Arby's Classic
Encyclopedia
Arby's Classic, an annual high school basketball tournament held in December at the Viking Hall, in Bristol, Tennessee
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to play in the King of Bluegrass Tournament. After returning to Bristol, Coach Dale Burns discussed with then Athletic Director Bill Bingham the possibility of having a similar tournament to take advantage of Tennessee High's tremendous facility, Viking Hall.
The original goals were to (1) promote basketball in the region, and (2) to expose the fans to outstanding players and teams in the country. The Arby's Classic has accomplished those goals and more. It has not only been a boost to basketball in Bristol and the region, it has been a boost to the area financially. Exciting teams and individual players resulting in packed houses have made the Arby's Classic one of the top high school basketball tournaments in the country. This is a tribute to Coach Dale Burn's astute selection of talented teams.
Originally called the Mountain Empire Classic, the Arby's Classic has been sponsored by Arby's since it began. Don Shawl, President of Arbico East, Inc. has been instrumental in building the tournament into what it is today. His hard work in funding and planning the Arby's Classic has given the tournament that special edge in quality.
Although many local groups have assisted in the growth the tournament, no organization has given more time than the Viking Booster Club. Approximately fifty people volunteer their time with many of them taking vacations from work just to be part of the Arby's Classic.
Another group of people who have given special time to the development of the tournament is the Tennessee High Coaching Staff. The Tennessee High Staff gives up much of their Christmas vacation to assist with the tournament. Their dedication and hard work produce a class event with precision timing which appears to spectators to run effortlessly.
Much of the credit for the growth of the Arby's Classic has to go to our local media. Several visiting coaches have made mention of the tremendous coverage in our area. This is a tribute to all media-newspapers, television and radio. In addition, tournament games can be heard live on local radio stations.
Through the combination of these people, the Arby's Classic has become one of the most talked about high school basketball tournaments in the country, truly living up to its name as a classic.
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
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History
During the 1982 basketball season, the Tennessee High Vikings traveled to Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
to play in the King of Bluegrass Tournament. After returning to Bristol, Coach Dale Burns discussed with then Athletic Director Bill Bingham the possibility of having a similar tournament to take advantage of Tennessee High's tremendous facility, Viking Hall.
The original goals were to (1) promote basketball in the region, and (2) to expose the fans to outstanding players and teams in the country. The Arby's Classic has accomplished those goals and more. It has not only been a boost to basketball in Bristol and the region, it has been a boost to the area financially. Exciting teams and individual players resulting in packed houses have made the Arby's Classic one of the top high school basketball tournaments in the country. This is a tribute to Coach Dale Burn's astute selection of talented teams.
Originally called the Mountain Empire Classic, the Arby's Classic has been sponsored by Arby's since it began. Don Shawl, President of Arbico East, Inc. has been instrumental in building the tournament into what it is today. His hard work in funding and planning the Arby's Classic has given the tournament that special edge in quality.
Although many local groups have assisted in the growth the tournament, no organization has given more time than the Viking Booster Club. Approximately fifty people volunteer their time with many of them taking vacations from work just to be part of the Arby's Classic.
Another group of people who have given special time to the development of the tournament is the Tennessee High Coaching Staff. The Tennessee High Staff gives up much of their Christmas vacation to assist with the tournament. Their dedication and hard work produce a class event with precision timing which appears to spectators to run effortlessly.
Much of the credit for the growth of the Arby's Classic has to go to our local media. Several visiting coaches have made mention of the tremendous coverage in our area. This is a tribute to all media-newspapers, television and radio. In addition, tournament games can be heard live on local radio stations.
Through the combination of these people, the Arby's Classic has become one of the most talked about high school basketball tournaments in the country, truly living up to its name as a classic.
Past winners
- 1983 - Pulaski High SchoolPulaski County High School (Virginia)Pulaski County High School is located at 5414 Cougar Trail Road in Dublin, Virginia about 45 miles southwest of Roanoke, Virginia. It is the sole public high school in Pulaski County, Virginia.-History:...
- 1984 - Daniel BooneDaniel Boone High School (Tennessee)Daniel Boone High School is located in Gray, Tennessee. It is one of two high schools in the Washington County School System.Daniel Boone High School opened in 1971-1972 to serve the students of the northern half of Washington County. Its feeder schools are Boones Creek, Fall Branch, Gray,...
- 1985 - Sullivan North
- 1986 - Louisville MaleLouisville Male High SchoolLouisville Male Traditional High School is a public secondary school serving students in grades 9 through 12 in the southside of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is part of the Jefferson County Public School District....
, Kentucky - 1987 - Patrick Henry-RoanokePatrick Henry High School (Roanoke, Virginia)Patrick Henry High School is a public high school located in the Grandin Court neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It is one of the two general enrollment high schools for the Roanoke City Public Schools.-History:...
- 1988 - Dobyns-Bennett
- 1989 - Whites Creek, Tennessee
- 1990 - Whites Creek, Tennessee
- 1991 - Patrick Henry-Roanoke
- 1992 - Dobyns-Bennett
- 1993 - Science HillScience Hill High SchoolScience Hill High School is a high school in Johnson City, Tennessee with an enrollment of approximately 2600 students. The school is split over three campuses: 9-12 Campus, Technical Center Campus, & Alternative School Campus. The school also shares space with Freedom Hall Civic Center...
- 1994 - Augusta Westside, Georgia
- 1995 - Science Hill
- 1996 - Miami Senior, Florida
- 1997 - Wheeler, GeorgiaJoseph Wheeler High SchoolWheeler High School is located in northeast Cobb County, Georgia, USA. It is near the city of Marietta, about northwest of downtown Atlanta. Wheeler has been in operation since 1965...
- 1998 - Northwest Christian, Florida
- 1999 - Science Hill
- 2000 - Louisville Male, Kentucky
- 2001 - Louisville Ballard, Kentucky
- 2002 - Wheeler, Georgia
- 2003 - Bradley Central, Tennessee
- 2004 - Benjamin Mays, Georgia
- 2005 - Brentwood AcademyBrentwood AcademyBrentwood Academy is a college preparatory school with a campus located in Brentwood, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. Brentwood Academy is a coeducational, independent, college-preparatory school....
, Tennessee - 2006 - Dr. Michael KropDr. Michael M. Krop High SchoolDr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School is a secondary school located at 1410 County Line Road in the Ives Estates area of Unincorporated north Miami-Dade County , Florida, USA...
, Florida - 2007 - Briarcrest Christian SchoolBriarcrest Christian SchoolBriarcrest Christian School is an independent coeducational college preparatory school with two campuses in Shelby County, Tennessee, in Memphis and Eads ....
, Tennessee - 2008 - Boyd AndersonBoyd H. Anderson High SchoolBoyd H. Anderson High School is a high school in Broward County. Boyd H. Anderson serves Lauderdale Lakes, and parts of Tamarac, Oakland Park, Fort Lauderdale and Lauderhill.The school is named after the third County Judge of Broward County, Boyd H...
, Florida - 2009 - Memphis Melrose, Tennessee