Strake Hosts Jesuit Basketball Christmas Classic

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory hosted the Jesuit Basketball Christmas Classic from Dec. 27-30. Nine teams competed in this tournament, with six of them travelling to Houston for the event.

The Jesuit Christmas Classic was a revival of a tournament that Strake held in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Strake Head Coach Dominic Amorosa and school leaders decided to bring it back this year, inviting Jesuit high schools from across the country to participate. This basketball tournament gave the student athletes from Strake and the other schools an opportunity to realize the connection between these Jesuit schools.

“As a Jesuit school, we belong to a family of schools all over the world that are forming men and women for others,” said Father Jeff Johnson, SJ, who serves as president of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. “Getting together with other schools strengthens our sense of belonging to a mission that reaches beyond our campus and our city.”

Strake Jesuit Crusaders (pictured, left to right) Kevin McKenna, Aaron Rucker, Gio Matassa, Zach Lee, Ryan Chang, Luke Thorburn and Gavin Stewart line up before a tournament game. (Photo: Dan McKenna)

Along with basketball games, the four-day tournament included a Sunday Mass followed by a breakfast for players, coaches and families. Coach Amorosa, who encouraged the players to break away from their teams and get to know their opponents at breakfast, saw a “strong sense of connection between the families and athletes as a result of our common Jesuit bond.”

On the court, Maryland’s Loyola Blakefield and Puerto Rico’s Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola went undefeated in the tournament, as each school won three games. The other teams visiting Texas were Tampa Jesuit and Belen Jesuit from Florida, New Orleans Jesuit from Louisiana and Bellarmine Prep from Washington. Strake Jesuit, Cristo Rey Jesuit and Homeschool Christian Youth Association were the hometown participants.

Strake Jesuit’s Aaron Rucker (wearing white) jumps for the opening tip against Cam Smith of Loyola Blakefield, a Jesuit school located in Towson, Maryland and founded in 1852. (Photo: Dan McKenna)

This year’s tournament has Strake interested in turning the Jesuit Basketball Christmas Classic into an annual event once again, as the parents volunteering and teams participating made it a success.

“I would love to continue competing against other Jesuit schools in an annual tournament,” Coach Amorosa said. “We probably will host on a rotating basis. Our parents served as wonderful hosts and did a fantastic job serving our visitors.”