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BANNON PARK CLASSIC:
The Bannon Park Classic will return to Portsmouth, Ohio
Dates TBA
Contact Jerald Gordon 740-464-1484 or Tom Bailey 740-285-7421
BPC
| 2011 Bannon Park Champions |
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| 2010 Bannon Park Classic Champions |
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| BPC Portsmouth, Ohio |
The Bannon Park Classic started in 1979 in Portsmouth, Ohio. Jeff Lisath, Jim Stanley
and Michael Spaulding thought it would be a good idea to have a Community event to celebrate one of Ohio's most storied High
School basketball programs...The Portsmouth Trojans, so they decided to invite all former Trojans to participate in a 3 on
3 half court double elimination tournament that would run every fourth of July weekend. To get the community involved
Jeff decided the event would have to include music, fashion shows, a dance and lots of food and entertainment. The very first
year was a hit! Bannon Park was packed with people in the community, and the former Trojans didn't let them down...several
teams were assembled with each team creating their own t-shirt designs and style of play. In the end, the first Classic
was won by Alphonso "Spider" Watkins, Jack Bendolph, and Calvin Kirby. After a couple of brief years of 3 on
3...Jeff decided to make it a 5 on 5 full court game, and to open it up to teams from the Tri-State (Ohio, Kentucky, West
Virginia)...What a great idea! The Classic blew up to more than anyone imagined, people came from all over to play or watch
the games....it was so great to see some of the former Portsmouth Trojans basketball teams come back home to play every year
and to see the 1988 State Championship team being Runners-up in the summer after their state title then came back to win the
Title in 1990..... The Classic became so popular that Jeff decided to have it sanctioned by the NCAA, and as years passed,
Miami University, Marshall University, Xavier University, Shawnee State University and Morehead State all entered a team
into the Classic. The Bannon Park Classic over the years has seen players from The Ohio State Buckeyes, Kentucky Wildcats,
University of Cincinnati, University of Dayton, and Wright State, just to name a few...Also the Classic featured three professional
players from overseas.
The Bannon Park Classic was for many years one of Southern Ohio's most popular events,
with people from all over the Tri-State spending the weekend in historic Bannon Park, enjoying the food, entertainment and
some good hard fought "street ball".
| Bannon Park Classic Directors |
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| Jeff Lisath and Jim Stanley |
| Piketon vs. Portsmouth has been the kick-off game |
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| of the last two Classics; the Trojans are 2-0 |
| Darnell Lisath and Chris "Pudge" White |
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| putting on the "D" in the Classic |
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