Lodge tourney tips off Monday at Dalton Gym

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Warren County Middle eighth-grader Jay Hutchings puts up a jumper during a recent game. The Pioneer eighth- and seventh-graders will take part in this week’s Warren Lodge Tournament. (Rob Nunley photo)

The third annual Warren Masonic Lodge Christmas Tournament begins Monday at the high school, with 11 boys teams and 10 girls teams hitting the court in elementary school action.

Held by Warren Lodge No. 125, the yearly tournament raises money for scholarships, as well as the WCHS athletic department.

Action begins Monday at 3:45, with the Warren County Eastside girls facing off against Grundy County. The same two teams will square off in boys’ action at five, and at approximately 6:10 p.m. Centertown will take on Cannon County Eastside in a boys game.

The first night’s second girls game is up next, with Irving College taking on Cannon County Eastside at roughly 7:20 p.m., and the evening will conclude with Warren County Middle School’s seventh-grade boys facing the DeKalb West Bulldogs at 8:30.

Tuesday’s play begins at 5 p.m. with the DeKalb Middle girls taking on Warren County middle’s eighth-graders, while DeKalb’s boys will face the Eastside-Grundy winner at 6:10. At 7:20 p.m., either Eastside’s or Grundy County’s girls face Manchester Westside, while Warren County’s eighth-grade boys are set to take on the Centertown-Cannon East winner at 8:30.

After taking Wednesday night off, the tournament continues on Thursday, with Van Buren County’s girls facing the Irving College-Cannon East winner at 5 p.m. At 6:10, Dibrell’s boys face Coffee County Middle, and Woodland Elementary takes on the WCMS seventh-grade girls at 7:20 p.m. The Woodland boys and the WCMS-DeKalb West winner will battle at 8:30, setting the stage for the semifinal round.

On Friday night, the semifinals begin at 5 p.m., with four games on tap, and the consolation and championship games are set for New Year’s Eve, beginning at 4 p.m. with the girls’ third-place game and ending at 7:30 with the boys’ finals.

Last year, Sparta’s girls and DeKalb County’s boys came away with the tournament titles, while the Centertown boys were the strongest local squad in the field, taking fourth place.