Highstar Alumni Weekend Brings Tri-County Hoops Rivalries Back To North Charleston

Goose Creek boys and West Ashley girls return as defending champs while alumni squads from across the Lowcountry battle for school pride, bragging rights, and the Highstar crown.

Charleston-area high school rivalries are heading back to the court.

Highstar Hoops Alumni Weekend 2026 returns July 24–26, bringing alumni teams from across the Tri-County area together for a weekend of basketball, school pride, and old rivalries in North Charleston.

The boys tournament features a 30-team double-elimination bracket, while the girls side tips off Saturday with four opening matchups. And this year, both defending champions have targets on their backs.

Goose Creek High enters as the defending boys champion after winning back-to-back titles, while West Ashley returns as the defending girls champion.

That means the question is simple: can anybody knock off Goose Creek or West Ashley?

Goose Creek Boys Are Chasing Another Crown

The biggest storyline on the boys side is Goose Creek.

The Gators enter Highstar Alumni Weekend as the back-to-back defending champions, giving the bracket a clear team to beat before the first game even tips off.

The boys bracket includes alumni squads from across the region, including Goose Creek, North Charleston, Burke, Fort Dorchester, Summerville, West Ashley, James Island, Wando, Stall, Stratford, Berkeley, Hanahan, Baptist Hill, Military Magnet, Bishop England, Cane Bay, Ashley Ridge, and more.

The tournament format is double elimination, meaning teams will have to survive multiple rounds across the weekend to make it to championship Sunday.

Boys Bracket Opens Friday Night

The boys bracket begins Friday, July 24, with first-round matchups spread across multiple courts.

Opening-round matchups listed on the bracket include:

6 PM — Math & Science vs. Military Magnet
Court 2

6 PM — Colleton vs. Timberland
Court 3

7 PM — Pinewood Prep vs. Northwoods Academy
Court 1A

7 PM — Baptist Hill vs. Summerville
Court 1B

7 PM — Cathedral vs. West Ashley
Court 2

7 PM — First Baptist vs. St. John’s
Court 3

8 PM — Bishop England vs. Ashley Ridge
Court 1A

8 PM — Hanahan vs. Philip Simmons
Court 1B

8 PM — Berkeley vs. Lucy Beckham
Court 2

8 PM — James Island vs. Oceanside
Court 3

9 PM — Burke vs. Wando
Court 1A

9 PM — Garrett vs. Stall
Court 1B

9 PM — Cane Bay vs. Woodland
Court 2

9 PM — Fort Dorchester vs. Stratford
Court 3

Goose Creek and North Charleston also appear positioned as top bracket teams, with later tournament action continuing Saturday and Sunday.

West Ashley Girls Return As Defending Champs

The girls side adds another layer to the weekend.

West Ashley enters as the defending girls champion, but the field will get its chance to challenge them starting Saturday, July 25.

The girls opening schedule includes:

6:10 PM — Burke vs. Baptist Hill
Court 2

6:10 PM — Northwoods vs. Summerville
Court 3

7:05 PM — West Ashley vs. MMA
Court 2

7:05 PM — Ashley Ridge vs. North Charleston
Court 3

With West Ashley defending the girls crown and Goose Creek defending the boys crown, Highstar Alumni Weekend has championship storylines on both sides.

More Than Basketball

Highstar Alumni Weekend is bigger than a tournament.

It is a reunion for school communities across the Lowcountry. It brings former classmates, athletes, coaches, families, and fans back together around the one thing that never really goes away: school pride.

For many people, these matchups are about more than who can still shoot, defend, or run the floor. They are about old rivalries, neighborhood pride, and the schools that helped shape generations across Charleston, North Charleston, Summerville, Goose Creek, West Ashley, Berkeley County, Dorchester County, and beyond.

The comments, the trash talk, the school colors, and the “we still got it” energy are all part of the experience.

Event Details

Event: Highstar Hoops Alumni Weekend 2026
Dates: July 24–26, 2026
Location: North Charleston Athletic Center
Format: Boys 30-team double-elimination bracket, girls tournament matchups beginning July 25
Defending Champions: Goose Creek boys, West Ashley girls

Event details and game times may change, so attendees should check Highstar Hoops and official tournament updates before heading out.

Final Word

Goose Creek has the boys crown. West Ashley has the girls crown.

Now the Tri-County gets to see who is ready to take it.

Highstar Alumni Weekend brings the rivalries, the alumni pride, and the bragging rights back to North Charleston July 24–26.

Charleston, rep your school — who’s winning it all this year?