Drake to coach at Freedom All-Star Classic

Three rookies and one veteran will lead the Freedom All-Star Classic East teams in the sixth annual event April 3.

Franklin County’s Fred Drake and Graceville’s Thomas Register have been chosen to coach the East boys. Arnold’s Bryan Normand and Bay’s George Hamilton will coach the girls team.

The high school basketball showcase takes place at the Billy Harrison Field House on the campus of Gulf Coast Community College.

Hamilton, who led Bay to a 17-5 mark and one game shy of a regional berth, will be making his third appearance in the game. He first coached the East girls to their lone win in the series, 90-76, in 2007. He also was part of the 2008 coaching staff which fell to the West 74-59.

Normand took Arnold to new heights in his first season with the program. While an 11-10 mark doesn’t sound far-reaching, it represented the first time a Marlins’ girls basketball team finished a season with a winning record.

Drake and Register led their respective teams to the regional quarterfinals before falling bowing out last week.

Drake led Franklin County to an 18-10 record this season. The Seahawks advanced to the Final Four in his second season at the school in 2009.

Register will have a homecoming of sorts being a former Gulf Coast assistant coach for the men’s team. His Graceville Tigers lost to Pensacola Christian in the regional in his first season at the school.

The East teams are chosen by the News Herald sports department from its coverage area of Bay, Washington, Holmes, Gulf, Liberty, Calhoun, Franklin and Jackson counties.

The West teams are selected by the sports department at the Northwest Florida Daily News from its coverage area of Walton, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.

The girls game takes place at 11 a.m. The boys game is at 1 p.m.