‘Tis the season
Local teams prepare for holiday tournaments
The Lackey boys basketball team has a lot to be thankful for this hol- iday season, boasting a 6-0 record into the break, and it may be gifted a little more during the holiday tournament season.
Now the Chargers, like many other Southern Maryland squads are gearing to compete in a holiday tournament fol- lowing Christmas.
Beginning as early as Monday, Southern Mary- land varsity basketball teams will be competing in holiday tournaments with a chance to improve on their early season tri- umphs or shortcomings.
Lackey is scheduled to play at 6:15 p.m. on Dec. 28 versus Chopticon, which is hosting the Toy- ota of Southern Maryland Holiday Classic — a twoday event that will feature boys and girls teams.
“We are happy right now about being 6-0, and we have a test coming up to win a holiday tourna- ment,” said Lackey head boys head coach Sean Fox. “After Christmas we still have to face some stiff teams on the other side of our conference.”
The Leonardtown girls open up at 1 p.m. versus Lackey and at 2:30 the Great Mills boys take on King George (Va.). The Chopticon girls play King George at 4:30 p.m.
On Dec. 29, the boys and girls consolation games will take place at 1 p.m. and 2:45 respectively, while the boys and girls championship games is scheduled for 4:30 and 6:15 p.m.
“It is great to be able to host and have an outstanding sponsor like Toyota of Southern Maryland. They made it possible” said Chopticon head girls coach Joe Cook, whose team is 4-1 on the season. “Against North Point we saw some things that we needed to work on. There are other teams in SMAC that will give us fits including Great Mills and Huntingtown, so we have to get better.”
The annual Waldorf Holiday Hoops Classic kicks off its two-day affair on Dec. 28 with the boys and girls playing at two different locations, North Point and Westlake.
In opening day action at Westlake, Calvert’s girls takes on McDonough at 1 p.m., the St. Charles boys and Maine-Endwell (N.Y.) tip off at 2:45 p.m., West- lake girls fave off versus Chancellor (Va.) at 4:30 and the Westlake boys are scheduled to take on Montgomery County’s Gaithersburg at 6.
Over at North Point, the North Point girls play Massaponax (Va.) at 4:30 p.m. The North Point boys will face Howard County’s River Hill for the nightcap at 6:15 p.m.
The Classic will continue on Dec. 29 with the boys consolation games taking place at 2:30 at Westlake and 2:45 at North Point. The boys championship game is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.
The girls consolation games start at 1 p.m. at both sites and the girls championship will be at 4:30 p.m.
Tipping things off at 10 a.m. on Dec. 27 in the DMV Elite Governor’s Challenge at Wicomico
Civic Center in Salisbury are the King’s Christian boys, scheduled to go against Washington. Thomas Stone will take on St. Joe’s By The Sea at 3:15 p.m. The tourna- ment, which includes a large number of schools playing at three different locations, will continue through Dec. 30.
At 7:45 p.m. on Dec 29 the King’s Christian girls will face Annapolis Area Christian School, which is hosting a holiday tour- nament. The winner advances to the championship game at 1 p.m. on Dec. 30. The consolation game will be that day at noon.
The Grace Christian Academy and La Pla- ta boys will play in the Northeast High School Tournament in Pasadena on Dec. 28. La Plata opens the tournament at 4 p.m. versus Mount Hebron and Grace plays Northeast at 6 p.m. The tournament continues on Dec. 29 with the consolation and championship games.
Also anticipating a boost during this time is the Huntingtown boys, the defending Class 3A South Region champions, who will be hosting the Hur- ricane Holiday Classic, a four-team tournament, for two days starting on Dec. 28.
Calvert is scheduled to take on Anne Arundel County’s Severn School in the tournament opener at 5 p.m. and Hunting- town takes on Watkins Mill of Montgomery County at 7.
The winner will play in the championship game, scheduled for the follow- ing day at 7 p.m. The loser will play in the consola- tion game will be at 5 p.m.
“We needed some home games. We’ve been on the road a lot of this year already,” said Huntingtown head coach Josh Pratt whose team is 3-3 after a 66-47 win over South River on Monday night. “This is real nice for the community. It is a fundraiser for our school. Severn has a Division I prospect in LJ Owens and Watkins Mill is a 3A [South] opponent, so we can benefit from hosting on our own tour- nament.”
The Huntingtown girls are in a two-day holiday tournament at Kent Is- land. It will play Kent Island at 4 p.m. on Mon- day and will continue on Tuesday in either the consolation or champion- ship game against either Broadneck or St. Vincent Pallotti.
The St. Mary’s Ryken boys will travel to Char- lotte, N.C. to compete in the Hoodie’s House National High School Hoop’s Classic, a three-day event. It opens up on Dec. 28 versus Lee of Alabama at 2:30 p.m. The St. Mary’s Ryken girls will be play- ing in the Boo Williams/ Ronald Curry Christmas Classic and will face Lake Taylor (Va.) at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 28.
The Northern boys will be in the F-Club Christ- mas Classic in Cumber- land and open up versus Fort Hill at 7 p.m. on Dec. 27. On the following day, Northern takes on Al- legany at 5:30 p.m. The Northern girls will be at the Laurel holiday tournament in Prince George’s County starting on Dec. 28 and will take on Glen Burnie at 6 p.m.
The McDonough boys will play in the Southern Garrett tournament on Dec. 29 and 30 and will open on the first day ver- sus Thomas Jefferson (Pa.) at 6:30 p.m.
The St. Charles girls will be in the Springbrook holiday tournament and will play Tuscarora (Va.) on Dec. 27.
There will also being some wrestling holiday tournaments as La Plata, St. Mary’s Ryken, and Patuxent will be competing at the fourth annual duals meet at Westminster High School on Dec. 27 and 28.
Northern and Huntingtown will travel to Edgewater to compete in the South River duals tournament on Dec. 29 and 30.
Leonardtown will be heading to Mount St. Joesph in Baltimore to wrestle in the Mount Mat Madness tournament n Dec. 29 and 30.