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LINWOOD HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Celebrating its’ 35th year, this tournament has been the annual tip off to the girls and boys middle school basketball season. Started in 1976 by Kirby Knox and Tom Coyle this tournament has allowed middle school basketball teams the opportunity to begin their seasons in an exciting and competitive atmosphere.
Through the years the Linwood Holiday Tournament has seen it share of coaches and players move on and compete at higher levels. Current Holy Spirit High School Girls coach Larry Digiovanni (formerly of Brigantine) and Ocean City High School Boys coach John Bruno (formerly of Somers Point) spent several years roaming the sidelines and winning multiple tournament championships. Several others who coached in this tournament are currently assistants at the high school level. Several coaches who are coaching in this tournament currently also played in the Linwood Holiday Tournament including Jeanette Celluci who coaches for Somers Point and competed for Somers Point (Mainland High also) and Brian Coyle who played for Absecon and currently coaches the Belhaven girls.
Many great players have competed in this tournament and have gone on to excel in high school, many scoring 1,000 points, and gone on to compete on the collegiate level. Some of the players who have played in the Linwood Holiday Tournament and gone on to score 1,000 points in high school include; Danny Merrifield (Linwood, Mainland), Angie Evans (Somers Point, Mainland), Rob Higbee, (Linwood, Mainland), Dan Williams, (Linwood, Mainland), Shea Matlock (EHT, EHT), Aaron Bullock (EHT, EHT), Joe Bucci (Linwood, Mainland), Meghan McIntyre (Somers Point, Mainland), Jose Gonzalez (Somers Point, St. Augustine Prep), Scott Greenman (Linwood, St. Augustine Prep), Matt Byrnes (Hamilton Twp., Oakcrest), Jen Daniels (Brigantine, Holy Spirit), Erica Bell (Hamilton Twp., Oakcrest), Billy Care (Linwood, Mainland), Dennis Horner (Linwood, Holy Spirit), Carlee Briglia (Linwood, Mainland). There are others that may have been omitted from the list, so if you know of any please let us know.
At the collegiate level Merrifield went on to play for the University of Virginia, Angie Evans for William and Mary College, Shea Matlock for Georgia Tech, Meghan McIntyre for Drexel, Scott Greenman for Princeton University, Jen Daniels for George Mason University, Matt Byrnes and Billy Care for Rowan University and Dennis Horner for North Carolina State University.
You can find many players currently playing for local high schools who have competed on the courts here at The Linwood Holiday Tournament.
We would like to thank all of the coaches and players for participating in our tournament. We hope you will enjoy the opportunity to play in the Linwood Holiday Tournament and wish all players and coaches the best of luck this year and in your future.
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