Holiday tourneys tip off today at Choctaw, Paxton
Anybody that’s ever played, coached or simply been around a high school basketball program knows that the holiday season means one thing: tournaments.
This year is no different, as the first two holiday tournaments of the season get under way today.
Paxton kicks off their eight-team boys’ and girls’ Cats Against Cancer Christmas Classic, which runs today through Wednesday.
The Bobcats girls’ team hosted a single game last year and raised $1,400 for cancer research. After the success of last year’s game, Paxton girls’ coach Steve Williams and boys’ coach Jeff Bradley decided the next step would be to host a tournament.
“It was pretty successful last year,” Williams said. “We donated $1,400 to St. Jude’s, the American Cancer Society in DeFuniak and most of it went to a former teacher.”
Cancer research and treatment hits home with Williams, who lost his mother four years ago to cancer. In February, his wife was diagnosed with the disease.
“We thought we could make it an annual event,” Williams said. “Coach Bradley and I said ‘We’ll give it a year.’”
The tournament will host both boys and girls teams from Freeport, Laurel Hill, Paxton and Walton over the course of the three days. The Bobcats will welcome North Florida Christian and Pensacola Catholic’s boys’ teams, and girls’ teams from Niceville and Columbia (Tenn.) will compete as well.
Today, on the girls’ side, Freeport will face Niceville at 1:30 p.m. and Freeport’s boys will play Laurel Hill at 3 p.m.
Paxton’s girls’ and boys’ will play all three nights at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Admission is $6 per day or $15 for a three day pass and all proceeds will go to cancer research and organizations, namely the Baptist Hospital foundation for cancer research.
Choctawhatchee will host its 34th consecutive Indian Shootout beginning today. The six-team, three-day tournament will feature area boys’ teams: Choctaw, Fort Walton Beach, Navarre, Niceville and Rocky Bayou Christian.
P.K. Yonge made the trip from Gainesville and Pine Forest will compete on the tournament’s final day.
Choctaw coach Andy Thigpen and his team is excited to host the event.
“It’s huge right now for us,” Thigpen said. “We’ve only had one home game. Having to host your tournament and play in your own tournament of course you always want to have a good showing.”
Initially, the tournament featured more teams from out of state, but the schedules conflicted with the schools’ exams, making the Indian Shootout much more local than originally intended.
As for today’s slate of games, Fort Walton Beach will face Rocky Bayou Christian at 5 p.m., Niceville will take on Navarre at 6:30 p.m. and Choctaw will tip-off with P.K. Yonge at 8 p.m.
Follow Pat Flynn on Twitter: @PatFnwfdn
