Knott County Tournament Delivers Scholarships, Regional Opportunity for Perry County
The 39th WYMT Food City Mountain Basketball Classic took place Monday at B.B. King Court in Knott County, drawing student athletes from across the mountain region and awarding 128 college scholarships. The event matters to Perry County residents because it sustains a long running pathway for local students to access higher education while bringing visitors and regional attention to Appalachian communities.
The Mountain Basketball Classic returned to Knott County on Monday, December 8, with teams and supporters traveling from across the mountains to compete on B.B. King Court. Now in its 39th year, the tournament again highlighted both athletic competition and the scholarship program that distinguishes the event, as the Mountain Classic Committee selected 128 students this year to receive college scholarships.
Athletic director and boys basketball coach Jeff Honeycutt played a leading role in staging the event and described the logistical work involved. “Everybody is excited to get to play. All the teams we’ve corresponded with back and forth and making sure we’ve gotten every small little things taken care of behind the scenes,” he said. Honeycutt also recalled his personal connection to the tournament, noting the legacy that stretches back to the first Classic. “To get to play in the first one, it is special that so many years later we are still having it. It’s still great with scholarships. It’s not just about the athletics as well, but the scholarship part of it is really what I think separates this from everything else,” he said.
Former regional sports director Josh McKinney, who received a scholarship from the tournament when he was a senior at Allen Central, emphasized the academic purpose of the week. “Twenty years ago this year, I was actually awarded a scholarship my senior year at Allen Central. It’s something that is extra special to me personally because I was a scholarship recipient,” McKinney said. “I worked in sports, I was a part of the planning and execution of the tournament. I know a lot of people focus on the basketball stuff, but the academic side is what it is really all about. The basketball is a really good side product of this week,” he said.
For Perry County families the Classic remains a practical avenue for reducing college costs for mountain students and a regional occasion that generates visitors and activity for neighboring communities. As the tournament marks nearly four decades, organizers continue to present the event as both a showcase for high school basketball and a sustained investment in educational opportunity across the mountains.
