The game Sunday was moved from 6 p.m. to 3 p.m. due to the Cincinnati Bengals AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs that kicks off at 6:30 p.m.
The Kings are owned by first cousins Kevin L. Aldridge, a 1992 MHS graduate, and Kevin S. Aldridge, a 1998 MHS graduate. They both played basketball for the Middies.
Kevin S. Aldridge said bringing to the Ohio Kings, who were founded in 2019 and missed one season due to COVID-19, to play at Wade E. Miller “is very special for us. That arena is spectacular.”
He said a portion of the proceeds from the gate will be donated to Middie Way Baseball, a youth baseball program that started last year.
“It’s always good to give back,” he said. “We like to pay it forward to the youth in our community.”
Free haircuts will be provided and William “Kippy” Moore, a Middletown native who died last year from colon cancer, will be recognized during a pre-game ceremony. Whenever the Ohio Kings play, while “basketball is the cornerstone,” they always try to connect the community and business partners, Aldridge said.
When asked why the Kings are honoring Moore, Aldridge said: “Kip is a great friend. This is an opportunity to pay tribute to the work and legacy he left behind.”
Aldridge coached the MHS girls basketball team from 2015-2019 and serves as director of Kingdom Vision Outreach, a non-profit mentoring program for students in K-12.
Kevin S. Aldridge, a journalist with nearly 25 years of experience, is the former editor of the Middletown Journal and the Journal-News. He is a pastor within the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
HOW TO GO
WHAT; Ohio Bruins vs. Ohio Kings
WHEN; 3 p.m. Sunday
WHERE; Wade E. Miller Gym, Middletown High School
HOW MUCH: $10 with a portion of the proceeds donated to Middie Way Baseball. Children 12 and under admitted free with paying adult
OTHER INFO: Players will take pictures and sign autographs after the game. Free haircuts provided by Royal Studios Barbershop in Middletown. Pre-game tribute to the late William “Kippy” Moore who died in 2022. Game is being sponsored by Hightowers Petroleum Co., Middletown NAACP, 3R Development and Middletown Ministerial Alliance.
HOW TO GO
WHAT: Beaver County Indians vs. Ohio Kings
WHEN: 6 p.m. Feb. 4
WHERE: Miami University Hamilton, 1601 University Blvd., Hamilton
HOW MUCH: $10. Children 12 and under admitted free with paying adult
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