By MATT PIKE
The St. Joseph Sports Commission has announced one of the largest fields ever to participate in the fifth annual St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame Holiday Hoops Classic at the Civic Arena in downtown St. Joseph.
Holiday Hoops will feature six Buchanan County high schools along with other area, regional, and out of state teams of interest competing in a boys and girls doubleheader classic style format just before the Christmas holiday. With six county high school teams along with the other regional and state teams of interest, along with two teams from out of state, Holiday Hoops features 29 games over four days beginning on Friday, December 18th and ending on Tuesday, December 22nd.
“Interest in this event continues to grow which speaks to the quality of the venue and unique, arena style atmosphere that is a great experience for the student-athletes to compete in.” Executive Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission Brett Esely says in a news release. “This is by far our largest field ever in which we’ve added a day featuring 50 teams competing in 29 games.”
The event begins on Friday December 18th, as Savannah squares off against Faith Christian. The Savage girls finished 22-6 a season ago while the Faith Christian boys recorded a 26-4 record and a third place finish in Class 1. The second doubleheader of the opening day of the event features a matchup of two northwest Missouri teams matchup as Central takes on Maryville. The Friday nightcap will showcase one of the best matchups of the event as the Benton girls, who finished 22-9 with a fourth place finish in Class 4 will face Topeka Hayden Catholic who won the Kansas 4A State Championship a season ago.
Day two starts bright and early on Saturday December 19th, with St. Joseph Christian taking on Platte Valley. The second doubleheader features North Platte and Faith Christian. The boys game is a feature matchup of the event with two 2026 state Final Four teams squaring off as the Panthers finished 27-5 last season with a third place finish in Class 3. The third doubleheader will showcase East Buchanan against Rock Port. The Blue Jay girls finished 29-3 a season ago and finishing third in Class 1 while the Blue Jay boys were Class 1 District 16 Champions with a final record of 22-7. The day wraps up with a pair of 20 win girls teams as Mid-Buchanan takes on Albany, the Warriors were Class 2 District 16 Champions this past winter. The Dragon boys (22-5) take on Albany to close the days slate.
The teams will take the Sunday off and return on Monday December 21st, as West Platte opens against Mexico in boys action followed by a pair of boys teams coming off 20 win seasons as Princeton, finishing 26-3 and Class 1 District 14 Champions last season, play Stewartsville/Osborn who finished 21-8. Bishop LeBlond will face Plattsburg in the first boys and girls doubleheader of the day. The Golden Eagle Girls were Class 3 District 15 Champions a season ago. Then, in the days penultimate doubleheader, East Buchanan return to face Lafayette County, which will be followed by girls action featuring Chillicothe, finishing 21-6 last season, against a top Kansas power in Olathe North, who finished 17-7. The night will conclude with a high level matchup as the Benton boys, finishing 30-2 and third place in Class 4 last season, face Smithville, 19-10 and the Champions of Class 4, District 15.
The final day again starts early on Tuesday, December 22nd, as Mid-Buchanan returns to face St. Pius X out of Kansas City in doubleheader action. North Andrew will take on Maysville in the following games. The Cardinal girls were Class 1 District 15 Champions this past year. In the events second to last doubleheader, Central returns to take on Kirksville, the Class 4 District 8 champions, before the Princeton girls face West Platte, while the boys will face Bishop LeBlond, in the final doubleheader of Holiday Hoops.
Holiday Hoops also enhances the profile and awareness of the St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame of which the 2026 induction class will be enshrined on Sunday, August 23rd. Ticket information will be released in late fall in which all sales will be facilitated online and through the Civic Arena Box Office.
2026 ST. JOSEPH AREA SPORTS HALL OF FAME HOLIDAY HOOPS PRESENTED BY UNITED FIBER
Friday, December 18:
2:30 PM- Savannah vs. Faith Christian (G)
4:00 PM – Savannah vs. Faith Christian (B)
5:30 PM – Central vs. Maryville (G)
7:00 PM – Central vs. Maryville (B)
8:30 PM – Benton vs. Topeka Hayden Catholic (G)
Saturday, December 19:
10:00 AM – St. Joseph Christian vs. Platte Valley (G)
11:30 AM – St. Joseph Christian vs. Platte Valley (B)
1:00 PM – North Platte vs. Faith Christian (G)
2:30 PM – North Platte vs. Faith Christian (B)
4:00 PM – East Buchanan vs. Rock Port (G)
5:30 PM – East Buchanan vs. Rock Port (B)
7:00 PM – Mid-Buchanan vs. Albany (G)
8:30 PM – Mid-Buchanan vs. Albany (B)
Monday, December 21:
10:00 AM – West Platte vs. Mexico (B)
11:30 AM – Princeton vs. Stewartsville/Osborn (B)
1 PM – LeBlond vs Plattsburg (G)
2:30 PM - LeBlond vs. Plattsburg (B)
4 PM – East Buchanan vs. Lafayette County (G)
5:30 PM – East Buchanan vs Lafayette County (B)
7 PM – Chillicothe vs. Olathe North (G)
8:30 PM – Benton vs. Smithville (B)
Tuesday, December 22:
10:00 AM – Mid-Buchanan vs. St. Pius X (G)
11:30 AM – Mid-Buchanan vs. St. Pius X (B)
1 PM – North Andrew vs Maysville (G)
2:30 PM - North Andrew vs. Maysville (B)
4 PM – Central vs. Kirksville (G)
5:30 PM – Central vs Kirksville (B)
7 PM – West Platte vs. Princeton (G)
8:30 PM – LeBlond vs. Princeton (B)
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