Back for the eighth consecutive year, NISH’s own Popeyes/Yellow Jacket team camp returns for a two day run Friday and Saturday at three different gyms in the city.

A total of 34 teams from as far north as Alexandria to as far south as Thibodaux will converge on the city starting Friday at 9 a.m.

“We used three gyms last year but we only used that third gym for one day not two days,” NISH boys basketball coach Todd Russ said. “This year we’re using it for both days.”

This year, the team camp will be played at NISH’s main gym and the girl’s gym as well as at Iberia Middle School for the first time.

“It’s become the largest team camp in the state,” Russ said. “Teams want to come back every year because they know that they’re going to get good competition and it allows coaches to really get a good evaluation of their teams during the summer so they know what they have when the season starts later in the year.”

Russ said that when he started the team camp, there were nine teams joining NISH. From there it has grown into what it is now.

“Teams know they are going to get good competition here and they know that the games will be run on time,” Russ said. “We have good people helping run the camp and Popeyes does a good job of taking care of us as well.”

Friday’s action begins at 9 a.m. with NISH taking on Alexandria Senior High in the boys gym, ESA facing Catholic High’s junior varsity in the girls gym and Acadiana playing St. Martinville at Iberia Middle.

The team camp goes on through the day with action at all three gyms. The last game Friday at Iberia Middle will be Catholic High vs. Ellender at 6:50 p.m. and the final games at NISH will be NISH vs. St. Thomas More in the boys gym at 7:40 p.m. and Breaux Bridge vs. Morgan City at 7:40 in the girls’ gym.

The action resumes Saturday at 9 a.m with games at all three gyms with Kaplan playing Rayne in the boys’ gym; Hamilton Christian’s JV team facing Catholic High in the girls’ gym and St. Martinville playing Delcambre at Iberia Middle.

The games continue through the morning and into the afternoon with the final game at Iberia Middle at 2:50 p.m. with Lafayette and Morgan City and the final games at NISH at 3:40 p.m. with Southern Lab playing Jeanerette in the boys’ gym and Dutchtown and Catholic High playing in the girls’ gym.

Teams that are slated to play in the team camp this weekend include host NISH, Catholic High, Jeanerette, Delcambre, ESA and St. Martinville from the Teche Area; NISH’s District 3-5A rivals Lafayette, Acadiana, Comeaux and LaGrange; Lafayette-area schools Southside, David Thibodaux, St. Thomas More, Northside, Breaux Bridge, Kaplan and Rayne; Baton Rouge-area schools Dutchtown, Southern Lab, Madison Prep, East Ascension, Plaquemine and White Castle; Morgan City-area schools Patterson and Morgan City; Houma-area schools Thibodaux and Ellender; Lake Charles-area schools Hamilton Christian and Iowa; and Alexandria-area schools Alexandria Senior High, Tioga, Menard, Avoyelles Charter and Ville Platte.

Northside and St. Martinville were both in the Class 4A quarterfinals last season, Madison Prep won the Class 3A state championship, Avoyelles Charter went to the Class 2A semifinals, White Castle won the Class A state championship,, David Thibodaux went to the Division II quarterfinals and St. Thomas More won the Division II state championship, Menard went to the Division III quarterfinals, Southern Lab and Hamilton Christian both went to the Division IV semifinals and ESA went to the Division V semifinals.