Neosho Holiday Classic has evolved into top sporting event

Dec. 26—NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho Holiday Classic basketball tournament has become one of the most anticipated sporting events in the Four-State Area, drawing teams from as far away as San Diego, Phoenix and Birmingham, Alabama.

It's one of the major events in Neosho, one of the best basketball tournaments in the region, and it kicks off Wednesday. The event, which involves much of the Neosho community, started in 1955, with Joplin High School capturing the first Neosho Holiday Classic title.

Since then, the tournament has evolved, and it's not unheard of to see the historic Neosho High School gym packed for many of the games and for the popular Slam Dunk and 3-point contests.

The tourney thrived for years but started to diminish in the 1990s, including one year in which the tourney could only draw four teams — and that total included adding a Neosho junior varsity team to the field in order to make it go.

John Branham, whose daughter, Tara Branham, was a Neosho High School player, decided to try and revive the tournament.

Wanting the best experience for his daughter and other high school players, Branham decided that his company, Branco Enterprises Inc., would step up to be official sponsor.

Branco was able to combine the efforts of local businesses, churches and the larger community to make the tournament a success and in 2001, added a division for girls.

Branco marketing coordinator Lakin Larimore, a former Neosho High School player who played in the girls division of the tournament, talked about Branco's involvement.

"The tournament was such a long-standing tradition in the community, and he (Branham) wanted to make sure it was there for generations to come." Larimore said. "It has evolved over the years and is something we all look forward to. We enjoy bringing it to life, and it definitely takes an entire team to pull it off each year."

Larimore said both current and former players look forward to the tournament.

"It's a neat tradition that always brings back great memories," she said. "It's also something the community looks forward to. We have churches that year after year have donated time and resources, making meals for the players so they get a home-cooked meal when they are away from home during the holiday season."

And for many of those players, the hospitality does not go unnoticed.

"Last year, Connie Bryant from First Baptist Church made phenomenal cookies and brownies. We had a team from Tennessee that enjoyed her desserts so much that each of them wrote her a letter thanking her for her time and how much they appreciated it," Larimore said. "It's not something the coach made them do. The boys decided on their own to do it."

Since Branco took over sponsorship, the tournament has thrived, attracting teams from all over the country. As its main sponsor, Branco pays the lodging costs for teams that travel to the tourney and provides all players with home-cooked meals provided by members of the community. Branco also has paid traveling costs to bring in nationally ranked teams.

Larimore said the success of the tournament can be attributed to the tournament committee and the reputation of the tournament itself.

"It's such a well-known event that has consistently seen great, great teams," Larimore said. "The competition has always been really good, and the hospitality of the staff and the school district has always helped bring teams back."

Tourney schedule

The Neosho Holiday Classic tournament kicks off Wednesday with four first-round games in the Boys Gold Division. The Har-Ber Wildcats (11-1) will face the Kirby Cougars (6-6) at 2 p.m. at Neosho High School, followed by the Conway Wampus Cats (6-5) and St. Joe Lafayette Fighting Irish at NHS. At Neosho Junior High, the Morrilton Devil Dogs (12-2) will battle the LD Bell Blue Raiders (4-10) at 4 p.m., followed by the Bentonville West Wolverines (4-6) and the Memphis Hillcrest Vikings (10-3) at 5:30 p.m. The championship game for the Gold Division will be at 6:30 p.m Friday at NHS.

The Boys Black Division begins play at 11 a.m. Wednesday with the McDonald County Mustangs (4-6) facing the Huntsville Eagles (10-5) at NHS, followed by the Ruf-Nex of Crooked Oak (10-1) and Bentonville West JV at 12:30 p.m. At 2 p.m., Seneca (4-4) will play the Benton Panthers (12-2) at NJHS, followed by a 7 p.m. game between Neosho (3-4) and the Memphis Westwood Longhorns. The championship game for the Black Division is at 5 p.m. Friday at NHS.

In the Girls Division, Seneca (1-7) plays Memphis Whitehaven (7-3) at 11 a.m. at NJHS, followed by a 12:30 p.m. game between Huntsville (4-12) and St. Joe Lafayette (7-1) at 12:30 p.m. Neosho (3-2) will battle Crooked Oak (1-7) at 5:30 p.m., followed by a game between Memphis Hillcrest (5-3) and Memphis Bluff City (5-0) at 7 p.m. at NJHS.