BASKETBALL: Some huge matchups available for fans at Holy Spirit’s Seagull Classic this weekend

Staff Report

Now that the holiday showcase events are over, for South Jersey basketball fans it’s time to turn attention to the midseason tournaments, starting this weekend with the Seagull Classic hosted by Holy Spirit High in Absecon.

The schedule is jam packed with 16 games and features some of the top boys and girls teams, not only in South Jersey, but the entire state. Paul VI girls are one of the best teams in the state — and have arguably the best point guard in the nation in Hannah Hidalgo, a University of Notre Dame recruit — and the Eagles will battle perennial state powerhouse Manasquan tonight at 6:30 as part of a triple-header that also features the Holy Spirit girls taking on Atlantic City (5 p.m.) and the Spirit boys going up against Absegami at 8.

The Saturday slate starts out with a huge girls matchup at 10 a.m., as Mainland takes on Camden Catholic, and at 2:30 p.m. the Egg Harbor Township boys get a big-time test from Camden Catholic — a team that is 6-1 and whose only loss came against Camden, one of the best teams in the state.

Saturday night finishes off with Mainland, last year’s Cape-Atlantic League champion, squaring off against traditional North Jersey power Elizabeth. The Sunday schedule features a couple of great boys games back-to-back with Paul VI taking on Trenton Catholic (formerly known as McCorriston), and St. Thomas Aquinas going up against Camden Eastside (formerly Woodrow Wilson).

Here’s a quick look at the full schedule:

Friday

5 p.m.: Holy Spirit vs. Atlantic City (Girls)

6:30: Manasquan vs. Paul VI (Girls)

8: Holy Spirit vs. Absegami

Saturday

10 a.m.: Camden Catholic vs. Mainland (Girls)

11:30 a.m.: Gloucester Catholic vs. Cherokee (Girls)

1 p.m.: Haddonfield vs. Hammonton

2:30: EHT vs. Camden Catholic

4: Lower Cape May vs. Holy Cross

5:30: Wildwood Catholic vs. Rancocas Valley