Here is who is playing and when in annual Chuck Turner Classic holiday shootout

BATTLE CREEK - If you are a high school basketball player, coach or fan, the Battle Creek Central Fieldhouse is where you want to be during the holidays.

"I love coaching at the Fieldhouse. My guys love playing there. We look forward to it. It's an historic place," said St. Philip boys basketball coach Mike Kimber.

The traditional Chuck Turner Classic will be the highlight event at the Battle Creek Central Fieldhouse as city hoop fans will be gifted to two days of high school basketball on Dec. 27-28.

Battle Creek Central will host nine games over the span of two days, a feast for local high school sports fans looking for something to do during the holiday break. Hoops for the holidays has been a tradition in Battle Creek for over half a century, started by iconic Battle Creek Central coach Chuck Turner.

"It's a tradition. It's one of the longest running holiday tournaments in the state. It's a chance for the home folks to get out and watch some basketball, mingle, break up the holidays. And more importantly, to get out and see some people and family you might not have seen for a while. It's a pretty awesome event," Battle Creek Central boys basketball coach Durant Crum said.

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This year, all seven Battle Creek city schools that compete in the Michigan High School Athletic Association will be involved.

Action will begin on Wednesday, Dec. 27 with a 2 p.m. girls game between Battle Creek Academy and Calhoun Christian, followed by a 4 p.m. boys game between the same two schools. The evening session will feature a 6 p.m. girls game with host Battle Creek Central taking on Union City. The BCC boys highlight the night with an 8 p.m. game, originally scheduled to be against Ypsilanti. However, Ypsilanti pulled out of that game and the Bearcats are looking for a substitute.

On Thursday, Dec. 28, some longtime city rivalries take the court.

Games start at noon with the St. Philip boys playing Union City.

At 2 p.m., Harper Creek will play Lakeview in a girls game with Battle Creek Central facing St. Philip in another girls contest at 4 p.m.

The evening session will be a boys basketball doubleheader with Harper Creek playing Lakeview at 6 p.m. and Pennfield seeing Battle Creek Central in the final game of the day, scheduled for 8 p.m.

Tickets are $7 and are good for the entire day, per day.

"It's always good to play over the holidays. It bridges a gap," Harper Creek boys basketball coach Matt Bowling said. "You don't want to have too much time off and this gives the kids something to look forward to over break.

"It will be good for us to play and get in the gym and see a great Lakeview team this year. We'll have our hands full."

With the way the holiday schedule lands this year, most area basketball teams will have played their final game before break this week on Thursday or Friday. For many, the regular season doesn't resume again until the students are back in school, which most teams playing again on Jan. 9 or Jan. 11. That can be an almost 20-day layoff for some programs.

Lakeview is trying to stay busier than most as the Spartan boys and girls teams will play in the Chuck Turner Classic as well at the Parma Western Christmas Tournament on Jan. 3-4.

In other holiday tourney action, among key area teams, the Marshall boys team will play in the Cornerstone University Holiday Tournament on Dec. 28-29.

Whatever game interests you the most, the tradition of Battle Creek families coming downtown to watch some basketball and see old friends has been going on for more than 50 years.

"It's good to play over the holidays. You don't want to have that long layoff. Rust can build pretty quickly," Crum said. "If I had a choice, I'd rather play over the holidays, especially in the atmosphere we have here at the Fieldhouse, which is so special to so many people."

Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick.

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Lineup of basketball games at Chuck Turner Classic at BCC Fieldhouse