• Features

New generation takes the reins at CitC

• By Dave Mast
• January 23, 2025
• 527

Three years ago, heralded Hiland girls basketball head coach Dave Schlabach helped usher in a new era of basketball by assisting his son Brady into tackling the head coaching role he had built into one of the state’s most highly decorated and respected programs.

This year he is once again handing off another challenge to his son, this time taking on more of a leading role in heading up the Classic in the Country.

Now in its 22nd year, when Schlabach and longtime promoter Tom Jenkins started Classic in the Country, they did so with one simple idea, that being to create the greatest high school girls basketball showcase in the nation.

The CitC became an immediate hit, becoming a highly anticipated annual event over Martin Luther King Weekend.

“You kind of forget about what a great event it is in the offseason, but then time rolls around to get started on it, and you realize how special this is and how important it is for so many reasons,” Dave Schlabach said. “As long as our community wants it and we can get volunteers the way we have, we’ll keep bringing it back. It’s exciting to be able to see Brady take on a bigger and bigger role on the operational end of it.”

Since day one the promoters of the event have done an admirable job of what Dave Schlabach called playing in their own sandbox, meaning each did what they do best. Jenkins took care of the basketball end of things and also spearheaded the movement to promote unity and sameness during the event, putting plenty of focus on Dr. King and another local legendary African American, Perry Reese Jr., who coached the Hiland boys basketball program and brought a deeper sense of unity and respect to Holmes County in the process.

For more than two decades, Dave Schlabach has driven the local commitment to support the event, from funding it through sponsorships to volunteering for the hundreds of roles that make Classic in the Country so respected, especially for its hospitality.

Now his son is taking over that role as father hands the reins over, just like he did for the Lady Hawks’ basketball program.

If the 2025 CitC was any indication, the transition has been a huge success, with another successful weekend now in the rearview mirror.

Focusing on bringing sponsors and volunteers on board is the backbone of the CitC, and it is a monstrous job. The younger Schlabach has already gained a strong foothold on understanding the value that role plays, adding a more tech-savvy appeal to what the elder Schlabach has built.

Through their effort the CitC has brought in more than an estimated $1 million worth of income to the county during what has annually been a slow tourism season.

That means the CitC has generated close to $25 million of revenue over its existence.

“What a luxury we have in that our community gets behind this wholeheartedly and people keep coming despite the weather,” Dave Schlabach said. “We are showcasing not just basketball, but Holmes County, and you can’t even count the economic impact of people learning about Holmes County. I think our community understands that impact.”

Having his son take over the major role has been a blessing for Schlabach.

“Unless it would have continued to progress at a high level, I wasn’t interested in continuing it, and I know Brady understands the significance of this event because he’s been around it forever, and I knew he would take it very seriously, and if we were going to continue it, we’d do it right,” Schlabach said.

Brady Schlabach has been involved prior to his taking over, participating on the entertainment team from when he was a youngster to being around the basketball side of the event.

“I got a chance to see what it was all about firsthand,” Brady Schlabach said. “Everything was so in place that my only goal was to not mess it up. We’ve got the formula down, and for me, it’s just keeping it moving forward at that high level. It takes a lot of time, but it’s important to our program and to our community. The community’s passion for the game and their support creates a great atmosphere.”

Now that he is coaching in it, he realizes what type of impact it has on other programs coming in to play.

He said he always knew what it meant to the Lady Hawks program, but he is now seeing that it means a great deal to other programs as they express their gratitude.

“It’s been a real challenge, but I have a pretty good mentor to lay the blueprint in Dad,” Brady Schlabach said. “You have to give yourself time to reset the mind to get into a coaching mindset, but most teams don’t get to experience this type of regional tournament-type atmosphere in the middle of January.”

Both coaches said feeling that pressure in January helps deal with it when it matters the most, which is exactly what they wanted to create in this showcase.

As the CitC approaches game 500 next season, it continues to be a beacon of girls basketball that has maintained a high level, both because of the commitment from its leadership and the community.

The CitC continues to evolve as the next generation takes over.

Brady Schlabach has taken over the local portion of running the operation, and on the other end, Bryce McKey has assumed the role of basketball promoter, having taken on Jenkins’ role after Jenkins passed away.

“It’s all about collaborating well,” Dave Schlabach said. “We’ve got a lot of great people doing things behind the scenes, and it’s humbling to get that type of effort from everyone. Bryce is Tom’s new blood, Brady is mine, Seger (Bonifant, Hiland AD) is the new blood for the athletic department, and the new guys are taking on big responsibilities, and that has to happen to continue something this big and this important.

“It’s the coach Reese mentality that if you’re going to do something, you need to go all-in and do it right.”

Thanks to the new generation, that has been the case for Classic in the Country.