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2023 HC CLASSIC FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS
GAME 1 – MARIAN CATHOLIC vs.
ST. CHARLES EAST, 9:30 a.m.
The opening
game features two long-time members of the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic
who both have new head coaches this year. Rick Romeli is the new coach at
Marian Catholic and Rob Klemm is the head coach at Saint Charles East.
Marian will be making their seventh appearance at HC Squared, and their
first showing in the tournament’s opening game. Saint Charles is a charter
member of the first HCHC event in 2015. Despite playing in the last six
Christmas Classics, the two teams have never met on the Hinsdale hardwood.
Marian Catholic won the tournament championship in 2018 and has had six
different players make the event’s All-Tournament Team.
GAME 2 – NILES NORTH vs. MORGAN PARK, 11:00 a.m.
The Vikings
are making their first appearance at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic.
Morgan Park is back for their second year at HC Squared, as the Mustangs
were a fifth-place semi-finalist last year, finishing with a 2-2 record.
Niles North returns three Central Suburban League all-conference players –
all who gained that honor as sophomores last year – in Hunter Gawron, Yaris
Irby, and Reid Olson. Niles North was the runner-up of the Battle of the
Bridge Thanksgiving Tournament in November.
GAME 3 -- BROTHER RICE vs PLAINFIELD EAST, 12:30 p.m.
Two schools
new to the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic square off in Game 3 of the
opening round. Brother Rice is the winner of the Bill VandeMerkt
Thanksgiving Classic at Riverside-Brookfield. The Crusaders won 30 games
last season. Head Coach Conte Stamas served as an assistant coach for the
hometown Hinsdale Central Red Devils from 2016-2022. Plainfield East
becomes the first team from the Southwest Prairie East Conference to play at
the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic. The game will feature two of the most
dynamic guards in the area in Brother Rice’s Cale Cosme and Plainfield
East’s Ehi Ogbombo.
GAME 4 – STEVENSON vs. ROCKFORD AUBURN, 2:00 p.m.
The only
first round game to feature a former meeting between the clubs, these two
teams met in the 2017 Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic with Stevenson
prevailing 57-54 in the tournament’s seventh place game. That was the only
year that the Patriots failed to take home a team trophy at the Hinsdale
Central Holiday Classic. Stevenson has a new coach in Will Benson, the
former head coach at Huntley High School. The head coach at Rockford Auburn
is Bryan Ott who is in his 25th season with the Knights. Auburn won 23
games last year and advanced to the IHSA Supersectional, playing two
freshmen in its lineup.
GAME 5 –
DEPAUL PREP vs. LINCOLN-WAY CENTRAL, 3:45 p.m.
DePaul Prep
is the defending IHSA Class 2A State Champions. The Rams have made the
Final Four of the HC Holiday Classic five times in their last seven
appearances and has never lost an opening round game. Jonas Johnson
tied the single game rebounding record with 18 boards in last year’s HC
Squared. Lincoln-Way Central is in their fourth HC Christmas Classic and is
one of four teams in this year’s field who has won two games at every HCHC
that have participated.
GAME 6 – SCHAUMBURG vs. HINSDALE CENTRAL, 5:15 p.m.
Schaumburg is one of five new teams in this year’s HCHC and is the first
team ever from the Mid-Suburban League to play in the event. The Saxons won
the Battle of the Ridge Thanksgiving Tournament with a perfect 4-0 record.
Schaumburg coach Jason Tucker returns to the Hinsdale Classic after being an
assistant coach at Stevenson. Hinsdale Central is the defending tournament
champions, winning their first HCHC title and setting the school mark for
wins in a season with 31 last year.
GAME 7 –
LANE TECH vs. MAINE SOUTH, 7:00 p.m.
The Lane
Tech Champions will make their first trip to Hinsdale Central this year and
will return five of their top seven players from last season. Guard Shaheed
Solebo is a returning All-Chicago Public League selection. Maine South is a
charter member of the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic and has compiled a
lofty 15-9 record against HC Squared competition. The Hawks won the
Consolation Championship at HCHC last year.
GAME 8 – OSWEGO EAST vs. MORTON, 8:30 p.m.
The Wolfpack has made the most of their four
years at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic, winning 12 of 16 games and
taking home two second place, one third place and a fifth-place trophy.
Oswego East has made it to the championship game of the event in each of
the last two years. Guard Jehvion
Starwood is a University of Wyoming commit. The Mustangs will be back for
their third trip to the HCHC. Morton coach Tony Martinucci is in his 23rd
season at the school and has won nearly 400 games.
The 2023 Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic will be played on four consecutive
days, from December 27-30 in the Hinsdale Bank Gymnasium. Additional
information on the event will be posted on the tournament website at: www.hcholidayclassic.com and
on the tournament’s social media pages. |
