FSCB Holiday Classic expands to 16 teams; previewing this year’s loaded field

The First State Community Bank Holiday Classic announced via social media on Sunday that it would be expanding to 16 teams for the upcoming mid-December event for the first time in its nearly 30-year history.

Fielding 12 teams last year, already up from just six in 2022, the rapid expansion of the tournament this year includes the re-introduction of staple squad Oran along with three brand-new squads.

Perryville joins cross-town rival St. Vincent while Illinoisan squads Chester and Meridian enter the fold to help the Holiday Classic finally reach the 16-team mark.

Up 10 from the 2022 tournament, the Holiday Classic was facing contraction with even Notre Dame and Oran dropping out from the 2022 mix, but Delta, Jackson, Saxony Lutheran and Woodland returned for 2023 while eight new teams entered.

Cairo, Cape Central, Kelly, Meadow Heights, Oak Ridge, Scott City, Scott County Central and St. Vincent all joined the mix last season, and with all 12 returning from 2024, the Holiday Classic is more bustling than ever.

More importantly, perhaps, there’s plenty of talent returning too ahead of a packed field with many hoping for a shot at the title among other top finishes.

Returning from last year’s All-Tournament team are Jade Berry of Delta, Lilyan Landis of Scott City, Reagan Howe of Oak Ridge, Mallary Barks of Woodland and Rylee Robinson of St. Vincent.

This year’s First State Community Bank Holiday Classic is the 29th edition in a long history, running since 1996 with a handful of powerful teams throughout its history.

Notre Dame leads all schools with nine championships, while Jackson and Saxony Lutheran have won seven and five championships each, the three accounting for 75 percent of championships to date.

Poplar Bluff won four of the first five championships, winning from 1997 to 2000 plus another in 2002 while Farmington and Delta have added one each to comprise all 28 championships since 1996.

The Indians are a guaranteed contender for the MSHSAA Class 2 state championship, with an all-star starting five that’s good enough to compete with any school in this field.

Delta returns a fair portion of its 2023 championship team, but expected to be right at the top with the Ladycats are recent-arriving St. Vincent and a new-look Jackson squad.

Returning Robinson after a stellar campaign last season, the Indians from up north made some waves last year despite a handful of crippling injuries and brought in two new playmakers to bolster its arsenal.

Allie Patrick and Lana Adams, a college basketball recruit and a Missouri soccer commit respectively, return after each suffering lower-body injuries that sidelined them a year ago.

Kate and Brie Rubel, part of a heralded legacy at this tournament, won a Holiday Classic championship as freshmen at Notre Dame and are expected to be critical in St. Vincent’s run for the crown this year.

The Bulldogs of Notre Dame won the Holiday Classic every year from 2019 to 2022, four-peating as alum Tori Rubel, along with sister Lexi Rubel before her, dominated this stage.

While Notre Dame takes this year off, participating in the Visitation Christmas Tournament, archrival Jackson emerges as a top-tier candidate for the local tournament title.

Winners of the inaugural 1996 tournament and seven titles overall, Jackson is on an eight-year drought at the FSCB tourney and despite countless attempts falling just short, the Indians have high hopes for the new year.

Led by senior wing Camryn Alsdorf, with a freshman class expected to be immediate high-level contributors to this year’s squad, there’s a lot of hype swirling around Jackson this year.

The Indians have typically been a top-3 fixture at this tournament every single year, and it’s expected to be no different in 2024 as they fight for a shot at the crown.

Oak Ridge, a program that isn’t too used to the spotlight in its youth, returns much of its squad from last year including honoree Reagan Howe alongside Madyson Ruehling, a senior scoring duo that’s been infallible so far.

Scott City and Woodland, two eccentric small-school contenders, bring back Lilyan Landis and Mallary Barks, respectively, with both squads competing for fifth-place rights a year ago.

The Rams of Scott City won fifth place last year, finishing 18-9 before running into a buzzsaw Saxony Lutheran team that graduated most of the talent that made it so dominant in last year’s runner-up finish.

This year’s Holiday Classic is scheduled for Dec. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20, with the first two rounds being played at Saxony Lutheran High School before the latter two being played at the Show Me Center.