Action set to heat up locally on basketball courts, soccer fields

Adam Candee

Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002 | 9:13 a.m.

With the holiday feasts stuffed away and all the presents unwrapped, area prep teams are ready to swing back into action this weekend in a host of local tournaments beginning today.

A number of local boys basketball teams will take part in the Las Vegas Prep Championship, sponsored by Las Vegas High School, beginning this afternoon. Centennial's Lady Bulldog Holiday Classic will open a three-day slate of action in a 24-team field with 13 local entries today, and the Lady Devils' Classic soccer tournament at Eldorado kicks off Friday morning.

With just 32 teams, the Las Vegas Prep Championship does not boast the big-name field of last weekend's Holiday Prep Classic, but the five-day event is a great opportunity for local teams to get in a handful of important games before the rapidly approaching start of conference play. Locally, it will be Cheyenne, Valley, Mojave, Las Vegas, Durango, Green Valley, Sierra Vista, Clark, Eldorado, Western, and Centennial in the tournament.

Play begins today at Las Vegas High at 3 p.m., with games running well into the night. Friday and Saturday action gets under way at 10 a.m., and after the teams rest on Sunday, championship bracket action begins Monday, with the title game slated for 6 p.m.

With games at both Centennial and Bonanza high schools, the Lady Bulldog Holiday Classic will feature a number of local entries, as well as providing the Valley's first chance to see some of the traditionally strong teams from the Reno area including Wooster, Douglas, and Elko.

Local entries playing today at Centennial are the host Bulldogs, Silverado, Durango, Valley, Cimarron-Memorial, Las Vegas and Desert Pines. At Bonanza, the host Bengals, Mojave, Basic, Coronado, Western, and Green Valley will be playing.

Games begin today at both sites at 1 p.m. and also carry into the evening. Today, back-to-back matchups at Bonanza between Coronado and Western (1 p.m.), and Green Valley and Bonanza (2:30 p.m.) promise to be entertaining affairs.

The tournament wraps up on Saturday afternoon with the 3:30 p.m. title game at Centennial.

On the pitch, two days of girls prep soccer action begin Friday morning at Eldorado. This tournament attracted most of the city's best teams, as well as some strong entries from Phoenix and Southern California. Valley entries include Bishop Gorman, Palo Verde (split squad), Green Valley, Centennial, Coronado, and Bonanza.

Friday morning tilts include a pair of intriguing 9 a.m. games between Bishop Gorman and Palo Verde, and Centennial and Coronado. The title game kicks off Saturday at 2 p.m.