Published: 04:45 PM, Thu Dec 20, 2012
Holiday Classic pairings announced
By Earl Vaughan
Scholastic sports editor
Seventy-First's boys and girls were awarded the top seeds for the Holiday Classic basketball tournament in a vote of the competing coaches Thursday at the Cumberland County Board of Education offices.
Both teams have compiled 9-0 records and will begin play in the annual holiday event next Thursday with the girls' games at South View High School the first two days and the boys at Jack Britt High School.
Seventy-First boy's coach David Simmons said he was optimistic about the group of players he had returning this season.
"We have a lot of experience back from last year,'' he said. "They are mentally prepared to play this year.''
"I am surprised we're undefeated,'' said Falcon girls' coach Tracie Taylor. "The guards have been shooting well. When they've missed shots the big girls have done a good job of boxing out and insuring we get the rebound.
"As far as the defensive end, we try to only give teams only one or two shots.''
Four play-in games are scheduled today at Jack Britt to complete the field for the main draw of the tournament. They will be between the teams seeded the four lowest in the girls' and boys' fields respectively by the coaches.
Play begins at 2 p.m. with a game between the No. 7 Westover girls and the No. 10 Douglas Byrd girls.
That will be followed at 3:30 p.m. by a game between No. 7 Jack Britt boys and No. 10 E.E. Smith boys.
At 5 p.m. No. 8 Cape Fear girls faces No. 9 Gray's Creek girls. At 6:30 p.m., No. 8 Cape Fear boys meet No. 9 Douglas Byrd boys.
The winners of the 7/10 games will advance to meet the No. 2 seeds in the main draw of the tournament next week. The winners of the 8/9 games will meet the No. 1 seeds in the main draw.
The two losers will advance to a consolation game in the main draw, the girls losers playing at 11 a.m. next Thursday and the boys' losers playing at noon next Thursday.
The main draw for the girls next Thursday at South View will have No. 1 Seventy-First vs. the 8/9 winner at 1 p.m., No. 4 Pine Forest vs. No. 5 E.E. Smith at 3 p.m., No. 2 South View vs. the 7/10 winner at 5 p.m. and No. 3 Jack Britt vs. No. 6 Terry Sanford at 7 p.m.
For the boys at Jack Britt, No. 1 Seventy-First will play the No. 8/9 winner at 2 p.m., No. 4 South View will play No. 5 Gray's Creek at 4 p.m., No. 2 Westover will play the 7/10 winner at 6 p.m., and No. 3 Pine Forest will play No. 6 Terry Sanford at 8 p.m.
Game times will be the same at both locations Friday with losers playing in the afternoon and winners in the evening.
On Saturday, games will be divided between South View and the Cumberland County Crown Arena.
At noon the seventh place game for girls will be at South View, followed at 1:30 by the seventh place game for boys. The fifth place game for girls will be at South View at 3 p.m.
The fifth place boys' game will be at the arena at noon, with the third place girls' game at 2 p.m.
The third place boys' game is at 4 p.m., with the championship girls' game at 6 p.m.
The boys' title game is at 8 p.m.
Admission to all preliminary rounds is $6. Admission to the championship round is $8.
Scholastic sports editor Earl Vaughan Jr. can be reached at vaughane@fayobserver.com or 486-3519.Holiday Classic schedule
Girls Play-in round Friday at Jack Britt
3:30 p.m. - (7) Westover (4-4) vs. (10) Douglas Byrd (0-9)
5 p.m. - (8) Cape Fear (3-5) vs. (9) Gray's Creek (2-7)
Thursday at South View
11 a.m. - Play-in game losers
1 p.m. - (1) Seventy-First (9-0) vs. Cape Fear/Gray's Creek winner
3 p.m. - (4) Pine Forest (7-2) vs. (5) E.E. Smith (2-4)
5 p.m. - (2) South View (9-1) vs. Westover-Douglas Byrd winner
7 p.m. - (3) Jack Britt (6-1) vs. (6) Terry Sanford (5-2)
Friday
1 p.m. - consolation bracket
3 p.m. - consolation bracket
5 p.m. - championship bracket
7 p.m. - championship bracket
Saturday at South View
Noon - Seventh place game
3 p.m. - fifth place game
at Cumberland County Crown Arena
2 p.m. - Third place game
6 p.m. - Championship game
Boys Play-in round Friday at Jack Britt
3:30 p.m. - (7) Jack Britt (2-5) vs. (10) E.E. Smith (1-5)
6:30 p.m. - (8) Cape Fear (3-5) vs. (9) Douglas Byrd (2-7)
Thursday at Jack Britt
Noon - Play-in game losers
2 p.m. - (1) Seventy-First (9-0) vs. Cape Fear/Douglas Byrd winner
4 p.m. - (4) South View (9-1) vs. (5) Gray's Creek (6-3)
6 p.m. - (2) Westover (7-1) vs. Jack Britt/E.E. Smith winner
8 p.m. - (3) Pine Forest (8-1) vs. (6) Terry Sanford (4-3)
Friday
2 p.m. - consolation bracket
4 p.m. - consolation bracket
6 p.m. - championship bracket
8 p.m. - championship bracket
Saturday at South View
1:30 p.m. - Seventh place
at Cumberland County Arena
Noon - Fifth place
4 p.m. - Third place
8 p.m. - Championship