[nannook]

Local Schools Coming Together For A Good Cause
by Cris Ritchie
Editor Hazard Herald (Ky)

HAZARD – Three of Kentucky’s top high school basketball teams will be paying a visit to Hazard next week to compete with Hazard and Perry County’s three local teams, but it’s an off-the-court competition that will pay the biggest benefit to local families.

Coal Mining Our Future is sponsoring the Coal Miner’s Classic later this month, and paired with two nights of high school basketball will be a food drive to benefit needy families in Perry County.

The boys’ basketball coaches for Perry Central, Buckhorn High School and Hazard High School met at WYMT-TV in Hazard on Wednesday to shoot a promo for the upcoming Classic, and each called the two-day event a good opportunity for basketball, but an even greater one for the community.

“It’s great for our community,” said Hazard Coach Al Holland. “The three schools coming together, we battle on the court game in and game out, but we come together and pull together, the coaches and teams, and try to help support Perry County and the needy with a canned food drive along with some outstanding basketball games.”

The Classic will tip off on Friday, December 16 with Hazard and Perry Central battling Scott County and Henry Clay respectively at Memorial Gym. The action will move to the John C. Combs Arena at Perry Central on December 17, where Buckhorn will take on Pulaski County, Hazard will play Henry Clay and Perry Central will take on Scott County in the nightcap.

Each of the coaches made note of the caliber of teams that will be visiting Perry County to participate in the classic, as did the principals at Hazard and Perry Central, who filmed a separate promo for the Classic on Wednesday.

“Four out of the six teams playing are rated in the top 20 in the state,” remarked Hazard Principal Happy Mobelini, referring to Scott County, Henry Clay, Perry Central and Pulaski County. He added that several of the players are top-rated as well, including Buckhorn’s Matt Day, who was ranked as the preseason’s top player in the 14th region.

“I can’t remember when we had this much talent coming into one place,” Mobelini added. “And I’ve been doing this for several years.”

Buckhorn Coach John Noble said basketball will be the focus on the court, but he thinks there is also a valuable lesson for his players off the court.

“Obviously, our kids and fans and everybody around love basketball, and the kids loving playing,” Noble said. “Any time you can pair something you love and helping people at the same time , it’s a tremendous opportunity.”

And while the city and county’s schools won’t be playing each other, Perry Central Coach Allan Hatcher added that there will be some friendly competition between the schools.

“We’ve got a contest between Perry Central and Buckhorn and Hazard High School for the school that brings the most cans of food in,” Hatcher said. “It’s just kind of a challenge and kind of a competitive situation. But what we’re also doing is creating something that is very good for our county that’s helping the needy, especially around Christmas time.”

Mobelini added that with the economy remaining in a recession, he’s seeing more students sign up for free and reduced lunch, or with the Coal for Kids or backpack programs that benefit needy kids, so participating in a food drive like this is a good way to give back to a part of the community that needs it. That was a sentiment that Perry Central Principal Estill Neace echoed as well.

“We always want to beat each other in athletics, all three of the high schools,” Neace said. “But this is one of those things where we want to beat each other for the right reasons because it’s a great cause. There are no losers in this competition. There’s only going to be the winner for bragging rights, but the community is going to be the big winner in regard to the food drive.”

While participation from the schools will be important, Haven King, director of Coal Mining our Future, said he hopes the entire community will get involved and pitch in for the food drive. He noted that anyone who wants to donate canned items can do so at Memorial Gym at game time on December 16, and then again at the John C. Combs arena at Perry Central on December 17.

“We’re going to have a lot of competitiveness out of Buckhorn and Perry Central and Hazard on bringing food,” King said. “But this is not only going to be the students and the athletes, it’s going to be the parents and the communities that we hope come together for this. This is just something Coal Mining Our Future wanted to do, and it’s something we’ve been working on for six months. This just didn’t happen overnight.

“We don’t care if they bring it in by the cases,” he continued. “We need to get as much food raised as we can. There’s a lot of people out there; it’s just unbelievable how much need there is out there.”

“I think this is a great competition between the schools,” Mobelini added, “because it allows not only the basketball teams to be involved, but the entire student body and the parents and the entire community for a great cause.”

The Coal Miner’s Classic kicks off on December 16 at 6:30 p.m. as the Hazard Bulldogs will face off against Scott County, and on December 17 at 5 p.m. as the Buckhorn Wildcats will be taking on Pulaski County.

[Mtguy704]

Its about time they were all playing before the District tourney, just should be playing each other too.

[zaga_fan]

^ That isn't the point of this article

[ekff]

Here's a little note for all the Hazard and Perry fans.. Rumor has it that if hazard and perry fans can come together and be respectful during this classic that Hazard and Perry might get to play each other in this classic next year or the year after.

[ballstar]

^its the parents that act like complete buttholes. These kids are some of the best friends off the court but mommy and daddy acts like idiot and tries to turn the kids against one another. Its about competing on the floor and congrats after the game no matter who wins. I would love to see these guys play twice a yr(home and away).

[Aslan]

Sweet.

[zaga_fan]

^its the parents that act like complete buttholes. These kids are some of the best friends off the court but mommy and daddy acts like idiot and tries to turn the kids against one another. Its about competing on the floor and congrats after the game no matter who wins. I would love to see these guys play twice a yr(home and away).

It's ridiculous....
I had a lady, a wife of a dentist and a devoted bulldog fan, come into the doctor's office I worked in a couple years ago and request my resignation because of the way I "acted out" at a Perry-Hazard basketball game(which Perry won btw).
And for the record, I'm loud at ballgames, but I've never gotten out of hand.

I know that's just one person's actions.
But that is the kind of people we've got at these ballgames.
It gets pretty ridiculous.