The holiday season brings plenty of basketball action, with the first of six hoops tournaments being played through the weekend tipping off this afternoon.
As always, the main events will include a girls tournament in Mifflin County, and the Husky boys are hosting a rotating tournament this year. East Juniata is home to the boys and girls action of the Juniata County Christmas tournament, which this year featured four area schools. Greenwood's boys and girls and the Mount Union girls also are in tournaments.
Today is the first day of the Juniata College holiday event, which features all four Huntingdon County high schools in the girls field. Mount Union plays Juniata Valley in the girls opener, at 4 p.m. Huntingdon and Southern Huntingdon meet at 5:30; the consolation and championship games are at 4 and 7 p.m. Thursday, respectively.
There is also a boys tournament, but without Mount Union - Forbes Road is the fourth team.
Thursday is opening day for the Holiday River Classic, a boys tournament that will be played at Mifflin County High School this year. Mifflin County takes on Selinsgrove in the 7:30 p.m. game, which will be preceded by Shikellamy and Octorara at 5:30.
The consolation and championship games in that one wrap around the first day of the Mifflin County Holiday Classic girls tournament on Friday. The boys consolation is at 3:30 p.m.; the title game is at 8.
In the girls tournament, Friere Charter and Imhotep Charter square off at 5 p.m., followed by Mifflin County and Central Mountain at 6:30. The girls wrap up their event with a 6 p.m. consolation and 7:30 final on Saturday.
The Juniata County Christmas Tournament at East Juniata this year features all teams from the area. Along with both of Juniata County's high schools, boys and girls teams from Midd-West and Belleville Mennonite are taking part. The boys play in the afternoon and the girls are in the prime time spotlight both days.
On Thursday, Juniata plays Midd-West - boys at 2:30 p.m.; girls at 4 - while the host takes on Belleville Mennonite at 5:30 (boys) and 7 p.m. (girls).
Friday has the boys consolation at 2:30 p.m., followed by the girls consolation at 4. The boys championship is at 5:30 p.m. and the girls at 7.
The Greenwood boys travel to West Perry for the Perry County Tournament Friday and Saturday. The Wildcats get the host at 7:30 p.m. Friday; the consolation and final are at 6 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, respectively. Newport and Susquenita are the other teams involved.
The Greenwood girls head to Bermudian Springs, where they will play Camp Hill in the opener at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Boiling Springs is the fourth team. The consolation and final are at 6:30 and 8 p.m. Friday, respectively.
Along with the basketball, there is one notable wrestling tournament this weekend, the Conestoga Valley holiday event, in which Mifflin County and Juniata will take part.
