Boardwalk Basketball Classic begins Saturday with 8-game Crest Savings Bank Battle at the Boards showcase event

Posted: December 21st 2023

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

The annual Boardwalk Basketball Classic is set to begin Saturday with a showcase day that features quite a few interesting matchups.

The Boardwalk Classic’s Battle at the Boards, sponsored by Crest Savings Bank, includes eight high school boys and girls basketball games on two courts at the Wildwoods Convention Center that feature every school in Cape May County as well as other teams across the region.

The event begins with an all-Cape May County boys game in the West Hall featuring Ocean City and Cape May Tech at 11 a.m. in the Tom Mitchell Memorial Showcase Game, a contest in which Tech coach Sam Picketts will face off against his alma mater and John Bruno, the Ocean City coach under whom Picketts played. The game is named for the former longtime Wildwood High School assistant girls basketball coach and Boardwalk Basketball Classic volunteer committee member who passed away earlier this year. 

That’s followed by a pair of games at 12:30 p.m. In a girls game in the East Hall, 2023 Cape-Atlantic League playoff tournament finalist Atlantic City will battle Clearview Regional of the Tri-County Conference in the GWTIDA Showcase Game. In a boys game in the West Hall, Hightstown will face off against Wildwood Catholic in the Frank McAlarnen Memorial Showcase Game, a contest that will see Hightstown coach and North Wildwood native Donny DeLeo, who played at Wildwood Catholic as a high school freshman before transferring to Wildwood, taking on his former school.

The West Hall will then feature Wildwood High School’s teams in a girl-boy doubleheader against local rivals. The girls will tip at 2:15 p.m. against Cape May Tech in the Kaitlin Anzelone Memorial Showcase Game, named for the former four-time South Jersey champion and three-time state champion player at Wildwood who passed away after a battle with leukemia in 2005. The boys will follow at 3:45 p.m. against Lower Cape May in the Doug DeWeese Memorial Showcase Game, named for the former successful longtime local coach and educator. Both of those contests will be broadcast live on CapeAtlanticLive.com and the Cape Atlantic Live Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, on the East Hall court, the Ocean City girls will take on Bishop Eustace Prep at 2:45 p.m. in the Tom Williams Showcase Game, named for a longtime local media personality who’s expected to be in attendance for the contest.

Two boys matchups featuring some of the best programs in the region will conclude the day in the West Hall.

First, Middle Township will take on Archbishop Carroll of the Philadelphia Catholic League at 5:30 p.m. in the Chickie Ludman Memorial Showcase Game, named for the former Wildwood High School standout athlete who later became a successful coach at Middle. Both teams will enter the contest unbeaten. Carroll has won each of its first six games, while Middle, the defending South Jersey Group II champion, has begun with wins in each of its first three games. The contest will be broadcast live on CapeAtlanticLive.com and the Cape Atlantic Live Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The day concludes with a contest featuring two of the best programs from the Northeast region when Roman Catholic of the Philadelphia Catholic League takes on North Jersey power Roselle Catholic at 7 p.m. in the Vince Trombetta Showcase, named for the former longtime Philadelphia-area coach and basketball official who now resides in Wildwood.

Tickets for the Battle at the Boards showcase day at the Boardwalk Basketball Classic at $7 and are good for the entire day. 

Following the Battle at the Boards showcase day, the Boardwalk Basketball Classic will continue Tuesday, Dec. 26, and will run through Sunday, Dec. 31, with dozens of games played on both courts over the six days.

For more information, including schedules for the entire tournament, log on to bbclassic.com.

The Boardwalk Basketball Classic is one of the largest single-venue coed high school basketball tournaments in the country. The event has raised nearly $300,000 in college scholarship money for graduating seniors at Wildwood High School and Wildwood Catholic Academy, the co-hosts of the event. The tournament is run by an all-volunteer committee.

BOARDWALK BASKETBALL CLASSIC BATTLE AT THE BOARDS SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, DEC. 23 - WILDWOODS CONVENTION CENTER

COURT A (East Hall)

12:30 pm - GWTIDA Showcase (Girls): Atlantic City vs. Clearview Regional

2:45 pm - Tom Williams Showcase (Girls): Ocean City vs. Bishop Eustace Prep

COURT B (West Hall)

11 am - Tom Mitchell Memorial Showcase (Boys): Cape May Tech vs. Ocean City

12:30 pm - Frank McAlarnen Memorial Showcase (Boys): Hightstown vs. Wildwood Catholic

2:15 pm - Kaitlin Anzelone Memorial Showcase (Girls): Lower Cape May vs. Wildwood

3:45 pm - Doug DeWeese Memorial Showcase (Boys): Lower Cape May vs. Wildwood

5:30 pm - Chickie Ludman Memorial Showcase (Boys): Archbishop Carroll (Pa.) vs. Middle Township

7 pm - Vince Trombetta Showcase (Boys): Roman Catholic (Pa.) vs. Roselle Catholic