News Journal All-Star Classic Highlights: Backflip a first in Classic history

LEXINGTON — It was like Mansfield Senior's Chunky Haney was in a video game.

As he released his 3-point shot from the right wing, as the ball was mid-flight, Haney took flight pulling off a standing backflip and landing it just in time to see his shot touch nothing but net. It was the highlight of the night during the 44th News Journal All-Star Classic as the North beat the South 150-120 on Friday night at Lexington High School.

Haney got the inspiration from the NBA 2K video game franchise and pulled it off like a pro.

"In NBA 2K, when you get a perfect release, you can make your player do a back flip if you bought that animation," Haney said. "So, I told Jayden Jeffries that the first 3-pointer I shoot in the game, I am doing a backflip and I had to make it. I didn't even know I was going to make it but when I landed, I saw it go through the net."

The next time down the court, Haney pulled off the Steph Curry, no-look 3-pointer where as he released it, he turned his head and started jogging back down the court before the ball even dropped through the bucket. And again, he caught nothing but nylon as he was dubbed the most entertaining player of the night.

Haney went out just wanting to have fun and achieved that massively.

"This isn't a serious game so there really is no need to have any nerves," Haney said. "You just go out and do what you do and shoot the shots you want to shoot. I just wanted to come out and put on a show and have a lot of fun. This was the funniest game I have ever played in, to be honest."

◆ With 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, Ontario's Braxton Hall achieved some family history on Friday night. He topped his father, uncle and two cousins in scoring as members of the News Journal All-Star Classic. In fact, he nearly outscored them all combined. His father, Brandon played in the 1996 game as a Plymouth representative, his uncle, Benji, who played in 2001 and two cousins Steven and Chad who were both Plymouth grads all combined to score 29 points.

And yet, Braxton, who was just released from his walking boot after breaking his ankle just over a month ago, who now owns the family scoring record with a solid 20-piece during his North team's 150-120 win over the South.

"Coming out of the boot on Monday, it only gave me three times to get in the gym since injuring my ankle and those were the only real shots I got up since then," Hall said. "To come out with 20 points and beat my family's record, it means a lot and now I can say I have some bragging rights."

Hall nearly had even more bragging rights. With his team sitting at 149 points, just one point from tying and two from beating his dad's 1996 North team's record of 150 points, Hall had two free throws to be the one to best pops' team. He missed his first free throw and made the second to tie. The North got the ball back after a missed free throw from the South and Hall had a layup at the buzzer that rolled just off the front of the rim.

But, in the end, the two have something special to share as father and son who were on the most prolific scoring teams in News Journal All-Star Classic history and that is pretty cool.

"I at least wanted to tie it," Hall said. "I am sad I didn't break it personally because I had some chances. The coaches put me in as the one to make the shot because my dad was on that team, but it is alright. We tied it and I had more points so I am happy."

North coach John Kurtz, who played in the 1984 Classic that ended with his South team coming away with a 127-124 overtime victory, wanted the record. Still, a tie and 270 combined points is something to be proud of.

"We wanted to beat it and had our opportunities but we just didn't get it done," Kurtz said. "It is pretty neat to be able to play like that. It shows you just how much talent we have in the area when we can put up 270 points in a game. That was neat and it was an entertaining game, too."

◆ Lexington's Baden Forup was the lone News Journal All-Star to post a double-double as he dropped 29 points and added 11 rebounds to help his North team to victory. It was a perfect way for the Lex star to end the final game in his home gym, one that opened up just this year.

"It was really cool," Forup said. "It was so much fun playing against these guys and playing one final game in this gym. It means so much because I love this place and I am so grateful to everyone who has ever helped me get here. I have spent a lot of hours working out in this gym so to close it down with a win is awesome."

North coach John Kurtz knew Forup was in for a special night.

"I have seen him in games where he just commits himself to the glass and those players are rare," Kurtz said. "We thought there wouldn't be anyone who could keep him off the glass and that was proven right tonight."

◆ A 2-3 zone defense also made its debut as the South started the game in the non-typical, all-star game defense as a joke shared among coaching friends with South coach Tyler Sanders pulling the prank on his mentor, North coach John Kurtz. The South got a defensive stop with it on the first possession but settled into a defense more suitable for an all-star game.

◆ Mount Gilead's Matthew Bland shook off a tweaked ankle in the first half and made a triumphant return. Bland finished the night with 21 points including five 5-pointers for the North, all after the ankle twist.

◆ Ashland's Grayson Steury sparked a second-half comeback for the South which trailed by 18 heading into halftime and cut the deficit to seven before the North pulled away. Steury knocked down three straight 3-pointers to give the South a spark. He finished with 21 points making 7-of-17 3-pointers.

◆ All 23 News Journal All-Stars reached the scoring column. There were 12 players who reached double-figures and six who scored 20-plus points.

◆ There were four News Journal All-Star classic records either tied or broken on Friday night. The South team attempted 66 3-pointers which topped the 1996 North team which attempted 65. The South went 21-for-66 from 3 in the loss.

This year's Noth team made 67 field goals going 67-for-128 setting a new Classic record for most field goals in a game topping the 1998 North team which had 66.

The 2023 North team tied the record for the largest margin of victory with the 1996 North team. Both of those games finished 150-120 in favor of the North. The 150 points also tie the 1996 team for most points in a game.

The North now leads the all-time series 24-20.

jfurr@gannett.com

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Twitter: @JakeFurr11

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: News Journal All-Star Classic Highlights: Backflip a first in Classic history