Hiland hosting a real Classic

By HANK KEATHLEY
The Times-Reporter

For the sixth straight year, Hiland will host the Classic in the Country Challenge and this one looks to be a real classic.

Teams will come together for a 20-game schedule that kicks off Saturday at 10 and runs through Monday evening.

Area teams in the field include Hiland, Garaway, New Philadelphia, River View and West Holmes.

The event is full of big-name teams and big-name individual talent.

“We set some pretty big goals when we started this thing,” said Hiland coach Dave Schlabach, the coordinator of the event. “We've found that people really enjoy the event.

“We had 170 college scouts here last year and we're projecting 220 this year. Every hotel in the area is sold out and we're expecting big crowds for every game.”

River View will be the first area team to play when it takes on Wadsworth Saturday morning at 11:45.

Hiland plays Saturday night at 8:30 against Fostoria St. Wendelin.

New Philadelphia plays its only game in the Classic on Sunday at 8:45 p.m. vs. Cincinnati Indian Hill.

Garaway plays on Monday morning against Salem at 10 a.m., while West Holmes plays Kettering Fairmont at 6:45 and Hiland wraps up the event by playing Twinsburg at 8:30 p.m.

“This is a pretty big event,” Schlabach said. “We have 250 volunteers and 85 business sponsors. Plus, there are 120 teams on the waiting list wanting to play here.

“The challenging thing for me is to step back from the preparation and watching the other games and getting my team ready to play a couple of pretty good opponents.”

One highlight from Sunday’s schedule includes a meeting between University, the defending small school champions from New Jersey, and Mount Notre Dame, the defending Division I Ohio champions.

The complete schedule for the event is as follows:

Saturday

South Webster vs. Northwestern, 10 a.m.; Wadsworth vs. River View, 11:45; Hathaway Brown vs. Brookhaven, 1:30; Africentric vs. Regina, 3:15; Lakota West vs. University (NJ), 5; Mt. Notre Dame vs. Twinsburg, 6:45; Fostoria St. Wendelin vs. Hiland, 8:30.

Sunday

Bucyrus vs. Waterford, 12; Regina vs. Toledo Start, 1:45; North Canton Hoover vs. Lakota West, 3:30; Chaminade-Julienne vs. Boardman, 5:15; University (NJ) vs. Mt. Notre Dame, 7; Indian Hill vs. New Philadelphia, 8:45.

Monday

Garaway vs. Salem, 10; Middletown Madison vs. Reynoldsburg, 11:45; Vandalia Butler vs. Copley, 1:30; Toledo Start vs. Green, 3:15; Walnut Hills vs. North Canton Hoover, 5; Kettering Fairmont vs. West Holmes, 6:45; Twinsburg vs. Hiland, 8:30.