will see the Cardinals tangling with the London (Canada) Flyers and the Bay City (Erie, PA) Thunder. The elimination rounds are scheduled for Sunday.
“It should be a great test to measure where we are,” said Vandever.