Prep hoops tourneys allow teams to stay sharp for regular season

Prep basketball in Middle Georgia is in high gear. Area teams are rounding into form and many times the holiday break is a time teams become unfocused and out of shape before they return for the majority of their regional schedules. Holiday tournaments bridge that gap and allow teams to stay sharp, while fine-tuning skills in hopes of making a run deep into the postseason. If you need to satisfy your hunger for holiday hoops in the area, there are a few you can explore before you open presents with the family.

Jones County High School girls basketball team will host the State Bank Holiday Classic. It’s a tournament set to run Dec. 20-22.

10 a.m.: Upson Lee vs. Warner Robbins

1 p.m.: Eastside vs. Washington County

4 p.m.: Shiloh vs. Central

7 p.m.: Westside vs. Jones County

Southwest High School will host the Don Richardson-Albert Sharpe Classic from Dec. 21-23. The tournament will feature a boys and girls bracket. Thursday games scheduled are as followed:

11 a.m.: Twiggs County vs. Howard girls

12:30 p.m.: Twiggs County vs. Howard boys

2 p.m.: Pike County vs. Crawford County girls

3:30 p.m.: Pike County vs. Crawford County boys

5 p.m.: First Presbyterian vs. Southwest girls

6:30 p.m.: First Presbyterian vs. Southwest boys

The 2017 HOCO Bear Brawl will take place Dec. 21-23. The tournament will welcome boys and girls team:s. The girls will play their Thursday games at Feagin Middle School and the boys will play at Houston County High. Thursday’s schedule features the following match-ups:

3 p.m.: Hancock Central vs. Bleckley County girls

4:30 p.m.: Crisp County vs. Houston County girls

4:30 p.m.: Douglas County vs. Northside boys

6 p.m.: Douglas County vs. Peach County girls

6 p.m.: Peach County vs. Monroe (Albany) boys

7:30 p.m.: Bleckley County vs. Houston County boys

Veterans High School will once again welcome teams to Kathleen for the Shane’s Rib Shack Holiday Classic Dec. 21-23. Matchups for day one of the three-day tournament are as follows:

10 a.m.: West Laurens vs. Marist girls

11:30 a.m.: Worth County vs. Rutland boys

1 p.m.: ware County vs. Perry girls

2:30 p.m.: Clarke Central vs. Perry boys

4 p.m.: Cambridge vs. Swainsboro girls

5:30 Cambridge vs. Crisp County boys

7 p.m.: Worth County vs. Veterans girls

8:30 p.m.: Locust Grove vs. Veterans boys

This story was originally published December 19, 2017 at 7:36 PM with the headline "Prep hoops tourneys allow teams to stay sharp for regular season."