Fifth annual Freedom All-Star Classic set for April 11

The fifth annual Freedom All-Star Classic, matching the top senior basketball players in the Central Panhandle, will take place Saturday, April 11.

The girls game is at 11 a.m., followed by the boys at 1 p.m. The games will be played at the Billy Harrison Field House on the campus of Gulf Coast Community College.

The event features the East boys and girls teams against counterparts from the West. The East comprises players from The News Herald's readership area of Bay, Washington, Holmes, Gulf, Liberty, Calhoun, Franklin and Jackson counties. The West players are selected from the coverage area of the Northwest Florida Daily News in Fort Walton Beach, which includes Walton, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties.

West teams have won three of the four girls contests. The series is tied 2-2 among the boys.

The East boys coaches were confirmed this week.

Port St. Joe's Derek Kurnitsky has agreed to coach the East boys for a second time. He joined Marianna's Travis Blanton and Ponce de Leon's Stacey Stafford in 2006, following Kurnitsky's second season as the Tigers Sharks' head coach. The West won 99-95 in what is the closest game in the series.

Kurnitsky led Port St. Joe to the Region 1-2A championship game in 2008. He also led the Tiger Sharks to the Class 2A state championship game in 2007 and the state Final Four in 2006.

"It's a great honor to be picked again," Kurnitsky said. "I like when you get the chance to work with all the kids and it's a great thing for all of the communities."

He will be joined by Bozeman's Cas Gant, who has steadily improved the Bucks program in his three years at the Sand Hills school. Gant is the first coach from Bozeman to be selected to head an East team on either the boys or girls level.

"It's a pretty incredible thing to be chosen," Gant said. "This shows that all the hard work we have put forth is paying off for our exposure.

"Being a coach for the East is an honor for me, my team and for our school."

The East girls coaches and the West boys and girls coaches will be announced in the near future, along with the first round of players selections for the squads. Final rosters are expected to be announced in mid-March.

The Freedom All-Star Classic is sponsored by Freedom Communications, Inc., and the Gulf Coast Athletic Association.

The Gulf Coast Triathlon Foundation was the tournament sponsor in 2008.

The Freedom Classic is seeking sponsors at various levels of participation for the 2009 event. Any business or organization interested in sponsoring the Freedom Classic can contact News Herald Marketing Director Vickie Gainer at 747-5009.