Central Christmas Tournament First Round Preview

(Park Hills) The 66th annual Bob Sechrest Jr. Central Christmas Tournament tips off Monday with eight games and we’ll have all of them on J-98.

The day starts with girls quarter final games as top seeded and Class One’s third ranked 6-0 South Iron team plays number eight and 0-5 Arcadia Valley. Panthers coach Lawrence Graves likes being highly regarded, but it doesn’t help them win…

Next up is a holiday family battle. Veteran coach Steve McFarland brings his 7-2 Festus squad in as the 4th seeded team. They will play five seed and 6-2 Potosi, who is coached by his niece Allie Golden…

Golden is hoping her team gives her holiday and family bragging rights.

Second seeded and 5-1 Central is ranked 2nd in Class four. The host rebels will play number seven and 1-8 Ste. Genevieve at 1:00. Central head coach Josh Mapes says it should be a good tournament.

Third seeded Steelville is 7-3 and ranked 9th in Class three. They’ll wrap up the girls quarters with a game against six seed and 4-4 Fredericktown. Blackcats coach Micah Ruetzel thinks there is some parity this year…

Steelville’s Zach Kennedy slides over from the assistant’s chair to the head coach seat this year. He loves the Christmas Tournament…

After the four girls quarterfinal games the 16 team boys field will play half of their first round games. Defending state and Christmas tournament champion South Iron opens play as the one seed and the top ranked team in Class One. The 7-2 Panthers play 0-7 Perryville at 4:00. Panthers head coach Dusty Dinkins says he’s excited about the tournament.

Perryville coach Rick Dunn is looking forward to playing the two-time defending tournament champions.

Then it’s the eight versus nine with 5-3 Steelville against 3-3 Potosi.

4th seed and 5-2 Farmington gets number 13 and 3-6 Arcadia Valley at 7:00.
Farmington 1st year head coach Garrett Callahan has played in the tournament and coached as an assistant. He looking forward to it…..except….

AV coach Eric Thompson says this is the time that area hoops fans wait all year for…

Five seed and 3-3 North County plays number twelve and 3- 5 Jefferson in the nightcap.

We’ll be on the air at 9:45 with your first Fliegs Equipment Pregame Show on The Boot.

After day one of the 66th annual Bob Sechrest Jr. Central Christmas Tournament is in the books, we’ll be ready for day two on J-98. We start our coverage at 3:45 with the host school and second seed Central taking on number 15 Desoto. Central comes in at 5-1. DeSoto is 1-8.

Next up it’s 4-3 and 7th seeded Hillsboro against number ten and 3-3 Herculanuem.
Hawks coach Dan Johnson says this one should be a good matchup…

Blackcats coach Jason Jarvis concurs…

Festus and Crystal City travel down highway 67 to play their twin city rival at 7:00. The 5-2 Tigers are the three seed and coach Jason Therell tells us how his gauge success in this tournament.

4-4 Crystal City is the 14 seed.

The final game of the first round pitts MAAA rivals 6th seeded and 6-2 Ste. Geneveive against 11 seed and 3-3 Fredericktown. We asked Dragons coach Rob Coleman how he looks at the tournament…