The Maryann Wallace Pangburn 7/8 Grade All-Star Classic will return to Sierra High this Saturday after a one-year hiatus.

The Classic will feature two games, pitting 44 of the top boys and girls basketball players from across the county against one another in a showcase of talent and potential.

The event begins with the girls’ game at 1:15 p.m. The boys’ game will follow immediately.

The game will pay tribute to former Manteca Unified School District instructor Maryann Wallace Pangburn, who died tragically in 2008 from brain cancer.

“An event like this features the basketball talents of many seventh/eighth graders that will go on to make contributions at the high school level,” her parents, Bob and Kathy Wallace, were quoted as saying in a press release, “and is a wonderful tribute to all the things Maryann held dear.”

A longstanding event, the Classic was cancelled following the conclusion of the 2014 MUST season “for numerous reason,” according to the press release. But in order to preserve tradition and Maryann Wallace Pangburn’s legacy, the game has been revived.

Pangburn’s life was tied to the athletic arena.

She attended Shasta and Lincoln elementary schools before graduating from Manteca High, where she was a standout in basketball and volleyball.

During her junior and senior seasons, Manteca won back-to-back Valley Oak League championships in volleyball.

Pangburn played volleyball at Delta College and eventually earned her degree from UC Davis and her teaching credential from Stanislaus State.

She returned to the Family City to plant roots of her own. She married Michael Pangburn, an instructor at Lathrop High, and together they had two children: Michaela, a freshman at East Union; and Megan, a sixth grader at Woodward School.

In the classroom, Pangburn paid homage to the NCAA Tournament each March, using the qualifying college basketball programs as the basis for her geography lessons.

On Saturday, 44 of the area’s best young talents will bring her memory back to the hardwood.

The games will pit “large-school” all-stars against their “small-school” counterparts. MVPs will be selected at the conclusion of each game.

The large-school boys will be coached by Chris Graham of August Knodt. Mossdale’s Ronnie Sengphrachanh and Mossdale’s Noah Urbina-Thiery anchor the roster. Both played in their respective MUST championship game.

The small-school boys will be led by Sequoia’s Jorge Cedano and Golden West’s Daniel Ruiz, both of whom put on a scoring exhibition in the MUST championship game. Cedano poured in a game-high 24 points, while Ruiz finished with 23.

They’ll be joined by teammates Miguel Sequiera (Golden West) and Devin Galan (Sequoia), among others.

The small-school will be coached by Shane Carpenter of Brock Elliott.

Mossdale’s Khiya Thornton and Widmer’s Mary Cotton will join forces on the girls’ large-school team after dueling in the MUST championship game.

Thornton had 10 points in the title game, while Cotton paced her squad with eight. They’ll be coached by Chris Wiseman of Mossdale.

The girls’ small-school all-stars will be led by St. Anthony’s coach Roman Alvarez. He’ll look to Nina Murphy of St. Anthony’s and Golden West’s Donja Payne to lead his 11-player roster.