[BEAVER, W.Va.] Eighteen area high school basketball teams, including two reigning state champions, will highlight the 2020 New River Community and Technical College basketball tournament.
“There will be an incredible amount of talent on display to kick off the 2020 New Year with some of the state’s top players and basketball programs,” said New River CTC Foundation Executive Director Michael Green.
Chapmanville Regional High School is the two-time defending West Virginia Class AA Boys Basketball State Champion and will be led by Player of the Year candidate Obinna Anochili-Killen. Webster County won the 2019 Class A Boys Basketball title under the direction of Coach of the Year Michael Gray. Coach Gray recently won the West Virginia Sports Writers Association Van Meter Award, given annually to the top high school coach in West Virginia.
The 2020 New River CTC event scheduled for January 2-4 at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center will raise funds for college scholarships and assist participating high schools’ athletic departments and Project Graduation committees.
Next year’s event will include a girls division with Woodrow Wilson, Westside, Pikeview and Wyoming East High Schools participating. Returning boys teams include Greenbrier East, Shady Spring, Princeton, Pocahontas County, Greater Beckley, James Monroe, Westside and Liberty. In addition to Chapmanville and Webster County, newcomers include Bluefield, Nicholas County, Oak Hill, Wyoming East and Independence High Schools.
“The tournament is a great opportunity for communities to come together and support area high schools and help raise needed funds for student scholarships,” Green said.
With the expansion of the tournament and additional teams, next year’s event will showcase several high profile programs and players:
- Nicholas County’s Luke LeRose, West Virginia’s 2019 state scoring leader and candidate for 2020 Player of the Year will participate in the event.
- Bluefield will return a core group from their state tournament team led by point guard Braden Crews who averaged 23.4 points per game and 6’6” big man Sean Martin.
- Greenbrier East will look to improve on a successful 2018-2019 season and will again be led by junior sensation Bailee Coles.
- Shady Spring and senior point guard Tommy Williams will return for the second annual New River CTC event and looks to lead the Tigers to their first ever state tournament appearance.
- Wyoming East Warriors and senior McQuade Canada will be a major factor in the competition to represent Region 3 in next year’s state tournament.
- In the girls division, the Westside Lady Renegades will return a senior laden team and will be exciting to watch their season progress.
- With the loss of key senior leadership, the Wyoming East Lady Warriors will look to Skylar Davidson to lead the team back to the state tournament.
The “Most Outstanding Cheering Section” rivalry will continue in 2020. Pocahontas County High School will return to defend their crown as the team with the best and loudest fans. The New River CTC Foundation presented the Warriors with a $500 donation toward their senior class’s Project Graduation last month.
The 2020 event also will feature the Raleigh County Special Olympics basketball team competing against the Fayette County Special Olympics team.
“After the overwhelming success of the 2019 event, we are thrilled to be participating this year,” said Raleigh County Special Olympics Director Lisa Matherly. Matherly also serves payroll accounting supervisor for New River CTC.
“An event of this magnitude would not possible without the generosity and support of our many friends and sponsors. For 2020 the New River CTC Foundation will offer several new sponsorship opportunities that will allow participation from a large cross section of businesses and individuals,” Green said.
The top tier sponsorships will include VIP court side seating with in-seat food and beverage service, as well as VIP parking. In addition to game day festivities, select sponsorship opportunities will include a private dinner at the home of New River CTC President Dr. Bonny Copenhaver.
“We are excited to host the second annual New River CTC event and provide an opportunity to showcase area basketball talent while supporting local high schools and student scholarships,” Green added.
For more information about the event and sponsorship opportunities, call 304-929-6734 or email foundation@newriver.edu.
New River Community and Technical College serves nine counties in southeastern West Virginia from the Greenbrier Valley Campus (Lewisburg), Mercer County Campus (Princeton), Nicholas County Campus (Summersville) and Raleigh County Campus (Beaver).
