The 33rd annual Brown Service Center Minden Holiday Classic gets underway Wednesday.
The tournament features 12 boys and 12 girls teams. Games will be played at Minden High, the Minden Rec Center and Webster Junior High. Friday’s winners’ bracket semifinals and Saturday’s consolation finals and championship games will all be played at Minden High.
There will be a new champion in the boys division. Calvary Baptist defeated Ringgold 52-43 in last year’s title game. Neither are in this year’s field.
Minden, which is off to a 7-0 start, is a favorite. The Crimson Tide take on Jonesboro-Hodge (2-6) Wednesday at 8 p.m. with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
Lakeside (2-6), Arcadia (1-2), Homer (3-0) and Northwood (4-9) are in the top half of the bracket with Minden.
Parkway (6-6) and Lincoln Prep (7-3) could be threats to reach the championship game.
Gibsland-Coleman (9-3), which has lost to Minden twice, is another team to watch in the bottom half of the bracket which also includes Loyola (4-5), Green Oaks (8-5) and Camden Fairview, Ark. (7-3).
Minden defeated Camden Fairview 62-35 in the championship game of the Don Stahl Memorial Tournament on Nov. 23 at Lakeside.
Arcadia, which won the non-select Division IV state title last season, is back to defend its girls championship. The Lady Hornets defeated Minden 50-33 in last year’s title game.
Arcadia is 9-3. One of its losses was to Camden Fairview 37-35 in the championship game of the Don Stahl Memorial Tournament.
The Lady Hornets face Simsboro (6-6) Wednesday at 4 p.m. with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
If Arcadia wins, the Lady Hornets could get a rematch with Camden Fairview (10-3). The Lady Bulldogs take on Gibsland-Coleman (7-6) in the first round. The winner faces the winner between North Caddo (1-5) and Green Oaks (1-9) in the quarterfinals.
Minden (5-4) plays Jonesboro-Hodge (4-6) Wednesday at 6:40 with the winner advancing to the semifinals. Lakeside (1-9), Loyola (0-7), Mansfield (4-7) and Homer (3-4) are also in the top half of the bracket.
