By LARRY BOWEN larry.bowen@theeagle.com |0 comments
Four local girls basketball teams and four from the area will go searching for gold when the McDonald’s All-Star Invitational begins Thursday morning.
A&M Consolidated, Bryan and Rudder will compete in the big-school division for teams from Class 5A-4A, while College Station will participate in the small-school division for teams from Class 3A-A. The small-school tournament will include Brazos Valley teams Normangee, Centerville, Iola and Lexington.
Franklin, a highly regarded 2A team coached by former Bryan and Rudder boss John Shelton, will play up in the big-school bracket.
The tournament will feature 32 teams in the big-school division and 24 in the small-school bracket. Opening-round winners Thursday will advance to their respective gold brackets and remain in contention for the overall tournament championships to be awarded Saturday.
As has been the case in recent years, the holiday tournament will bring several state-ranked teams to Bryan-College Station. They will compete at four venues, with Bryan and Consol hosting the big-school division while the small-school bracket is held at Rudder and College Station.
The greatest concentration of ranked teams will be in the small-school bracket. That includes the top two teams in Class A Division I, Martin’s Mill and Triple A Academy of Dallas. Fairfield, which lost in last year’s final to Mexia, is ranked 10th in 3A, while Grandview and Paradise are No. 9 and No. 10 in 2A.
There are a pair of Top 10 teams in the big-school bracket, and both will start against Bryan school district teams in scheduling that certainly can’t be labeled hometown-friendly. Class 4A Rudder will open against Cedar Ridge, the 10th-ranked team in 5A, in Bryan’s No. 2 Gym at 1 p.m. Thursday. Bryan’s Lady Vikings will face Houston Wheatley, which is eighth in 4A, in Bryan’s main gym at 10 a.m.
Consol and College Station will both open at home against unranked squads. Consol will face 4A Magnolia West in Tiger Gym at 11:30 a.m. College Station will play Class A Normangee at noon in Cougar Gym.
Franklin, playing a team three classifications higher, will open against 5A Conroe at 10 a.m. in the game before Consol faces Magnolia West.
The other first-round matchups in the small-school bracket involving area teams include Centerville against Stafford at noon at College Station, Iola vs. Hudson at noon at Rudder and Lexington facing Triple A at 1:30 p.m. at Rudder.
Championship games will be played Saturday. The big-school final is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Consol. The small-school title game will be at 12:30 p.m. in the College Station gym.
Katy Seven Lakes won the big-school championship last year, beating Clear Falls 54-36. Mexia defeated Fairfield 43-19 in the small-school final.
Admission for adults will be $8 for a day pass and $15 for a tournament pass. The prices for students and seniors will be $5 for a day pass and $10 for a tournament pass.
Story courtesy of brazossports.com