After 25 years as the premiere high school girls basketball all-star game in the Inland Northwest, the Jack Blair Memorial will not happen this year.

But the man who founded the game is doing all he can to make sure it happens next year.

Ron Adams, president of the Spokane Stars AAU girls basketball program and director of the Jack Blair game, said after last year’s game he was stepping down as game director due to time constraints away from the game.

Only problem — finding someone to take over running the game proved difficult.

“I tried to get a couple of different people to do the game, and they backed out,” Adams said. “It’s a lot of work.”

The game, featuring the top high school girls basketball players in eastern Washington and North Idaho, regardless of grade, honors Blair, the former Central Valley High girls basketball coach who died in 1994 following a cerebral hemorrhage.

The game originally pitted Washington players vs. North Idaho players, with Washington winning all seven meetings. In 2001, Adams switched the format to Metro (Greater Spokane League) vs. Region (players from North Idaho and elsewhere in eastern Washington) and the game has become more competitive, particularly in recent years.

The Region team won three of the last six meetings.

The game, normally held in late May or early June, generally rotated between high school gyms in Spokane Valley and North Idaho.

Adams, with his ties through the Stars, was well-connected in the high school girls basketball community in the region. That made it easier to make all the arrangements for the game — including securing sponsors and volunteers, and putting together a media guide to promote the players.

But maybe not as easy for someone without those ties.

At least at the start.

“I’ve got the uniforms; all you’ve got to do is follow the outline,” Adams said. “But it’s easier said than done. It’s hard to do the game if you don’t have the connections. Players have to know you, parents have to know you, administrators have to know who you are before you gain their trust.”

Adams said he has a few other people who have expressed interest in taking over the game — and said he’ll help whoever wants to take it on.

“There’s a couple that are interested, now that we’re not having it,” Adams said. “Maybe I’ll do it myself next year.”