High school basketball all-stars unveiled
Andrew Ens of Saint Francis will be one of 40 players competing in next Wednesday’s Bob Miller Classic All-Star Games.
The inaugural Bob Miller Classic All-Star Games will be played Wednesday, March 27 at West Niagara with the Next 10 Game starting at 6 p.m. and the Top 10 Game scheduled for 8 p.m.
The event replaces various iterations of the event going back to the original Kearney Classic decades ago.
“We wanted to use the event as a way to honour our past and what basketball means to Niagara. Basketball in Niagara would not be where it is today without the hard work of the people before us, setting a standard,” said Steve Huisman, a member of the tournament’s executive committee along with Pat Chiarello. “Bob Miller has been a constant supporter in paving the way for basketball in the Niagara Region. Hosting the game in his honour is a great way to thank him for his efforts. Bob Miller was inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame. He was vital in helping grow the game of basketball in the Niagara region.”
Other members of the organizing committee are Michael Doodeman, Marc Dupont, Shaun Feor, Jonathan Marcheterre, Wade Pychel and Jonathan Thorpe.
West Niagara is delighted to host the event.
“We wanted to continue to honour the tradition of the all-star game at our beautiful new school. West Niagara is proud to be the host school of the inaugural Bob Miller Classic. We will look into different schools hosting the event each year,” Huisman said.
He feels it is important that the games continue to be staged.
“Niagara basketball needs to be showcased and hosting an all-star game is a nice way to have the best players come together. It allows the selected players the opportunity to put their skills on display and be recognized for a great year of basketball.”
The teams were chosen based on the season’s results of the participating schools.
“I think both teams turned out pretty balanced and every school that indicated they were interested has at least one player participating,” Huisman said.
A selection committee was made up of representatives from both school boards to make sure the teams were chosen accordingly to represent the schools across the region.
He is looking forward to “great competition, lots of scoring from both teams and a fun-filled evening of basketball.”
Named to the Top 10 Team One squad are: Luke Johnson, Luke Midgley and Kai Schatz from Eden; Noah Budgell and Ari Steenhuis from Governor Simcoe; Andrew Benko from Notre Dame; Jared Cook from Sir Winston Churchill; Mark Cruz from Saint Paul; Noah Gmoser from Greater Fort Erie; and, Mark Al Makhoul from Saint Paul.
Named to the Top 10 Team Two squad are: Jack Ciocca, Andrew Ens and Elijah Quissua from Saint Francis; Jayke Arnold and Tavish McMahon from A.N. Myer; Michael Akinpetide from Blessed Trinity; Joshua Kaufman from Denis Morris; Matthew Kleinsmith from E.L. Crossley; Julian Sobota from West Niagara; and, Isaac Walker from Thorold.
Selected to the Next 10 Team One squad are: Luka Dermott and Hagen Generao from Saint Michael; Kelvin Addo from Great Lakes Christian; Lochlan Belliveau from Governor Simcoe; Nicholas Capretta from Notre Dame; Timi Ijaodola from Centennial; Isaac Jordan from Saint Paul; Travis Joyce from Laura Secord; Dylan Klassen from Westlake; and, Daniel Nunez from Sir Winston Churchill.
Chosen to the Next 10 Team Two squad are: Owen Bradford-Andrew from Holy Cross; Daniel Charest from Saint Jean de Brebeuf; Stephan Delva from Robert Land Academy; Sean Hill from St. Catharines Collegiate; Chris Koscak from Niagara Christian College; Caleb Olomide from Blessed Trinity; Louis Pullano from A.N. Myer; Simon Reid from Port Colborne; Jeremy Talsma from Smithville Christian; and, Ben Unrau from West Niagara.
The evening will also feature food, drinks and a three-point shooting contest.
Tickets for the event are $5 for adults and $2 for children with all proceeds going to Gillian’s Place. Doors for the cash-only event open at 5:30 p.m.
