Storylines to Watch at Vashon Winter Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vashon Winter Classic takes place tomorrow and there's going to be good action all day. It's a top notch event with great fan support as the day goes on. What are the main storylines to follow? A few are highlighted here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Which 2026s will stand out in the early session?</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first two games will feature John Burroughs vs. Granite City and Chaminade vs. St. Laurence. This is an excellent opportunity for a 2026 to gain ground or continue to prove their ranking against solid competition. Some names that come to mind are [player_tooltip player_id='1850526' first='Tristan' last='Reed'], [player_tooltip player_id='1557399' first='Sheek' last='Pearson'], [player_tooltip player_id='1873523' first='Jamison' last='White'], Jahadi White, [player_tooltip player_id='1446576' first='Jonny' last='Jordan'], and many more. Much of the current Top 10 for this class is competing during the early time slot. A great chance to evaluate their development.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Mid-Day Competition.&nbsp;</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2:30pm and 4:30pm games will be four teams from Missouri held in high regard going at each other. Springfield Central and Webster Groves is a high level game between two of the top teams in Class 6 and Class 5. It'll be an excellent test to see where each stands as we enter February. They matchup with each other and the two teams have a number of similar qualities. At 4:30pm, Staley vs. University City is a different story. This is a game with great contrast and should make for an exciting down to the wire finish. Staley has a more methodical approach while University City plays up-tempo. A great matchup to watch will be [player_tooltip player_id='1424409' first='Jayden' last='Creighton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1419871' first='Xavier' last='Wilson'] in the Class of 2025. Staley guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1419868' first='Avian' last='Webb'], is an outstanding scorer who will be great for a St. Louis crowd that doesn't get to see him play often.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Father Tolton gets a challenge from Whitney Young. </strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tolton has never played in this event and the atmosphere will be electric as local fans come to watch Mizzou commit [player_tooltip player_id='1419857' first='Aaron' last='Rowe']. The gym will be packed with Vashon to follow. Whitney Young has played two Missouri opponents in Chaminade and Vianney and lost both games. 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1422771' first='Exavier' last='Wilson'] has been playing very well as of late. He's one half of the best backcourt in the state.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Vashon vs. Cape as the nightcap.&nbsp;</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What an exciting game to close out the event. Vashon vs. Cape Central is a game that many wanted to see last year and we're getting it finally a year later. These are two teams who should excel in front of a packed crowd. They're athletic, play above the rim, and have a built in level of toughness. Players to watch include Trey Williams, [player_tooltip player_id='1422770' first='Nicholas' last='Randall'], [player_tooltip player_id='1789998' first='Marquel' last='Murray'], Tyseandre Edwards, [player_tooltip player_id='1571715' first='Jay' last='Reynolds'], [player_tooltip player_id='1262562' first='Nassir' last='Binion'], [player_tooltip player_id='1424400' first='Christian' last='Williams'], and many more!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->