The Harry Johnson Holiday Classic will feature six high school basketball boys’ teams, four high school girls’ teams, and three middle school boys’ teams competing over three days — Tuesday, Dec. 27, Wednesday, Dec. 28, and Thursday, Dec. 29 — at the George Washington High School gymnasium.
The tournament honors the late Harry Johnson, who coached the GW boys’ team for 19 years and led them to a state championship in 1996.
The high school boys’ teams will play in a traditional tournament-style format that will include rivals GW, Chatham, Gretna, and Tunstall. They are joined by Westover Christian Academy and Norfolk Academy. They will play at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday; 1 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday; and 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The game at 7:30 p.m. Thursday is for the tournament championship.
The high school girls’ teams also will play in a traditional tournament-style format that will include rivals GW, Gretna, and Tunstall. They are joined by Orange County. They will play at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday; and 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday. The 6 p.m. game on Thursday is for the tournament championship.
The middle school boys’ teams are Bonner, Martinsville, and Westwood. They will play in a round-robin format, with games at 1 p.m. on Tuesday; 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday; and 10 a.m. on Thursday. The 10 a.m. game on Thursday features Bonner vs. Westwood.
There will be two sessions each day — day and evening. For the day sessions, the gym opens at noon on Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and 9 a.m. on Thursday.
Following the day sessions, the gym will be cleared for the evening sessions, with the gym opening at 5 p.m. each evening.
All tickets are $10 per person per session, with tickets $5 per person per session for children aged 12 and under. Admission will be cash only.
The opening matchups on Tuesday have Bonner facing Martinsville at 1 p.m. and the GW girls facing Gretna at 2:30 p.m. The varsity boys’ teams take the court that evening and feature Westover Christian vs. Norfolk Academy at 6 p.m. and GW vs. Gretna at 7:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, Westwood will play Martinsville at 11:30 a.m., followed by the varsity boys’ loser bracket game at 1 p.m., and Tunstall girls vs. Orange County at 2:30 p.m.
On Wednesday evening, varsity boys’ winner bracket games will be played at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., with Tunstall facing the winner of Westover Christian vs. Norfolk at 6 p.m. and Chatham facing the winner of GW vs. Gretna at 7:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Bonner and Westwood will square off at 10 a.m., followed by the varsity girls’ loser bracket game at 11:30 a.m., and the varsity boys’ loser bracket games at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
On Thursday evening, the varsity girls’ championship will be played at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity boys’ championship game at 7:30 p.m. The championship games will air on 102.5 WBTM with coverage beginning at 5:30 p.m.