IT’S DAD vs. DAUGHTER, THE BRACKET CHALLENGE | A dance vs. a race against Silvey on the line

Will former Kilgore High School baseball player Jason Silvey (above) be Ashtyn Lucas’ opponent for a race to first base at Driller Park? She will, if she loses the Bracket Challenge to her dad for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. (File photo from WADE SILVEY – FACEBOOK)

This time of year, it seems everyone who cares remotely about sports fills out an NCAA men’s basketball bracket.

You know – try to get as many right as you can, and it’s especially brag-worth if you can get the Final Four. If you get the Final Four AND the eventual national champion – well, sir, or madam, you’re a basketball genius.

At the Lucas household, everybody always fills out the brackets, but they’re normally busted after the first day (someone’s Final Four pick loses on day one). This year, dad Mitch and daughter Ashtyn decided to do a little one-on-one: not basketball, but with the brackets.

Just a friendly little wager.

Let’s call it The Bracket Challenge.

If Ashtyn has the more accurate Elite Eight on her bracket than her dad, then Mitch has to do a 30-second dance – that Ashtyn, a former Hi-Stepper, choreographs.

And he has to be filmed doing it.

BUT If Mitch has more Elite Eight picks right on his bracket than Ashtyn…

…then Ashtyn has to try and outrun former Kilgore High School baseball standout Jason Silvey to first base at Driller Park – on camera. Silvey readily agreed to the challenge on Tuesday morning.

“I’ll do it,” Silvey wrote, and added a laugh emoji.

So that it’s fair, we’ve included our brackets for all to see here with this story. Also below are the women’s brackets, although they’re not included in the wager. Both of Ashtyn’s brackets are written in PURPLE; Mitch’s men’s bracket is filled out in RED; his women’s bracket, in PINK.

Mitch’s Men’s Tournament bracket (above).

Ashtyn’s Men’s Tournament bracket (above).

Mitch’s Women’s Tournament bracket (above).

Ashtyn’s Women’s Tournament bracket (above).

Again, only the men’s bracket is involved in the bet.

By the way, here are the best black-and-white printable brackets, if you want to get in on the fun and fill out brackets of your own. Here’s a link to the men’s bracket: ncaam_bracket_filled.pdf (espncdn.com). And here’s the women’s: ncaaw_bracket_filled.pdf (espncdn.com).

Remember: the play-in games begin tonight with Wagner and Howard meeting at 5:40 p.m. on truTV, and Colorado State facing Virginia just after, at 8:10 p.m, also on truTV. So if you want to fill out a true, honest bracket, you need to print ‘em out and fill them out before those games begin.

Game on!