Post-Christmas hoops, soccer on tap in East Valley, Tucson

December 25, 2011 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


The marquee boys basketball tournament post-Christmas is the Visitmesa.com Challenge, but McClintock, Valley Christian and Flowing Wells high schools will also entertain boys or girls hoops action.

McClintock hosts its annual Holiday Shootout Tuesday (Dec. 27) through Friday (December 30). Teams competing are Campo Verde, Brophy, Casa Grande, Marcos de Niza, Poston Butte, Desert Ridge, Westwind Prep, North Canyon, Betty Fairfax, Maryvale, Mountain Ridge, Coronado, McClintock, Chandler, Saguaro and Alta, Utah.

The format is a normal 16-team bracket with a championship game. The Tuesday (Dec. 27) schedule is:

10 a..m. - Campo -Verde vs. Brophy; 11:30 a.m. - Casa Grande vs. Marcos de Niza; 1 p.m. -- Poston Butte vs. Desert Ridge; 2:30 p.m. - Westwind Prep vs. Alta, Utah; 4 p.m. - North Canyon vs. Fairfax; 5:30 p.m. -- Maryvale vs. Mountain Ridge; 7 p.m. - Coronado vs. McClintock and 8:30 p.m. -- Chandler vs. Saguaro.

Valley Christian hosts its annual girls basketball tournament Tuesday (Dec. 27) through Thursday (Dec. 29) with 10 teams competing. Those schools are Apache Junction, Arizona Lutheran, Bourgade, Coronado, Gilbert Christian, Horizon Honors, St. Johns, Tempe High, Tempe Prep and Vallet Christian.

Flowing Wells continues hosting its annual girls basketball shootout with a 12-team field Tuesday (Dec. 27) and Wednesday (Dec. 28). All games are at Flowing Wells HS, which has two full-sized gyms. Teams are guaranteed four games over the two days. The 12-team field is comprised of Casa Grande, Deming, N.M., Desert Christian, Flowing Wells, Nogales, Palo Verde, Rio Rico, Sahuaro, Santa Rita, Sunnyside, Tucson High and Vista Grande. The favorites in the tournament are Palo Verde and Tucson High.

SOCCER

Losing some of its traditional field to the newly created Arizona Soccer Showcase, the annual Dobson Mustang Soccer Classic  welcomes 10 boys teams and 10 girls teams for tourneys Tuesday (Dec. 27) through Saturday (Dec. 31).

Matches on Dec. 27-30 will be played at Red Mountain Park with pool play Dec. 27-29, semifinals on Dec. 30 and championship matches on Dec. 31 shifting to Dobson High School.

Schools entered in the boys bracket are Millennium, Cesar Chavez, Red Mountain, Central, Carl Hayden, Camelback, Williams Field, Skyline, Dobson and Basha. Competing on the girls bracket are Basha, Desert Vista, Ironwood, Mesa Mountain View, Mesquite, Campo Verde, Skyline, Dobson, Red Mountain and Mesa.

The boys schedule for pool play:

Dec. 27: 9 a.m. - Millennium vs. Chavez; Red Mountain vs. Central, Carl Hayden vs. Skyline, Camelback vs. Dobson and Williams Field vs. Basha. Dec. 28: 11 a..m. -- Skyline vs. Williams Field, Millennium vs. Red Mountain, Central vs. Chavez, Dobson vs. Carl Hayden and Basha vs. Camelback. Dec. 29: 9 a.m. -- Central vs. Millennium, Chavez vs. Red Mountain, Williams Field vs. Dobson, Carl Hayden vs. Basha, Camelback vs. Skyline.

The girls schedule for pool play:

Dec. 27: 11 a.m. -- Basha vs. Desert Vista, Ironwood vs. Mountain View, Mesquite vs. Dobson, Campo Verde vs. Red Mountain and Skyline vs. Mesa. Dec. 28: 9 a.m. -- Desert Vista vs. Ironwood, Mountain View vs. Basha, Dobson vs. Campo Verde, Red Mountain vs. Skyline, Mesa vs. Mesquite. Dec. 29: 11 a.m. -- Basha vs. Ironwood, Desert Vista vs. Mountain View, Skyline vs. Dobson, Mesquite vs. Red Mountain and Campo Verde vs. Mesa.