Princeville Boasts Longest Running Holiday Tournament in the State

by Emily Green

With a town population of only about 1,500 people, and a high school of 251 students, the humble town of Princeville boasts the longest running holiday basketball tournament in the state of Illinois.

This December the Princeville Holiday Tournament will celebrate 91 years of buzzer beaters and defended school rivalries.

The series of games was first held on December 26-28 of 1928 at the gymnasium of the old Princeville Public School building on W Main Street. Bill Cordis, who later became the Princeville School District superintendent, started the tournament along with colleague Keith Wehner.

“Nobody had a gym as good as ours and other superintendents asked why we didn’t hold the tournament here,” said Cordis in a 1972 interview with the Peoria Journal Star.

Princeville had just built a new gym with more seating capacity than Peoria Central at the time, which was an upgrade for Princeville teams after playing in the upstairs of the old town hall.

In that first tournament of 1928, the eight participating teams included Princeville, East Peoria, Trivoli, Chillicothe, Toulon, Glasford, Rosamund, and Dunlap. Princeville took second place that first year after a loss to East Peoria.

It was reported in the Princeville Telegraph, the local town paper at the time, that over $100 was generated through the event and put toward the cost of the new bleachers.

Princeville continued the tournament through WWII, making it the longest consecutive running tournament in the state. Pontiac started a holiday tournament two years prior to Princeville, in 1926, but broke their streak when they paused for four years during the war.

“Pontiac’s [tournament] was stopped because teams came from long distances and rationing gasoline was patriotic,” said columnist Dave Van Dyke in his 1972 Peoria Journal Star article.

The tournament has evolved since those early years. In 1951 the tournament moved to the current Princeville Junior Senior High School. In 2010 the girls’ basketball team was added, and in 2016 the teams played their first games in the new high school gym. And nowadays the participating teams include Princeville, Brimfield, Low-Point Washburn, Galva, Henry, DePue, North Fulton, and Elmwood.

But the tournament continues to be a tradition within the community.

“We always get good crowds. People like to come and support it. It’s been a big part of the community,” said Dan Sullivan, who retired from the head basketball coach position in 2010 but is still actively involved in the Princeville basketball program.

“People mark it on their calendars knowing that the three days after Christmas the tournament is going to take place,” said Jeff Kratzer, Princeville’s varsity basketball coach and Athletic Director. Kratzer participated in the tournament as a player in 1989 and 1990 and started coaching in 2011.

Like Kratzer, a large amount of current Princeville residents played in the tournament during their lifetime. And in some instances, so did their sons or grandsons.

“My dad was on the 1988 team that beat Dunlap to win the championship. My Grandpa, Ray Gilles, also played in the tournament in 1966 and 1967,” said four year varsity player and senior Justin Janssen. “The tournament has brought memories to anyone who has played in it. Just about everyone that has participated or been to watch has a memory or a story to share.”

Those memories and experiences draw fans back every year.

The first night of the tournament is always blocked out as a Princeville game. Coaches have taken to nicknaming the night “celebrity night,” due to the large number of college students and Princeville alumni who return to watch.

“It’s kind of like a homecoming game for basketball,” said Sullivan.

But this year is especially unique. The tournament will be honored by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA).

“Because we’re one of the oldest tournaments in the state they decided to honor us this year. It’s a pretty big deal,” Kratzer said.

The 91st Princeville Holiday Tournament will take place on December 26-28. Old tournament trophies and pictures can be found at the Princeville Heritage Museum year-round while some will be on display at Princeville High School during the tournament.

A special thanks to Suzy Gill, Princeville Heritage Days Museum Archive Coordinator, who helped contribute information to this article.