Blaize Cumbow, Zach Becker, Tyler Johnson, Jake Firkins and the St. Joseph-Ogden basketball team hoist the 19th Annual Leader Classic basketball tournament championship plaque on December 23, 2007. The Spartans held on to defeat the Monticello Sages in Saturday's title game 60-54 at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. (Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)
St. Joseph-Ogden seniors Matt Foreman, Mitch Blair and Ryan Barnes hold the 2005 Leader Classic Holiday Basketball Tournament team award in 2005. The Spartans posted its third consecutive title after defeating Monticello at the annual basketball tournament sponsored by the weekly print newspaper published and owned by St. Joseph resident Scott Hunter. The name of the tournament changed after The News-Gazette, who purchased The Leader from Hunter, shuttered at the end of August in 2018. Not wanting to see the tournament's run end, Toyota of Danville stepped up to become the title sponsor. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
The annual Leader Classic basketball tournament was the brainchild of newspaper publisher Scott Hunter, who published the The Ogden Leader and the efforts of St. Joseph-Ogden High School athletic director Dale Doehring 30 years ago. This year, with the folding of Hunter's publication under the ownership of the The News-Gazette, a Danville automotive dealer has stepped up to keep the holiday tournament tradition uninterrupted.
Jordan Brooks steps up to accept his All-Tournament award after the Leader Classic title game on Wednesday, December 21, 2016. Brooks drained 18 points, 12 from 4 three-pointers in the title game to lead St. Joseph-Ogden over Olympia, 84-71. With the loss of the title sponsor, the tournament has a new name and sponsor thanks to Toyota of Danville. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)
Now called the SJO Toyota of Danville Classic, the event will continue on for the foreseeable future hosted on the home court of the 2016 boys IHSA Class 2A champions.
The Spartan basketball program opens tournament play tonight with first-year head coach and alumnus Kiel Duval against CICS Longwood from Chicago, who became part of the regular tournament line up in 2014. SJO has won 18 of the 30 tournament titles and are one of favorites along with the state-ranked Timberwolves from Cissna Park.
Below is this year's tournament schedule.
SJO Toyota of Danville Classic Schedule
Thursday, Dec. 13
Game 1: Cissna Park vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 6 p.m.
Game 2: Schlarman vs. Oakwood, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 14
Game 3: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Chicago CICS Longwood, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 15
Game 4: Armstrong-Potomac vs. Chicago CICS Longwood, 10 a.m.
Game 5: Cissn Park vs. Schlarman, 11:30 a.m.
Game 6: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Oakwood, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Chicago CICS Longwood vs. Cissna Park, 4 p.m.
Game 8: Oakwood vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 5:30 p.m.
Game 9: Schlarman vs. St. Joseph-Ogden, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 18
Game 10: Cissna Park vs. Oakwood, 5 p.m.
Game 11: Schlarman vs. Chicago CICS Longwood, 6:30 p.m.
Game 12: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 8 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 21
Game 13: Armstrong-Potomac vs. Schlarman, 5 p.m.
Game 14: Chicago CICS Longwood vs. Oakwood, 6:30 p.m.
Game 15: St. Joseph-Ogden vs. Cissna Park, 8 p.m.
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