SOUTH WAYNE - Both Black Hawk's Sammy Lovelace and Juda's Chelsea Burkhalter have had busy weeks.
Each played in the Six Rivers all-star volleyball match and now they are joining forces again to play basketball in the 12th annual Six Rivers All-Star Classic on Friday as members of the East team.
The All-Star Classic pits the top players from the East against the West. The girls all-star game will tip off at 6 p.m. Friday at Belmont High School followed by a 3-point contest and then the boys all-star game at about 8 p.m. All proceeds from the free-will admission and other fundraising efforts will go to the American Family Children's Hospital.
"It's a huge privilege to be able to play with people from other schools in the Six Rivers East," Lovelace said. "We are all rivals, and we get to come together now."
Lovelace understands her final basketball game will be played with something higher at stake.
"It feels really good to help people who need it more than we do," Lovelace said. "There is big meaning behind that."
Lovelace will attend the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the fall and will major in biology. She's looking forward to closing out her prep basketball career after graduating from Black Hawk this spring.
"I just have to leave it all out on the court," Lovelace said. "It's my last game and last chance."
Burkhalter, who will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall and major in marketing and management has a busy summer. She's also working at Colony Brands.
"I'm very grateful to have this opportunity," Burkhalter said. "This will be my last basketball game as a Juda Panther. It's pretty cool."
Burkhalter eclipsed the 1,000-point career milestone last season. She's looking forward to adding another lasting memory.
"I think it's really awesome that it's not just one school, but all of the schools in the Six Rivers East are contributing to a well-known charity and organization," she said.
Burkhalter is still adjusting to being teammates with faces she has played against since middle school.
"It definitely will be a different feeling," she said. "We have been playing against them for seven years since middle school. We will be playing together as one team."
Black Hawk's Josh Meier and Pecatonica's A.J. Hendrickson, who will play basketball at Clarke University next season, will team up to lead the East boys squad.
"It's an honor," Meier said. "To be a part of a team with some of the best players from the East is great. I really enjoy playing with these guys."
Meier is looking forward to being teammates with Hendrickson at Clarke, but his first opportunity to play together with one of his rivals since middle school will come Friday in the all-star game.
"These past four years I have played against A.J. and all of these other guys," Meier said. "I have got to know them and they are all great. A.J. and I will have a blast playing together next year. It's pretty exciting. We both know how each other plays. I think we can bring a lot of talent to Clarke. I think we can have a lot of fun."
The Six Rivers All-Star Classic was hosted for the first time by retired Black Hawk boys basketball coach Jerry Mortimer, who designed the event in 2006. The games and event have generated $17,000 in donations to the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison.
In the 11 years of the event, the West has an 8-3 lead in the girls all-star game and the East boys have a 8-3 record against the West.
"We have a lot of good players at every position," Meier said. "I have the utmost confidence that we can win this year."
Each played in the Six Rivers all-star volleyball match and now they are joining forces again to play basketball in the 12th annual Six Rivers All-Star Classic on Friday as members of the East team.
The All-Star Classic pits the top players from the East against the West. The girls all-star game will tip off at 6 p.m. Friday at Belmont High School followed by a 3-point contest and then the boys all-star game at about 8 p.m. All proceeds from the free-will admission and other fundraising efforts will go to the American Family Children's Hospital.
"It's a huge privilege to be able to play with people from other schools in the Six Rivers East," Lovelace said. "We are all rivals, and we get to come together now."
Lovelace understands her final basketball game will be played with something higher at stake.
"It feels really good to help people who need it more than we do," Lovelace said. "There is big meaning behind that."
Lovelace will attend the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the fall and will major in biology. She's looking forward to closing out her prep basketball career after graduating from Black Hawk this spring.
"I just have to leave it all out on the court," Lovelace said. "It's my last game and last chance."
Burkhalter, who will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall and major in marketing and management has a busy summer. She's also working at Colony Brands.
"I'm very grateful to have this opportunity," Burkhalter said. "This will be my last basketball game as a Juda Panther. It's pretty cool."
Burkhalter eclipsed the 1,000-point career milestone last season. She's looking forward to adding another lasting memory.
"I think it's really awesome that it's not just one school, but all of the schools in the Six Rivers East are contributing to a well-known charity and organization," she said.
Burkhalter is still adjusting to being teammates with faces she has played against since middle school.
"It definitely will be a different feeling," she said. "We have been playing against them for seven years since middle school. We will be playing together as one team."
Black Hawk's Josh Meier and Pecatonica's A.J. Hendrickson, who will play basketball at Clarke University next season, will team up to lead the East boys squad.
"It's an honor," Meier said. "To be a part of a team with some of the best players from the East is great. I really enjoy playing with these guys."
Meier is looking forward to being teammates with Hendrickson at Clarke, but his first opportunity to play together with one of his rivals since middle school will come Friday in the all-star game.
"These past four years I have played against A.J. and all of these other guys," Meier said. "I have got to know them and they are all great. A.J. and I will have a blast playing together next year. It's pretty exciting. We both know how each other plays. I think we can bring a lot of talent to Clarke. I think we can have a lot of fun."
The Six Rivers All-Star Classic was hosted for the first time by retired Black Hawk boys basketball coach Jerry Mortimer, who designed the event in 2006. The games and event have generated $17,000 in donations to the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison.
In the 11 years of the event, the West has an 8-3 lead in the girls all-star game and the East boys have a 8-3 record against the West.
"We have a lot of good players at every position," Meier said. "I have the utmost confidence that we can win this year."
