Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Basketball Classic
“Fundraiser Features Plenty of Basketball Star Power”
MUSKEGON, Mich., December 21, 2023 – The Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Basketball Classic is a Christmas holiday tradition for basketball fans in West Michigan.
The Hall of Fame Holiday Basketball Classic will be held at Reeths-Puffer High School on Wednesday, December, 27, 2023.
This is the 21th edition of the Holiday Classic, again featuring three boys’ Varsity, Junior Varsity and Freshman games – all for one admission price of $5. Tickets will be available only at the gate, and no passes will be accepted.
The six programs participating in this year’s tournament include Muskegon, Reeths-Puffer, Whitehall, Fruitport, Coopersville and Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills. The freshmen contests will begin at approximately 10 a.m., followed by the junior varsity games at 11:45 a.m. and the varsity games are slated for 3 p.m.
The Schedule:
FRESHMAN GAMES:
10:00am: Fruitport vs Whitehall
10:00am: Reeths Puffer vs Coopersville
11:45am: Muskegon vs Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills
JUNIOR VARSITY GAMES:
11:45am: Reeths Puffer vs Coopersville
1:30pm: Fruitport vs Whitehall
1:30pm: Muskegon vs Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills
VARSITY GAMES
3:00pm: Fruitport vs Whitehall
4:45pm: Reeths Puffer vs Coopersville
7:00pm: Muskegon vs Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills
Special thanks to Josh VanDyke and MLive for the following game highlights:
The opening varsity matchup at 3 p.m. will have plenty of plotlines to follow, as Whitehall (5-0) looks for some postseason revenge against Fruitport (3-2), who scored a 77-69 overtime win over the Vikings in the Division 2 district semifinals last March.
Whitehall junior forward Cam Thompson has become one of the top players in West Michigan the past two seasons and has already posted some eye-popping numbers this winter – including a triple-double in a win over Montague in which the 6-foot-6 playmaker registered 23 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists.
Host Reeths-Puffer (3-1) will take on Coopersville (6-0) at approximately 4:45 p.m. in another postseason rematch from last March. The Rockets secured a 59-55 overtime win over the Broncos in the Division 1 district semifinals last season and will be looking to knock Coopersville from the ranks of the unbeaten this year with a win on their home court.
Reeths-Puffer senior standouts Jaxson Whitaker and Travis Ambrose will be key players to watch for the Rockets as the dynamic duo fuels their squad toward potential conference and district championships.
The grand finale of the tournament will feature the Muskegon Big Reds (2-0) taking on Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills (1-1) at approximately 7:45 p.m.
Since 2012 the Muskegon Big Reds have won eight straight conference titles, eight district crowns, four regional championships, runner up in the 2023 State Championship and a Class A state title in 2014.
The Division 1 state runners-up feature a new-look starting lineup this winter but the athleticism, skills and star power on the Big Reds roster remain elite.
Lake Superior State commit TJ Davis returns at center for Muskegon, while Wayne State commit M’Khi Guy runs the offense after quarterbacking the Big Reds football team to a Division 2 state title in November.
Justin Watson, a 6-foot-7 sharpshooter for the Big Reds, has already proven to be a matchup nightmare on the perimeter, while James Martin, Elijah Langston, Montreal Oliver, Keashaun Johnson and Arquez Petty provide one of the deepest rotations head coach Keith Guy has had during his time at Muskegon.
Ottawa Hills boasts some star power of its own, however, as Craig Hureskin is coming off a 36-point outing against Flint Beecher, and teammates Willie Duke and Tyreez Buchanan have also been impact playmakers for the Bengals so far this season.
The Holiday Classic is a fund-raising event that began in 2002. Since its inception, the event has returned more than $150,000 to area high school athletic programs thanks in large part to a generous group of donors and volunteers as well as the many attendees.
For more on the Hall of Fame and history of the Holiday Classic, visit the organization’s website at www.mashf.com.
For more game-day information, visit our Facebook page at this link: https://fb.me/e/W9o4VU6R
# # #Organized in 1986, the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame honors our own heroes and legends, spanning the rich history of sports achievement in the Lake Michigan shoreline area anchored by Ludington to the North and Grand Haven to the south. The Hall of Fame exhibit is located in downtown Muskegon in the Trinity Health Arena and features a fascinating collection of artifacts, photos and commemorative plaques honoring the area’s sports heritage.