It's in their genes: All-Stars have storied family histories in NJ Classic

LEXINGTON — When Ontario's Braxton Hall dusts off the old photo albums, he can't help but notice just how important basketball has been to his family.

What he also notices is just how many of his family members sported News Journal All-Star Classic jerseys during their high school days. On Friday night, 7:30 p.m. at Lexington High School, Hall gets to carry on that family legacy.

Hall's father, Brandon, played in the 1996 Classic as a Plymouth Big Red representative and scored six points to help the beat the South 150-120 which is still the classic record for most points in a game by one team and the record for the largest deficit.

Nine years prior to his dad's game, Braxton's cousin, Steven, suited up for the classic representing the Big Red and scored eight points but took the loss to the South 119-114.

In 1997, Steven's brother Chad played for the North squad as a Plymouth rep leading them to a 137-125 victory with 10 points. And then, in 2001, Braxton's uncle, Benji Hall, represented the Ontario Warriors and scored five points as the North won 106-101.

Now, Braxton, 22 years later, gets to carry on the family tradition of playing in the All-Star Classic.

"They have been talking to me about how their games went and how much fun they had," Hall said. "They just told me to go out and play as hard as I can. My dad's team still has the record for the most points in a game so he has been talking all week about how he would love to see our team beat that record. It is a big thing."

That 1996 game was quite a show. The North nailed 19 3-pointers in its 30-point domination of the South, and yet, the MVP trophy went to South's Dan Norris whose five explosive dunks and 26 points were enough to win over the voters. The North had three players who scored 20 or more points as Kyle Herhart had 24, Jeff Gierhart had 21 and George Palmer scored 20. Scott Osler had 18 and Rob Putnam added 17 as the balanced effort was enough to help the North put up 75 points in each half.

Braxton hopes to be one of those 20-point scorers, there have only been 92 to top 20 points in the game's 44-year history. But, what would be best is if he could get the family scoring record, held by Chad with 10 points, so he can have some bragging rights over his family until the next wave of Halls come through.

"I'd shoot for more of course," Hall said. "But in the end, I want to make sure my team gets the win. There aren't a lot of players who can say they won the last high school basketball game they ever played in so that would be nice. I am just going to go out and play my hardest and see what goes in."

Regardless of what happens on Friday night, Hall will just be happy to have his family in the crowd and watching from afar.

"I have been playing since I was little and my dad has always been my biggest coach with Benji and my family down in North Carolina, they have always talked to me after games and still teach me things," Hall said. "It means a lot to have their support."

Kent has big shoes to fill

Hall isn't the only one with a storied history in the Classic. St. Peter's Feree Kent has some mighty big shoes to fill on Friday night when he suits up for the North team.

Kent's father, Ahmed, played in the 1986 Classic as his South team lost to the North 122-105. That South team still holds the record for fewest points in a half with 35 and the most turnovers with 28.

Feree wants no part of that.

Instead, he wants the fortune his brother, Tyson, enjoyed in 2017 when he won MVP honors with 24 points as the North beat the South 124-105. The South set the record for the lowest free throw percentage by going 2-10 from the line in the loss.

Tyson still displays the All-Star Classic MVP trophy and it is a daily reminder to Feree.

"We haven't talked a lot about getting to this game, but there really never had to be any words said," Kent said. "I see that MVP trophy Tyson won and that is enough motivation for me. He had to transfer from public school to private school and had to rebuild his confidence and it was a big eye-opener to me to see how much I had to grit and grind because that's what he did."

All the Kent boys did. Ahmed is the No. 2 leading scorer in Mansfield Senior history with 1,278 points from 1983-1986 behind only Dapreis Owens who played with Ahmed as a freshman and sophomore. Tyson went on to help the St. Peter's Spartans make a trip to the regional championship game in 2016 and 2017 averaging double-figures.

Feree has had a record-setting career of his own as he is tied for 12th on the single-game scoring list at St. Peter's with 39 points twice. His 39-point performance against Temple Christian on Feb. 12, 2022 is tied for the most points in a game by a junior at St. Peter's.

And now, he is a News Journal All-Star Classic All-Star just like pops and big brother.

"It is amazing to follow in their footsteps," Kent said. "It was a process. I had to take an initiative at a really young age after watching my older brother take St. Pete's to the regional championship game twice so that was such a great motivator. But it is in my genes to be in this game."

Blair playing in game his brother couldn't

Everyone wants to forget about the year sports stopped.

But South Central's Isaac Blair will have that in the front of his mind on Friday night. 2020 was the year the News Journal All-Star Classic had to be canceled and for the first time since before 1979, the high school basketball season wasn't completed with the late-March classic.

Blair's brother, Simon who is starring at Malone University, was supposed to suit up and put on one final show as a high school baller. He never got that chance.

"My mom was talking about how he didn't get to play in his game and that I should think about him when I play on Friday," Blair said. "He didn't get the opportunity because of something completely out of his control. So I am thankful to get the opportunity and I am looking forward to hopefully having a good game."

Simon would have been one of the stars on an absolutely loaded roster. But what could have been, never happened so Isaac won't exactly let his brother know about owning the family scoring record with just one bucket on Friday night.

"I don't think I'll rub it in, but I am looking forward to having him there to watch me play and hopefully it gives him a glimpse of what he should have had in this game," Blair said. "He mentioned how disappointing it was to not get the opportunity to play in the all-star game, but that entire year was just so tough because of all of the uncertainty and things just getting taken away."

Needless to say, Blair is feeling blessed to be able to end his career with one final game and enjoy the opportunity that his brother never got to experience.

"I am just looking forward to getting to play one more time and get that high school feel back one more time," Blair said. "I'd love to score a little bit and end this thing with a win."

Bland living up to brother's legacy

Mount Gilead star Matthew Bland will follow in his brother's footsteps when he suits up on Friday night. Tyler Bland played in the 2017 All-Star Classic and scored two points but Matthew isn't worried about the two points more than he just wants to continue to live up to the standard his brother set.

Matthew has done a nice job so far securing Division III All-Ohio honors in basketball after being named a first team All-Ohio quarterback in the fall and being a part of a state-placing 4x200 relay team in track last spring.

“It is very cool to follow in his footsteps and play in this game,” Bland said. “I’ve looked up to him for a long time and it has been a huge honor to try and duplicate what he did. He earned a lot of awards when he played so all I’ve ever wanted to do was live up to the name he created.”

Bland averaged 20-plus points a game for Mount Gilead and is an MVP candidate heading into Friday night.

Other family connections

The 44th News Journal All-Star Classic has a lot of family history.

North coach John Kurtz, who played in the game in 1984 and scored five points, will be coaching alongside his son, Kyle, who played in the 2018 Classic and scored three points. John was a player at Temple Christian and Kyle played at Mansfield Christian where his father coached him all four years. John is the varsity head coach at Crestview and Kyle is his assistant and they piloted the Cougars to their first Firelands Conference championship in 23 years.

Colonel Crawford's Braxton Baker will try to duplicate what his cousin, Austin Smith, who also played at CC, did in the 2009 game when he scored 14 points and 18 rebounds and cruised to the MVP award. Baker comes in as the No. 3 overall pick in this year's NJ Classic Draft and one of the favorites to walk away with this year's MVP trophy.

North coach Tyler Sanders of Crestline had an uncle, Travis Sanders, play in the 1992 Classic scoring two points.

Lucas' Corbin Toms will follow in the footsteps of his half-brother, Riley Gossom as a News Journal All-Star Classic player. Gossom scored three points in the 2021 classic after missing his entire senior season after breaking his leg in an automobile accident.

Colonel Crawford's Jacob Maddy may have the biggest shoes to fill. His step-father, Brett Kaple, suited up as a Buckeye Central representative in the 1994 Classic and scored 27 points with 26 coming in one half, still a Classic record.

jfurr@gannett.com

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Twitter: @JakeFurr11

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: It's in their genes: All-Stars have storied family histories in NJ Classic