The Ville Academy has only been around for two months in Porterville but is already going to be part of what promises to be one of the most historic nights when it comes to basketball in the community.

Players representing The Ville Academy will take on players from the high level Fresno Pro-Am League at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Granite Hills High School. Organizers expect a capacity crowd.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the following link: https://sportsplus.app/public/6839/ The event is open to the public and fans of all ages are welcome to attend.

The Ville Academy has worked with the Porterville Unified School District to provide up to 250 free tickets for students to attend the event and also local athletes are being sponsored by local businesses to attend the event.

“I’m proud to be just a part of it,” said The Ville Academy founder Johnny Ramirez about Saturday’s game. “My mission has been to bring our community together through basketball, and I hope we can all work together as a community to make this event special and something the city of Porterville can be proud of.”

When talking about how the local players will fare against the Fresno Pro-Am players Martinez said “We expect it to be competitive.”

The Fresno Pro-Am League has a Porterville connection as former Porterville College star Alton Williams, who went on to play for NAIA power Montana State-Northern, was a founder of the league in 2021.

The Ville Academy’s roster will include one of the greatest high school players in city history, current Porterville High boys basketball coach Zack Grasmick. The Granite Hills High graduate went on to play at Cal State Bakersfield and also served as an assistant coach in the Cal State Bakersfield men’s and women’s basketball programs.

Also on The Ville Academy roster is former PC star Sage Borbon, who has played in the Fresno Pro-Am League. There’s also Porterville College’s Remy Barnes, who’s currently playing in the Fresno Pro-Am League.

Others on the The Ville Academy roster incude former Monache and PC players Miguel Mejia and Logan Menchaca, E’saun Jefferson from Monache and Lemoore College, former Monache star TrayVon Bradford and PC’s Donald Lee. Monache girls basketball standout Milly Rojas who finished her high school career as a senior at Clovis High will also be part of The Ville Academy roster and will have a chance to see how she stacks up against the men.

In addition former PC star McKayle McCoy, who has committed to Mississippi Valley State, is part of The Ville Roster.

Ramirez is a 2003 Granite Hills graduate and played with Grasmick, Bear Pascoe and Ryan Carson under coach Richard Rankin. During that stretch the Grizzlies won East Yosemite League and Polly Wilhelmsen titles.

Ramirez served in the Navy from 2004-2008 and worked for the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. He’s now a sergeant with the Protective Services Branch.

The Ville Academy is located at 914 E. Success Drive. “I created The Ville Academy to give kids in Porterville a safe place to play basketball and utilize some of the best training equipment on the market,” Ramirez said. “I always felt that Porterville has had amazing talent but we have never had the resources to provide and train our athletes as some of the larger surrounding cities.”

The Ville Academy caters to all ages. Former PC star Jason Carmichael and former PC and Porterville High star Gus Ramirez are trainers for the Ville Academy. Those interested can train with Carmichael and Ramirez at the rates they charge.

Ramirez said he wants local players to receive the same resources that are available in Fresno and Bakersfield and also to provide them with more exposure. “That’s reason why I created The Vill Academy,” he said.

The Ville Academy holds open gym every night from 7 to 9 p.m. for $5. Day passes are also offered for $10. What The Ville has to offer is available through the SportsPlus app and its Instagram page.

In addition through the support of local businesses The Ville Academy offers 3×3 leagues with jerseys every Tuesday and Thursday at no cost and also offers 3×3 tournaments. The Ville Academy offers free clinics as well.