It’s Christmas week, which for prep basketball fans means holiday tournaments galore.
Half of our 22 Whatcom teams — six boys squads and five girls — will be participating in six tournaments across the state this coming Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 26-28. Two of the tournaments are local — the Trojan Storm Classic at Meridian and the Lynden Christmas Classic at Lynden Christian.
And if you haven’t had your fill of good hoops after this weekend, two more teams will be playing in another tournament to start the new year.
Here’s a look at the holiday tournaments involving our county teams:
The Meridian boys can’t wait to have some fun this week.
Trojan Storm Classic
The annual Trojan Storm Classic will feature 16 boys and girls teams on Thursday through Saturday. All the games will be play at Meridian High School’s north and south gyms.
Joining the Meridian boys and girls from Whatcom County will be the Bellingham boys.
Other boys teams entered are Bellevue Christian, Overlake, Sultan, Kamiak, Seattle Christian, and Tonasket. The girls tournament will include Bellevue Christian, Port Angeles, Sultan, Burlington-Edison, Federal Way, Curtis, and Lakewood.
Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for students/seniors. (No passes are accepted.) A family pass for four is $60 with $10 for each additional child. A seniors pass is $20. Here are the schedules:
BOYS TOURNAMENT
Thursday, Dec. 26: Bellevue Christian vs. Kamiak, noon (north gym); Bellingham vs. Overlake, 2 p.m. (south); Meridian vs. Seattle Christian, 4 p.m. (north); Tonasket vs. Sultan, 6 p.m. (south).
Friday, Dec. 27: Bellevue Christian-Kamiak winner vs. Bellingham-Overlake winner, 2 p.m. (north); Meridian-Seattle Christian winner vs. Tonasket-Sultan, 6 p.m. (north); Bellingham-Overlake loser vs. Meridian-Seattle Christian loser, 4 p.m. (south); Bellevue Christian-Kamiak loser vs. vs. Tonasket-Sultan loser, 6 p.m. (south)
Saturday, Dec. 28: Consolation game, 6 p.m. (south); fourth-place game, 4 p.m. (south); third-place game, noon (north); championship game, 4 p.m. (north)
GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Thursday, Dec. 26: Port Angeles vs. Bellevue Christian, 4 p.m. (south); Burlington-Edison vs. Federal Way, 2 p.m. (north); Curtis vs. Lakewood, noon (south); Sultan vs. Meridian, 6 p.m. (north)
Friday, Dec. 27: Port Angeles-Bellevue Christian winner vs. Burlington-Federal Way winner, noon (north); Curtis-Lakewood winner vs. Meridian-Sultan winner, 4 p.m. (north); Burlington-Federal Way loser vs. Curtis-Lakewood loser, noon (south); Port Angeles-Bellevue Christian loser vs. Meridian-Sultan loser, 2 p.m. (south)
Saturday, Dec. 28: Consolation game, noon (south); fourth-place game, 2 p.m. (south); third-place game, 2 p.m. (north); championship game, 6 p.m. (north)
The undefeated LC girls have had lots to cheer about this season.
Lynden Christmas Classic
The annual Lynden Christmas Classic brings together eight of the best girls teams in the region, including Whatcom County’s own Lynden and Lynden Christian, on Thursday through Saturday.
The Lions are the defending Class 2A state champions, and they will open against 3A power Meadowdale on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. The host Lyncs, meanwhile, will face Brookswood Secondary of Langley, the defending B.C. provincial 3A champion, at 4:45 p.m.
Thursday’s other first-round games will pit White River versus Snohomish and Emerald Ridge against Issaquah.
Each team will get three games with the semifinals on Friday evening and the trophy games on Saturday. The championship contest will be at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
Single-day admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children, students, seniors, and military personnel. Tournament passes are $25 for adults and $15 for children, students, seniors, and military. LC students with ASB cards and children 6 and under are free.
Here’s the schedule:
Thursday, Dec. 26: White River vs. Snohomish, 3 p.m.; Brookswood vs. Lynden Christian, 4:45 p.m.; Emerald Ridge vs. Issaquah, 6:30 p.m.; Meadowdale vs. Lynden, 8:15 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 27: White River-Snohomish loser vs. Brookswood-LC loser, 2 p.m., Emerald Ridge-Issaquah loser vs. Meadowdale-Lynden loser, 3:45; White River-Snohomish winner vs. Brookswood-LC winner, 5:30 p.m., Emerald Ridge-Issaquah winner vs. Meadowdale-Lynden winner, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 28: Consolation game, 10 a.m.; fourth-place game, 11:45 a.m.; third-place game, 1:30 p.m.; championship game, 3:15 p.m.
Coach David Dunham and the Storm are set to take on the big boys.
Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament
The Squalicum and Lynden Christian boys will be facing Class 3A and 4A foes at the Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Mountlake Terrace High School.
On Friday, the Storm will face Jackson at 3 p.m., and the Lyncs will take on host Mountlake Terrace at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Lynden Christian will play Woodinville at 4:30 p.m., and Squalicum will meet Inglemoor at 6 p.m.
Other teams in the tournament are Lakeside (Seattle) and Prairie. For more information, click on Mountlake Terrace tourney.
Coach Shane Wichers and the Pioneers want to do some throwing down.
T-Town Throwdown
The 10th annual T-Town Throwdown will feature eight girls teams from across the state, including two-time defending Class 1A state champion Nooksack Valley. It will run Thursday through Saturday at Silas High School in Tacoma.
The Pioneers will open against River Ridge, a 3A team from Lacey, on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. Should Nooksack Valley win, it would play the winner of the Toppenish-Silas game at 7:15 p.m. Friday. Should the Pioneers lose, they would play the Toppenish-Silas loser at 12:30 p.m. Friday.
Other teams entered this year are Bethel, Juanita, Seattle Academy, and Mark Morris. Three consolation games and the championship final will be played Saturday.
There also is a boys bracket. Teams include Hazen, Foss, Kelso, Auburn Mountainview, Centralia, Toppenish, Newport (Bellevue), and Silas.
For more information on both tournaments, click on T-Town Throwdown.
The Sehome girls want to make some noise in Ellensburg.
CWU Tournament
The Sehome boys and girls are off to Ellensburg for the Central Washington University Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
In the boys tournament, the Mariners take on host Ellensburg on Friday at 6 p.m. and on Saturday face Eastmont at 1:30 p.m. On the girls side, the Mariners square off with Eastmont on Friday at 10:30 a.m. and Ellensburg on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Other schools with both boys and girls teams in the tournament include Kittitas, Warden, Coupeville, Toledo, and Hermiston (Idaho).
For those attending, it will be e-tickets only. They can be prepurchased at www.ehsbulldogs.com or at the gate with a card only. Note: Parking will be enforced on the CWU campus until 4:30 p.m. in all for-pay parking lots for $6 per car.
The Lions are looking forward to returning to Yakima.
Wilbur-Ellis Sundome Shootout
The Lynden boys once again are participating in one of the state’s biggest tournaments, the Wilbur-Ellis Sundome Shootout, on Friday and Saturday in Yakima.
The three-time defending Class 2A state champion Lions will face Grandview in the Sundome on Friday at 8 p.m. in a rematch of last season’s state final. On Saturday, Lynden will play Bonney Lake, a late substitute for Annie Wright, at 1:30 p.m.
Also in the boys tournament are Tenino, King’s, Lake Stevens, Brewster, Bear Creek, Port Angeles, Quincy, Cascade Christian, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls), Zillah, Selah, North Kitsap, West Valley (Yakima), Bremerton, Wapato, Riverside, Davis, Shorewood, and Lakewood.
The Lady Blackhawks are ready to play the best.
MVC Holiday Tournament
The Lummi Nation boys and girls will head south after the holidays for the Mount Vernon Christian Holiday Tournament on Jan. 2 through 4 at Mount Vernon Christian High School.
Joining the Blackhawks will be seven girls teams and five boys teams, including some of the top Class 2B and 1B teams in the region. Among them are the defending 1B state champion Neah Bay girls.
The girls will play an eight-team bracket tournament and the boys will have pool play and a final crossover guaranteeing all the teams three games each.
On Jan. 2 at 9 a.m., the Lummi Nation girls will open against the host Crusaders, who took second at 1B state last March but have moved up to 2B this year. The Lummi Nation boys also will face Mount Vernon Christian on Jan. 2 in an 11:30 a.m. game.
The Lady Blackhawks schedule on Jan. 3 will depend on whether they win or lose, but the boys are scheduled to play Orcas Island on Jan. 3 at 2:45 p.m. Jan. 4 games for both tournaments will depend on earlier results.
