Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

If you want a lot of bang for your buck, look to a couple of day-long basketball classics on Saturday.

At Coal Grove, the annual River Battle will feature some quality girls’ basketball games. The River Battle has one junior high game and four varsity games.

The Big E Classic at Fairland will feature a matchup between the Fairland and Columbus Africentric girls’ teams. Both were state tournament qualifiers last year with Africentric winning the Division III state title, its fourth state championship since 2007.

The Big E Classic has boys, girls and junior high teams playing over a two-day period. There is a junior high game on Friday with two junior high games, two jayvee games and three varsity games on Saturday.

Proceeds from the Big E Classic help fund scholarships for deserving Fairland students.

Between the last two games of the evening, Fairland will unveil commemorative banners representing their state qualifying teams: 1961 boys basketball (The Untouchables), 1987 boys’ track, 2011 and 2012 boys’ cross country, 2012 girls’ cross country, and 2014 girls’ basketball.

Other activities are planned during the game including a burrito-eating contest.

The Big E Classic is held in honor of the late Ernie Hall, a 1966 Fairland graduate who earned scholarships in basketball and baseball to West Virginia Tech.

Owner of Hall’s Funeral Home, Ohio River Valley Crematorium and Miller Memorial Gardens, Hall was a big supporter of Fairland schools and athletics.

Fairland Big E Classic

Friday, Dec. 12

6 p.m. — Fairland 7th grade girls vs. Barboursville 7th grade girls

7:15 p.m. — Fairland 7th grade boys vs. Barboursville 7th grade boys

Saturday, Dec. 13

10 a.m. — Fairland 8th grade girls vs. Barboursville 8th grade girls

11:15 a.m. — Fairland 8th grade boys vs. Barboursville 8th grade boys

1 p.m. — Fairland jayvee boys vs. Cabell Midland jayvee boys

2:45 p.m. — Fairland jayvee girls vs. Africentric jayvee girls

4:30 p.m. — Chesapeake boys’ varsity vs. Crooksville varsity boys

6:15 p.m. — Fairland varsity girls vs. Aftricentric varsity girls

8 p.m. – Fairland varsity boys vs. Cabell Midland varsity boys

Coal Grove River Battle

11 a.m. — Coal Grove 8th grade girls vs. Buffalo (W.Va.) Middle School

1 p.m. — Rose Hill Christian vs. Wayne, W.Va.

3 p.m. — Ironton St. Joseph vs. Charleston (W.Va.) Catholic

5 p.m. — Waverly vs. Greenup County, Ky.

7 p.m. — Coal Grove vs. Lincoln County, W.Va.