The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ONCE again, the Providence Storms Christmas Holiday Classic is providing local junior and senior high school basketball teams the opportunity to stay sharp during the Christmas break.

Over the next four days, 20 senior high school teams and 13 junior high school teams will get to play in the 24th edition of the classic that will run from today through Monday at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

“It’s bracing up to be an exciting tournament,” said tournament director Kevin “KJ” Johnson. 

“The defending champions are the CI Gibson Rattlers in the senior boys and the Agape Christian Academy Eagles out of Abaco as the defending junior boys champions. Both are back and so everybody will be out to dethrone them. So we’re looking forward to a very exciting classic.”

The junior boys teams are divided into four pools, consisting of the following:

Pool one - DW Davis, Akhepran and SC Bootle.

Pool two - St Augustine’s College, Charles W Saunders and Jordan Prince Williams.

Pool three - Kingsway Academy, Agape Christian, Temple Christian and TA Thompson.

Pool four - Teleos Christian, Queen’s College and Nassau Christian Academy.

The senior boys division, also divided into four pools, comprises the following:

Pool one - CI Gibson, Doris Johnson, RM Bailey, Queen’s College and Nassau Christian Academy. 

Pool two - St George’s, Temple Christian, Charles W Saunders, Blazer Elite and South Andros High. 

Pool three - CC weeting, Agape Christian Academy, Jordan Prince Williams, Westminster School and ISBET. 

Pool four - Teleos Christian Academy, Kingsway Academy, Government High, St John’s and SC Bootle.

Johnson, whose Rattlers just returned from particip[ating in a tournament in Las Vegas, said this is the time of the year when basketball is being played everywhere.

“Basketball was played yesterday, basketball is being played today and basketball will be played tomorrow,” Johnson said. “Most high school teams and college teams are playing basketball and continue to get better

“They are playing in tournaments to keep their teams sharp and to get ready for the second half of the season that starts in January. So with this tournament being played in this timeframe, it would keep the players sharp going into their respective high school seasons in January.”

Johnson assured the fans that they can expect some exciting basketball games being played during the tournament because everybody wants to win.

“This is the time of the year when nothing is happening. Junkanoo is over until New Year’s Day, so it’s very important that coaches who commit to it, bring their teams out and keep them sharp,” Johnson stressed. 

Here’s a look at today’s opening day schedule

9 am Kingsway Academy vs TA Thompson Jr boys.

9:40 am Teleos Christian Academy vs Queen’s College Jr boys.

10:20 am Jordan Prince Williams vs St Augustine’s Jr boys.

11 am SC Bootle vs Akhepren International Jr boys.

11:40 am Nassau Christian Academy vs Doris Johndon Sr boys.

12:20 pm Westminster vs Jordan Prince Williams Sr boys.

1 pm Agape Christian Academy vs Temple Christian Jr boys

1:40 pmm Teleos Christian Academy vs SC Bootle Sr boys.

2:20 pm St John’s vs Kingsway Academy Sr boys.

3. pm CI Gibson vs Queen’s College Sr boys.

3:40 pm ISBETvs Agape Chistian Sr boys.

4:20 pm South Andros High vs Blazer High Sr boys.

5 pm CC Sweeting vs Westminster Sr boys.

5:40 pm St George’s vs Temple Christian Sr boys.

6:20 pm Kingsway aCademy vs Teleos Christian Academy Sr boys.

7 pm Charles W Saunders vs South Andros High Sr bos.

7:40 pm St John’s vs Government High Sr boys.

8:20 pm CC Sweeting vs Jordan Prince Williams Sr boys.

9 pm CI Gibson vs RM Bailey Sr boys.

9:40 pm Charles W Saunders vs Temple Christian Academy Sr boys.

Day two on Saturday will begin at 9 am, while day three on Sunday starts at 1 pm. The final day of competition on Monday will get underway at 9 am.