Entertainment, VIP Experiences & New Economic Model Highlight New Event Set For Dec. 20
Indiana’s newest marquee high school basketball event is set for Saturday, Dec. 20 in Indy. The Breakaway Holiday Classic presented by Get8 Sports is a four-game event featuring eight schools that combined for eight sectional and two regional titles over the past two seasons. The single-day basketball celebration is happening at Corteva Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
WHAT: The inaugural Breakaway Holiday Classic presented by Get8 Sports. Four games in a single day at Corteva Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
WHO: Session 1 Girls (Bloomington South, Bishop Chatard, McCutcheon, Floyd Central)
Session 2 Boys (FW Bishop Luers, Brebeuf Jesuit, Avon, West Lafayette Harrison)
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 20. Session 1 tips at 12 p.m. ET with Session 2 at 6 p.m.
BROADCAST: All games on ISC Network and IHSAATV.org, Session 2 also on WNDY-TV.
TICKETS: Each session is a general admission ticket or a courtside ticket with food service. Tickets are available at the Corteva Coliseum Box Office or at Get8Sports.com/Breakaway.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS EVENT?
The gameday experience, economics, venue and programming happening at the Breakaway Holiday Classic make it an event unlike any other. Internally, the event supports schools directly while providing a high-level, neutral-court game to teams aiming for deep tournament runs in March.
Fans will see a holiday market in the building, food service with a courtside seat option and entertaining promotions throughout the day. Finney Hospitality Group, which operates popular restaurants The Tap and Social Cantina, will provide postgame food in each team’s locker room, another perk for the teams not seen elsewhere.
“The goal for creating the Breakaway Holiday Classic was to make memories and celebrate the sport closest to Indiana’s soul,” said Josh Rattray, founder of Fishers-based Get8 Sports. “If the players and fans from these eight schools are reminiscing about their game and this event 20 years from now, we will have succeeded.”
SESSION 1 – GIRLS
The event starts with a matchup of Bishop Chatard and Bloomington South, two schools that won a regional last season and have combined for 68 wins the past two years. Bloomington South went 23-3 last year and has posted a winning record in six of the past seven years. Larry Winters is in his 27th year at Bloomington South and he is excited for talented teams and players from all over the state to compete in one of Indiana’s storied venues.
“It is an honor for our Lady Panthers basketball team to play the Bishop Chatard Trojans, a talented and well-coached team with a strong athletic history, in the iconic Corteva Coliseum,” Winters said. “This venue and event promise to enhance the experience for players and spectators alike, showcasing the rich talent of Indiana girls basketball from different regions in our state.”
Bishop Chatard, under fifth-year head coach Dan Wagner, will be battle-tested after opening the season nine of its first 11 games on the road. The Trojans project to be one of the top-ranked teams in Class 3A
“We are very excited to be playing Bloomington South in the inaugural Breakaway Holiday Classic at Corteva Coliseum. Playing in a large arena against a quality 4A semistate team from last year which is returning most of their players will give us excellent preparation for what we hope will be a deep tournament run for our squad this year,” Wagner said. “We’ve been to semistate three of the past four years and our girls, coaches, parents and fans cannot wait to play in this event against an outstanding Bloomington South team.”
McCutcheon, under 21st-year coach Jeff Knoy, boasts a 45-9 record over the last two years and looks to be strong again after winning a regional title last year. Junior guard Lillie Graves averaged 21.5 points per game last year and has a long list of high-major college programs recruiting her.
“The McCutcheon Lady Mavs are very excited to play in the iconic Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Playing an outstanding team in Floyd Central will make it a huge game and great excitement for both communities,” Knoy said.
After winning 159 games at Salem High School in Southern Indiana, Jerry Hickey came to Floyd Central last year and had a 23-5 debut season that included a sectional title. The Highlanders should be one of the better teams in the bottom half of the state and playing McCutcheon gives the day a North-South feel in Indianapolis that you only find during the state finals.
“We are really excited to be invited to play in the first Breakaway Holiday Classic this year against a quality program like McCutcheon. I’ve had the opportunity to play against them before and Coach Knoy always has his team well-prepared,” Hickey said. “They’ve been a very strong program for several years and we anticipate it being a great test for our team in an outstanding environment.”
SESSION 2 – BOYS
The boys games begin at 6 p.m. with an all-Catholic matchup between Fort Wayne Bishop Luers and Brebeuf Jesuit. Seth Coffing is 41-13 at Bishop Luers and enters his third year.
The Knights, who won their sectional last year and went 5-1 in neutral-court games, figure to be a player in Class 2A after putting eight 4A opponents on their schedule this season.
“We are thrilled to play at Corteva Coliseum against a great program in Brebeuf Jesuit,” Coffing said. “It is always my goal to prepare our team to play big games in March. This is a perfect opportunity to do this for us.”
Allen Glunt is in his fourth year at Brebeuf Jesuit and he’s never had a losing season as a head coach. The Braves will be battle-tested before coming to the Breakaway, playing three marquee opponents before facing Bishop Luers at the state fairgrounds.
“Having the opportunity for our players to experience a game in one of the iconic venues in the city is incredibly exciting,” Glunt said. “This game against a strong Luers group is definitely one of the games we have highlighted on our schedule this year. We are looking forward to what is going to be a competitive and exciting event.”
The evening game is a matchup between two Class 4A heavyweights in Avon and West Lafayette Harrison. Avon went 20-4 last year and first-year coach Corey Taylor brings a talented squad to the Breakaway. Avon figures to be one of the players in Central Indiana in Class 4A.
“We are honored to be selected for this very prestigious event and are elated for our program to have this opportunity to compete against another quality opponent,” Taylor said. “We are excited for our boys to perform in this inaugural first-class Breakaway Holiday Classic event in a renowned Indy arena at the state fairgrounds.”
Harrison went 19-7 last year and won a sectional under Mark Rinehart, who is entering his 15th year. The Raiders have posted a winning record in 10 of the last 11 seasons under the long-time coach. Harrison has added junior point guard Brody Baker, an all-area player who scored 20.2 points per game last year. His matchup against Avon senior guard Jedidiah Minnett will be a highlight of the day.
“We are incredibly excited to be involved in such a high-level event,” Rinehart said. “The opportunity for our kids to play at the Corteva Coliseum against a really talented Avon team is exactly the challenge our program is looking for.”
General admission and courtside tickets with food are available for the girls and boys sessions at Get8Sports.com/Breakaway. Rabid basketball fans can spend the day at the Breakaway by purchasing an all-day ticket that includes all four games.
