The 10th Annual Frankie Williams Classic
After spending the last three years at Archbishop Stepinac, The Frankie Williams Classic stepped it up a notch for their 10th year Anniversary and landed a beautiful venue in the Westchester County Center, home of the Westchester Knicks. The festivities included three action packed games, a Boy’s regional game, a Girls National game and a Boy’s National game. Some of the Tri-State’s best High School ballers took the stage and put on an incredible show. As an added bonus I know that if DJ Authorize, Mic Larry and Cha Ching are controlling the set it would be a great day ahead, and that’s exactly what was in store. The Frankie Williams Classic has a rich history, having been a platform for many collegiate and professional ballers to showcase their skills. What makes the Frankie Williams Classic something that people respect and stand behind year after year is the fact that proceeds from ticket sales benefit cancer research and community outreach programs. Event organizer Tom Sampogna said the move to the Westchester County Center along with an expanded list of sponsors will give the game a different feel from previous years.
The Regional game was a great opportunity for players in the tri-state area to showcase their talent and garner some recognition for their craft. Many of the players who start out playing in the regional game as a freshman or sophomore end up playing in the National game by the time their high school careers are over, so it’s great to watch how certain players develop.
The Frankie Williams Classic has become one of the most sought after showcases in the region and is highly anticipated every year.
Local stars and much of the tri-state’s best talent headline the roster of players who participated in the national game. The group included guys like class of ‘20 RJ Davis, who has been dubbed as the face of the event, showed why he is one of the best prospects in the country. Fellow Stepinac sophomore Alan Griffin Jr. and his McDonalds All American sister Audrey Griffin stole the show at the halftime Slam Dunk contest when Alan jumped over his sister and landed a tomahawk dunk. Louisville bound Aiden Igiehon was also one of the featured players who participated in the event. The 6’10 235 lb Center from Lawrence Woodmere Academy has a combination of size and strength that makes him one of the more imposing players in this class.
The National game was full of talent including CHSAA league MVP Joe Toussaint of Cardinal Hayes who is headed to the University of Iowa in the fall. Eric Dixon, the Philadelphia phenom who will be attending Villanova next season suited up in the national game, while MacDuffie’s James Bouknight (UConn) and Ismael Massoud (Wake Forest) also participated and put on a show for the crowd. At times the game turned into an impromptu dunk contest with guys trying to one up each other but in an all star game of this magnitude the kids just want to have a good time. This is the first year that the Frankie Williams Classic had so many high Division 1 athletes participate. Hopefully as the players begin their collegiate careers they will be able to return to future FWC games and be an inspiration for the younger generation.
The Girls National Game has been the fan favorite for as long as I’ve been attending these games and this year was no different. MC extraordinaire Mic Larry called an exciting game that included two McDonalds All Americans in Aubrey Griffin of Ossining and Long Island Lutheran’s Celeste Taylor. To add to the already terrific batch of athletes in the girls National game, Ohio State bound Kaelyn Satterfield, Ossining’s Kailah Harris (Seton Hall), Nina Rickards (Florida), Baldwin’s Kaia Harrison (Wake Forest) and Woodlands’ Teisha Hyman (Syracuse) all suited up and put on a show. The girls were competitive and really gave the crowd what they came to see. I was also very impressed by the play of Kateri Poole who as a junior is making her way up the rankings.
The Frankie Williams Classic has become one of the most sought after showcases in the region and is highly anticipated every year. I want to send my appreciation to all of the staff members who make this game possible. Without your hard work and dedication the game wouldn’t be at the level it is today. We look forward to seeing the Frankie Williams Classic grow exponentially and hope to see that the name lives on forever. Salute ?
Video courtesy of 4 Tha Culture Hoops