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Holiday hoops
Published May 31, 2007
Almost half the field will be first-time participants for the 2007 WQSB Holiday Classic, which will be played Dec. 26-29 at Snead State Community College.
New entries in the 16-team field are Russellville, Baldwin County, Pinson Valley, Madison County, Jess Lanier, Cherokee County and Hardeeville, S.C.
Madison County won the 2007 Class 4A State Tournament, defeating Douglas 54-51 in the championship game.
Douglas will not participate in the 2007 WQSB Classic.
Albertville and Boaz are the only Marshall County teams entered in the 10th annual event.
Besides the Aggies and Pirates, other teams returning from the 2006 field will be Fort Payne, Pleasant Grove, Etowah, Dallas County, Scottsboro, Clay-Chalkville and John Carroll Catholic.
John Carroll finished as the 2007 5A state runner-up. The Cavaliers lost to Williamson 58-50 in the tournament finals.
Scout.com rates the Cavaliers’ Andrew Steele as the No. 7 point guard in the nation. His brother, Ronald, plays for Alabama.
According to Scout.com, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kansas, Mississippi and Kentucky are among the schools Steele is considering.
Russellville’s head coach, Mike Smith, a former Alabama football player, coached in the tournament before when he was at Eufaula.
Former Crossville player Robi Coker will return home to Sand Mountain when he brings his Clay-Chalkville squad to the classic.
Coker was hired as the Cougars’ new head coach on May 24.
Another former Crossville player, Blake Raley, is the Hardeeville, S.C., connection.
Raley serves as the school’s athletics director and head football coach.
Last week, he hired Todd Roberson as head basketball coach.
Hardeeville will be a new school. It’s classified as a 1A in South Carolina, but that compares to a 3A in Alabama.
“This town is full of excitement,” Raley said.
“This will be the town’s first high school since 1986. The district combined the two high schools into one in 1986.
“As a result of a bond referendum a few years ago, we are getting a brand new K-12 school, and Ridgeland, the other town in the county where the current high school is, is also getting a K-12 school.
“Our basketball programs will be competing in a region. However, we could not be in a football region because we are coming online in the middle of realignment.
“Chris Staton is my offensive coordinator and head baseball coach. He will also be working with our basketball teams.”
Staton is a graduate of Douglas High School.
Pleasant Grove won the 2006 WQSB Holiday Classic, beating Dallas County 72-66.
Scores from the classic’s other championship games are:
2005 – John Carroll 60, Mountain Brook 47
2004 – Mountain Brook 52, John Carroll 45
2003 – Alcoa, Tenn., 61, Albertville 36
2002 – John Carroll 79, Litchfield 65
2001 – Guntersville 73, Bibb County 69
2000 – Boaz 75, Fort Payne 68
1999 – Fort Payne 85, Dora 71
1998 – Fort Payne 65, Boaz 51
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