CCHS Teams Back In Tournament Action This Week

TONY STINNETT, Courier Co-Editor


Cannon County’s basketball teams are hoping for post-Christmas success when they begin play in the Trousdale County Holiday Tournament this week.

The Lionettes will open tournament play against St. Cecilia Wednesday (Dec. 28) at 4 p.m. The Lions will face Pickett County at 5:30 p.m. Both games are at Trousdale County High School.

“This is a true bracket tournament, much like what we had at Warren County, so this is good because it provides your team a chance to face what they will see in the postseason as far as win and advance,” Lions Head Coach Matt Rigsby said. “This is really our last chance to put our kids in situations like they will have to face down the road. Our main emphasis is getting better and showing improvement with each game we play.”

Lionettes Head Coach Michael Dodgen, whose team enjoyed a solid run in last week’s Sun Drop Romp Basketball Tournament in McMinnville, said the tournament format is a good one in terms of looking down the road.

“Holiday tournaments are always set up differently,” Dodgen said. “In some cases you have Classics where your opponents are pre-determined, then you have pool play where you advance into a bracket, and then you have the true bracket tournament, which this is. All of those different formats are good and we will have played in all three types of tournaments after Trousdale County. These challenges, as well as having to bounce back night after night, will only help prepare us for what lies ahead.”

Because the Trousdale County Holiday Tournament is a bracket format, teams already know the potential of their opponent for the second game. If the Lionettes win their opener against St. Cecilia, they will play the winner of the La Vergne/Trousdale County game Thursday (Dec. 29) at 7 p.m. If the Lionettes lose their opener they will face the loser of the La Vergne/Trousdale County game Thursday at 1 p.m.

The girls championship game is set for Friday (Dec. 30) at 7 p.m., followed by the boys championship at 8:30 p.m.

The girls field includes Cannon County, St. Cecilia, La Vergne, Trousdale County, Ravenwood, Smith County, Lancaster Christian and Pickett County. The boys field includes Cannon County, Pickett County, Merrol Hyde, Trousdale County, Greenbrier, Hendersonville, Maplewood and Lancaster Christian.

All teams are guaranteed three games.