Several standout area basketball players will have one final opportunity to showcase their talents on the hardwood this summer after being selected for the 2026 Missouri Lions District 26-M4 All-Star Basketball Classic.
The annual event, featuring some of the top senior basketball players from northwest Missouri, will be held Saturday, June 6, at Penney High School in Hamilton. The girls game is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m.
Among the local athletes selected for the boys game are Jaishon White of Chillicothe, Dakota Brandon and Corbin McBee of Braymer, Jackson Davis and Zach Samples of Carrollton, Issac Dixon of Trenton, and Pryce Johnson and Gavin Wilmes of Gallatin.
On the girls side, area representatives include Jenna Owen and Montgomery Ross of Carrollton, Alison O’Neal and Madeline O’Neal of Tina-Avalon, and Timberlynn Palmer of Southwest Livingston.
Missouri Lions District 26-M4 spans 22 counties and more than 80 high schools across northwest Missouri. Organizers received more than 70 player nominations before volunteer coaches conducted a draft to assemble the all-star rosters.
“We are extremely grateful for the coaches and schools that nominated these outstanding players for this year’s All-Star basketball games,” District 26-M4 All-Star Basketball Committee Chairman James Pedersen said in a news release.
The event not only celebrates the accomplishments of graduating seniors but also supports continuing education scholarships. Proceeds from the All-Star Classic are redistributed throughout the Lions district in the form of scholarships for recently graduated students.
Players and their families will attend a banquet on Friday evening prior to the games. The gathering will be held at Hamilton Methodist Church’s Family Life Center and will recognize the athletes selected to participate in the showcase.
“Our Lions motto is ‘we serve’ and our committee works hard to serve these young men and women,” Pedersen said. “We support young people so they can make positive choices, lead healthy and productive lives, and become the next generation of service leaders.”
For Chillicothe’s White and the other area standouts, the All-Star Classic provides one final chance to represent their schools and communities while competing alongside some of the best senior talent in northwest Missouri.