2017 Capital Classic Press Release
The Capital Classic, now in the 12th year, is the premier middle school tournament which features Delaware’s finest 32 boy’s and girl’s teams from throughout the state. The event will be held at venues throughout the state tipping off at 4:00 on Friday February 3rd at Caravel Academy and culminating at WoodbridgeHigh School for the championships on Saturday and Sunday February 18th and 19th. This years Capital Classic currently has 2 undefeated teams entered into the event, Postlethwait Girls and Woodbridge Girls. The Injury Lawyers Bracket features four teams with only one loss: Beacon, Caravel, Gauger-Cobb and Thomas Edison Charter. The tournament consists of 8 brackets having A B C and D flights for both the boys and girls. The Capital Classic has had countless former players go on to be stars in high school and college including: Benijah Laney, Corey Crawford, Anthony Myles, Eric Laster and Anthony “Champ” Mosely. The Capital Classic is presented by Gatehouse Media Publications including The Dover Post. Governor John Carney has presented awards in the past at the tournament.
The tournament tipped off at Caravel Academy on Friday February 3rd where The Caravel Ladies defeated Gauger-Cobb 24-19 seeing Lady Bucs scoring the last 6 points of the game. Gauger-Cobb now 5-2, is coached by Athletic Director Monica Tucker while the Buccaneers (8-2) are coached by George Spae and Pete Kemp. Caravel will now play the winner of the Beacon vs. Edison Charter game for the championship of the Injury Lawyers Bracket on Sunday February 19th at 3:00 at Woodbridge High School. Action then moves to Dover Central Middle School on Monday and Tuesday, February 13th and 14th. On Monday, the W.T. Chipman Spartans Girls (4-6) face off against Campus Community (1-5) at 3:30. The Spartans are coach by Petie Davis while Eric Morgan coaches both the Campus Boys and Girls teams. At 4:45 Gauger-Cobb Boys (2-5) play the Spartan Boys (5-6), Gauger is coached by Yvette Brisco and Chipman is coached by Lake Forest sports legend Dion Miller. Then at 6:00 the undefeated Postlethwait Girls (9-0) play the Dover Central Middle Lady Senators (8-2). Postlethwait features 4 8th graders who all started last year as 7th graders and they are Jada McCullough, Jazmin Kellam, Jayla Scott-Cottman, and Natanya Johnson. Kellam and Haley Schafer both have the distinction of being on honor roll the first 10 marking periods of middle school. McCullough was recently recognized by the National Elite Girls Basketball Association and named a Middle School All-American for girls basketball .The Lady Riders are coached by first year coach Berneda Hayward while Dover is spearheaded by Mark Rainford. Rainford has won the Pepsi Championship in his first two years of coaching,but however did suffer losses this year to Postlethwait and Woodbridge. Last year, Rainford’s Lady Senators finished undefeated beating Conrad in an exciting championship final. At 7:15, the Postlethwait Boys (8-1) face off in a rematch with Dover Central Middle (9-1) who represents their only loss of the season 42-25. Postlethwait beat Mariner on the last day of the regular season which lends a great deal of parody to the Pizza King Boys Bracket. The Rider Boys also have a first year coach in Michael Weyrauch while the Senators are coached by veteran Stephen Poole who has won four titles including last year. Dover’s only loss this year came at the hands of Mariner Middle on their first game of the season back on December 5th 45-42 in an overtime thriller. Mariner and Dover are the top two seeds boys and could be poised for a rematch in the finale. The Riders and PCA Saints will be trying to crash that party though and have an excellent chance to do so.
On Tuesday, the Dover Air Girls (3-4) take on Fifer (6-3) at 3:30, Dover Air is coached by Ruth Fuchs and the Lady Riders are coached by Norman Pierce. At 4:45 Bayard Boys (6-1) coached by Omar Richardson, will play the Fifer Boys (7-3) coached by John Wright. Both these tops coaches are former top bracket champions and Wright has four championship wins in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2014 and is tied with Stephen Poole of Dover for most overall titles. At 6:00 The Bayard Girls (2-5) coached by Kristin Bowen and Michael Toto, take on the Holy Cross Girls (4-1) coached by Athletic Director Wally Seams. Then at 7:15, The Dover Air Boys (0-6) led by John Fuchs play the Holy Cross Crusaders (0-6) coached by Michael Sanchez.
On Wednesday February 15th action moves to Woodbridge Middle Schoolin Bridgeville for 3 games. At 4:00 the Campus Boys (5-2) play the Seaford Boys (3-5) who are coached by Giffin Bowen. Then at 5:15, the Seaford Girls (9-1) play the undefeated Woodbridge Girls (9-0). Seaford’s only loss was to Woodbridge 44-29. Seaford is led by 6th grade sensation point guard Azareya Kilgoe who leads the team in scoring and assists. Kilgoe is the first sixth grader to lead a team in scoring and assists in the 11 year history of the Capital Classic and has also made the honor roll the first two periods. The Lady Raiders are led by Cha'kya Johnson, Janiera Scott and Sierra Smith. Seaford is coached by Emma Trammel while Woodbridege is led by Ri'Chana Massey and Alana Frisby. At 6:30 the Millsboro Boys (7-3) have a rematch with Woodbridge Blue Raiders (5-4) which was won by Millsboro 34-30 a few weeks ago. The Knights are in the Capital Classic for the first time and are coached by Justin Tomlinson while Woodbridge is coached by veteran Preston Grace who has won a few championships himself.
The last day of round one play takes place at Mariner Middle School in Milton and Cape Henlopen Teams will compete in all four games. At 3:30, Thomas Edison Charter Girls (5-1) of Wilmington will play Cape’s Beacon Middle Vikings (9-1) and they are coached by Chris Belcher and Christy Bogle respectively. Bogle had a Pepsi Championship a few years ago Edison entered last years Capital Classic for the first time having not lost in three years but was stopped by Postlethwait. At 4:45 the Prestige Academy Boys (1-2) also from Wilmington, will challenge the Beacon Boys ((5-5), teams are coached by Quincy Smith and Sean O’Grady respectively. At 6:00 the Providence Creek Girls (2-8) play the home team Mariner Lady Vikings ((0-7) as coaches Coree Richardson and Cheryl Cannon will be at the helm. The nightcap at 7:15 features Providence Creek Academy Boys (8-2) taking on the top-seeded and Mariner Boys (7-1). The Vikings only loss of the season came at the hands of Postlethwait on the last day of the season 43-39. The Saints are led by 2 high scoring 8th graders L.J. Phillips and Demetrius Fontnel along with sharpshooters 8th grader Jaylen Sudler and 6th grader Cameron Edge. Nasir Sales, Myles Shipman L.J. Phillips, and Carby Wise leads the defensive charge along with controlling the rebounding duties for the Saints. The Saints are coached by Jeron Phillips Sr. and the Vikings are coached by Terry Hazzard. Hazzard is assisted by Principal Fred Best. Both coaches have won a top bracket championship. The Saints lost this season to Dover by only 2 points and to Postlethwait by only 3 so they pose a real threat to Mariner’s undefeated season.
Dover Central Middle leads all schools with 9 overall bracket wins in 11 years, followed by Milford with 6. Smyrna, Fifer and Woodbridge all have 5 while Postlethwait has 4 titles. The championships and third place games then move to Woodbridge High School on Saturday and Sunday February 18th and 19th going from 9am to 9pm with eight games each day. Friday February 17th and Sunday February 20th are designated snow make-up days.
Sponsors for the Capital Classic include The Dover Post and Gatehouse Media, H& R Block, Med Express-Home of the $30 Sports Physical, PNC Bank, Peak Performance Athletics, Pepsi, Texas Roadhouse, Halpern Eye Care/My Eye Doctor, Holiday Inn Express of Dover, Crown Trophies of Delmar, Beach Detailing, IAABO Officials Board 129, Pizza King, McDonald’s, Under Armour Basketballs, Bowers Signs, ATI Physical Therapy. The Injury Lawyers:Barros, McNamara, Malkiewicz & Taylor, P.A. and the Dover High Print Shop.
The Announcers/Master of Ceremonies for the Capital Classic will be Blake Saunders who is the voice and personality of the Delaware State University basketball and football games and Dane Sears Woodbridge School District Administrator. DJ N2IT Norman Royal will be playing the 1’s and 2’s in 302 throughout the Capital Classic.
A total of 586 awards will be presented including trophies, plaques and medals. Included are individual trophies for first place in each of the eight brackets and individual medals for second and third place in all eight brackets. Also, team trophies for first, second and third will be handed out also. Five all-tournament players will be selected in each of the eight brackets in addition to eight MVP awards in addition as selected by coaches. Crown Trophies will present 32 sportsmanship trophies to one player on each team who exemplifies sportsmanship on and off the court.
Entry fee for the Capital Classic will be $3 for students and $5 for adults’. For the championship days at Woodbridge High School on February 18th and 19th admission will be $5 for everyone. Players, managers, school principals, administration and coaches of the Capital Classic have free admission throughout the tournament. A concession stand will be at all locations including hot dogs, nachos, candy, chips, cookies and beverages.
To follow the results and complete schedules of the Capital Classic find them at De Preps/Rivals.com: Basketball Forum. For more information contact the Tournament Director at billardito@msn.com
The Capital Classic, now in the 12th year, is the premier middle school tournament which features Delaware’s finest 32 boy’s and girl’s teams from throughout the state. The event will be held at venues throughout the state tipping off at 4:00 on Friday February 3rd at Caravel Academy and culminating at WoodbridgeHigh School for the championships on Saturday and Sunday February 18th and 19th. This years Capital Classic currently has 2 undefeated teams entered into the event, Postlethwait Girls and Woodbridge Girls. The Injury Lawyers Bracket features four teams with only one loss: Beacon, Caravel, Gauger-Cobb and Thomas Edison Charter. The tournament consists of 8 brackets having A B C and D flights for both the boys and girls. The Capital Classic has had countless former players go on to be stars in high school and college including: Benijah Laney, Corey Crawford, Anthony Myles, Eric Laster and Anthony “Champ” Mosely. The Capital Classic is presented by Gatehouse Media Publications including The Dover Post. Governor John Carney has presented awards in the past at the tournament.
The tournament tipped off at Caravel Academy on Friday February 3rd where The Caravel Ladies defeated Gauger-Cobb 24-19 seeing Lady Bucs scoring the last 6 points of the game. Gauger-Cobb now 5-2, is coached by Athletic Director Monica Tucker while the Buccaneers (8-2) are coached by George Spae and Pete Kemp. Caravel will now play the winner of the Beacon vs. Edison Charter game for the championship of the Injury Lawyers Bracket on Sunday February 19th at 3:00 at Woodbridge High School. Action then moves to Dover Central Middle School on Monday and Tuesday, February 13th and 14th. On Monday, the W.T. Chipman Spartans Girls (4-6) face off against Campus Community (1-5) at 3:30. The Spartans are coach by Petie Davis while Eric Morgan coaches both the Campus Boys and Girls teams. At 4:45 Gauger-Cobb Boys (2-5) play the Spartan Boys (5-6), Gauger is coached by Yvette Brisco and Chipman is coached by Lake Forest sports legend Dion Miller. Then at 6:00 the undefeated Postlethwait Girls (9-0) play the Dover Central Middle Lady Senators (8-2). Postlethwait features 4 8th graders who all started last year as 7th graders and they are Jada McCullough, Jazmin Kellam, Jayla Scott-Cottman, and Natanya Johnson. Kellam and Haley Schafer both have the distinction of being on honor roll the first 10 marking periods of middle school. McCullough was recently recognized by the National Elite Girls Basketball Association and named a Middle School All-American for girls basketball .The Lady Riders are coached by first year coach Berneda Hayward while Dover is spearheaded by Mark Rainford. Rainford has won the Pepsi Championship in his first two years of coaching,but however did suffer losses this year to Postlethwait and Woodbridge. Last year, Rainford’s Lady Senators finished undefeated beating Conrad in an exciting championship final. At 7:15, the Postlethwait Boys (8-1) face off in a rematch with Dover Central Middle (9-1) who represents their only loss of the season 42-25. Postlethwait beat Mariner on the last day of the regular season which lends a great deal of parody to the Pizza King Boys Bracket. The Rider Boys also have a first year coach in Michael Weyrauch while the Senators are coached by veteran Stephen Poole who has won four titles including last year. Dover’s only loss this year came at the hands of Mariner Middle on their first game of the season back on December 5th 45-42 in an overtime thriller. Mariner and Dover are the top two seeds boys and could be poised for a rematch in the finale. The Riders and PCA Saints will be trying to crash that party though and have an excellent chance to do so.
On Tuesday, the Dover Air Girls (3-4) take on Fifer (6-3) at 3:30, Dover Air is coached by Ruth Fuchs and the Lady Riders are coached by Norman Pierce. At 4:45 Bayard Boys (6-1) coached by Omar Richardson, will play the Fifer Boys (7-3) coached by John Wright. Both these tops coaches are former top bracket champions and Wright has four championship wins in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2014 and is tied with Stephen Poole of Dover for most overall titles. At 6:00 The Bayard Girls (2-5) coached by Kristin Bowen and Michael Toto, take on the Holy Cross Girls (4-1) coached by Athletic Director Wally Seams. Then at 7:15, The Dover Air Boys (0-6) led by John Fuchs play the Holy Cross Crusaders (0-6) coached by Michael Sanchez.
On Wednesday February 15th action moves to Woodbridge Middle Schoolin Bridgeville for 3 games. At 4:00 the Campus Boys (5-2) play the Seaford Boys (3-5) who are coached by Giffin Bowen. Then at 5:15, the Seaford Girls (9-1) play the undefeated Woodbridge Girls (9-0). Seaford’s only loss was to Woodbridge 44-29. Seaford is led by 6th grade sensation point guard Azareya Kilgoe who leads the team in scoring and assists. Kilgoe is the first sixth grader to lead a team in scoring and assists in the 11 year history of the Capital Classic and has also made the honor roll the first two periods. The Lady Raiders are led by Cha'kya Johnson, Janiera Scott and Sierra Smith. Seaford is coached by Emma Trammel while Woodbridege is led by Ri'Chana Massey and Alana Frisby. At 6:30 the Millsboro Boys (7-3) have a rematch with Woodbridge Blue Raiders (5-4) which was won by Millsboro 34-30 a few weeks ago. The Knights are in the Capital Classic for the first time and are coached by Justin Tomlinson while Woodbridge is coached by veteran Preston Grace who has won a few championships himself.
The last day of round one play takes place at Mariner Middle School in Milton and Cape Henlopen Teams will compete in all four games. At 3:30, Thomas Edison Charter Girls (5-1) of Wilmington will play Cape’s Beacon Middle Vikings (9-1) and they are coached by Chris Belcher and Christy Bogle respectively. Bogle had a Pepsi Championship a few years ago Edison entered last years Capital Classic for the first time having not lost in three years but was stopped by Postlethwait. At 4:45 the Prestige Academy Boys (1-2) also from Wilmington, will challenge the Beacon Boys ((5-5), teams are coached by Quincy Smith and Sean O’Grady respectively. At 6:00 the Providence Creek Girls (2-8) play the home team Mariner Lady Vikings ((0-7) as coaches Coree Richardson and Cheryl Cannon will be at the helm. The nightcap at 7:15 features Providence Creek Academy Boys (8-2) taking on the top-seeded and Mariner Boys (7-1). The Vikings only loss of the season came at the hands of Postlethwait on the last day of the season 43-39. The Saints are led by 2 high scoring 8th graders L.J. Phillips and Demetrius Fontnel along with sharpshooters 8th grader Jaylen Sudler and 6th grader Cameron Edge. Nasir Sales, Myles Shipman L.J. Phillips, and Carby Wise leads the defensive charge along with controlling the rebounding duties for the Saints. The Saints are coached by Jeron Phillips Sr. and the Vikings are coached by Terry Hazzard. Hazzard is assisted by Principal Fred Best. Both coaches have won a top bracket championship. The Saints lost this season to Dover by only 2 points and to Postlethwait by only 3 so they pose a real threat to Mariner’s undefeated season.
Dover Central Middle leads all schools with 9 overall bracket wins in 11 years, followed by Milford with 6. Smyrna, Fifer and Woodbridge all have 5 while Postlethwait has 4 titles. The championships and third place games then move to Woodbridge High School on Saturday and Sunday February 18th and 19th going from 9am to 9pm with eight games each day. Friday February 17th and Sunday February 20th are designated snow make-up days.
Sponsors for the Capital Classic include The Dover Post and Gatehouse Media, H& R Block, Med Express-Home of the $30 Sports Physical, PNC Bank, Peak Performance Athletics, Pepsi, Texas Roadhouse, Halpern Eye Care/My Eye Doctor, Holiday Inn Express of Dover, Crown Trophies of Delmar, Beach Detailing, IAABO Officials Board 129, Pizza King, McDonald’s, Under Armour Basketballs, Bowers Signs, ATI Physical Therapy. The Injury Lawyers:Barros, McNamara, Malkiewicz & Taylor, P.A. and the Dover High Print Shop.
The Announcers/Master of Ceremonies for the Capital Classic will be Blake Saunders who is the voice and personality of the Delaware State University basketball and football games and Dane Sears Woodbridge School District Administrator. DJ N2IT Norman Royal will be playing the 1’s and 2’s in 302 throughout the Capital Classic.
A total of 586 awards will be presented including trophies, plaques and medals. Included are individual trophies for first place in each of the eight brackets and individual medals for second and third place in all eight brackets. Also, team trophies for first, second and third will be handed out also. Five all-tournament players will be selected in each of the eight brackets in addition to eight MVP awards in addition as selected by coaches. Crown Trophies will present 32 sportsmanship trophies to one player on each team who exemplifies sportsmanship on and off the court.
Entry fee for the Capital Classic will be $3 for students and $5 for adults’. For the championship days at Woodbridge High School on February 18th and 19th admission will be $5 for everyone. Players, managers, school principals, administration and coaches of the Capital Classic have free admission throughout the tournament. A concession stand will be at all locations including hot dogs, nachos, candy, chips, cookies and beverages.
To follow the results and complete schedules of the Capital Classic find them at De Preps/Rivals.com: Basketball Forum. For more information contact the Tournament Director at billardito@msn.com
