Wishing a merry Christmas to all our our Whatcom Hoops prep basketball fans! This year we are blessed with another exciting week of holiday tournaments, including three tournaments right here in Whatcom County.
Lynden Christmas Classic
The annual Lynden Christmas Classic brings together eight of the best girls teams in the region, including Whatcom County’s own Lynden and Lynden Christian, on Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 28-30, at Lynden Christian High School.
The Lions are one of the top ranked Class 2A teams in the state and will open against another 2A state contender, White River. The Lyncs finished second in the Class 1A state tournament last year and will open against Class 4A Inglemoor of Kenmore.
Joining them in the tournament will be Prosser (2A state semifinalist), Olympia (4A state qualifier), Snohomish (3A state power), and Riverside (defending 4A B.C. provincial champion).
Each team will get three games with the semifinals on Friday evening and the trophy games on Saturday. The championship contest will be at 5:15 p.m. Saturday.
Single-day admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students, seniors and military personnel. A tournament pass is $20 for adults and $12 for students, seniors, and military. LC students with ASB cards and children 6 and under are free.
Here’s the schedule:
Thursday, Dec. 28: Prosser vs. Riverside, 3 p.m.; White River vs. Lynden, 4:45 p.m.; Olympia vs. Snohomish, 6:30 p.m.; Inglemoor vs. Lynden Christian, 8:15 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 29: Prosser-Riverside loser vs. White River-Lynden loser, 2 p.m., Olympia-Snohomish loser vs. Inglemoor-Lynden Christian loser, 3:45; Prosser-Riverside winner vs. White River-Lynden winner, 5:30 p.m., Olympia-Snohomish winner vs. Inglemoor-Lynden Christian winner, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 30: Consolation game, noon; fourth-place game, 1:45 p.m.; third-place game, 3:30 p.m.; championship game, 5:15 p.m.
Trojan Storm Winter Classic
The annual Trojan Storm Classic hosted by Meridian and Squalicum will feature 18 boys and girls teams on Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 28-30. All the games will be play at Meridian High School’s north and south gyms.
Joining both the Trojans and Storm from Whatcom County will be the Blaine girls and the Lynden Christian boys (just on Saturday).
Other boys teams will be Bellevue Christian, Overlake, Centralia, Nathan Hale (just Thursday), Sequim (Friday and Saturday), Steilacoom, and Sultan. The girls tournament will include Overlake, Bellevue Christian, Friday Harbor, Sultan, and Stanwood .
Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for students/seniors. (No passes are accepted.) Here are the schedules:
BOYS TOURNAMENT
Thursday, Dec. 28: Bellevue Christian vs. Squalicum, noon (north gym); Overlake vs. Centralia, 2 p.m. (south); Meridian vs. Nathan Hale, 4 p.m. (north); Steilacoom vs. Sultan, 6 p.m. (south).
Friday, Dec. 29: Bellevue Christian-Squalicum winner vs. Overlake-Centralia winner, 4 p.m. (north); Meridian vs. Steilacoom-Sultan winner, 6 p.m. (north); Sequim vs. Overlake-Centralia loser, 4 p.m. (south); Bellevue Christian-Squalicum loser vs. Steilacoom-Sultan loser, 6 p.m. (south)
Saturday, Dec. 30: Lynden Christian vs. consolation team, 6 p.m. (south); fourth-place game, 4 p.m. (south); third-place game, noon (north); championship game, 4 p.m. (north)
GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Thursday, Dec. 28: Overlake vs. Blaine, noon (south); Bellevue Christian vs. Squalicum, 2 p.m. (north); Friday Harbor vs. Sultan, 4 p.m. (south); Stanwood vs. Meridian, 6 p.m. (north).
Friday, Dec. 29: Overlake-Blaine winner vs. Bellevue Christian-Squalicum winner, noon (north); Friday Harbor-Sultan winner vs. Stanwood-Meridian winner, 2 p.m. (north); Overlake-Blaine loser vs. Bellevue Christian-Squalicum loser, noon (south); Friday Harbor-Sultan loser vs. Stanwood-Meridian loser, 2 p.m. (south).
Saturday, Dec. 30: consolation game, noon (south); fourth-place game, 2 p.m. (south); third-place game, 2 p.m. (north); championship game, 6 p.m. (north).
Top of the Peak Holiday Tournament
The prestigious Top of the Peak Holiday Tournament will feature many of the top girls teams in the state, including defending Class 1A state champion Nooksack Valley. It will run Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 27-29, at Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish.
The Pioneers will open with Seattle Prep, one of the top teams in the vaunted 3A Metro League, on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The schedule for the final two days will depend on who wins and loses. Last year, Nooksack Valley suffered its only loss of the season in the Top of the Peak by two points to Tahoma, which would go on to finish third in the 4A state tournament.
Other teams entered this year are Arlington (fifth at 3A state last season), Mead (third at 3A state), King’s (fifth at Class 1A), Emerald Ridge (sixth at 4A state), Lake City (No.2 ranked in Idaho 5A), and host Glacier Peak.
Mount Vernon Christian Holiday Tournament
The Lummi Nation boys and girls and the Blaine boys will head south for the Mount Vernon Christian Holiday Tournament on Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 28-30, at Mount Vernon Christian High School.
On Thursday at 9 a.m., the Lummi Nation girls face the host Crusaders, who took third at 1B state last year; the Blaine boys open against Mount Vernon Christian, a 1B state qualifier last season, at 10:30 a.m.; and the Lummi Nation boys take on Mossyrock, which took fourth at 1B state last year, at 5:30 p.m.
Also in the boys tournament are Adna (2B state qualifier),Neah Bay (1B state qualifier), Orcas Island (sixth at 1B state), Wahkiakum (2B state qualifier), and host Mount Vernon Christian (1B state qualifier).
Also in the girls tournament are Crosspoint, a 1B state qualifier last year, and Mossyrock, the 1B state runner-up last season.
Wilbur-Ellis Sundome Shootout
The Lynden and Nooksack Valley boys are participating in one of the state’s biggest tournaments, the Wilbur-Ellis Sundome Shootout in Yakima on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 28 and 29.
The Pioneers and Lions will face Yakima Valley 1A powers Toppenish and Zillah, respectively, at 12:30 and 5 p.m. on Thursday. On Friday at noon, Lynden takes on Mark Morris in a rematch of last year’s 2A state final and Nooksack Valley meets Quincy.
Also in the boys tournament are Prosser, West Valley (Yakima), Selah, Enumclaw, and Anacortes and Lakewood from the NWC.
Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament
The Lynden Christian and Sehome boys are at the Mountlake Terrace Holiday Tournament on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 28 and 29, at Mountlake Terrace High School.
On Thursday, the Lyncs will take on North Creek at 6 p.m. and the Mariners will face the host Hawks at 7:30 p.m. The teams will switch opponents and times on Friday with Sehome playing North Creek at 6 p.m. and LC meeting Mountlake Terrace at 7:30 p.m.
Other teams in the tournament are Skyline, Prairie, Inglewood, and Seattle Academy.
Holiday Classic
The Sehome girls are participating in the Holiday Classic in Portland, Ore., on Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 28-30. The 16-team tournament is divided into two eight-team brackets and the Mariners will play in the Sapphire Bracket at McDaniel High School.
Sehome opens against Mountainside of Beaverton, Ore., on Thursday at 5 p.m. and depending on the outcome will play either La Salle of Milwaukie, Ore., or Wells of Portland on Friday.
Boys non-tournament games
Thursday, Dec. 28: Cascade (Everett) at Ferndale
Friday, Dec. 29: Bellingham at Marysville-Getchell
Saturday, Dec. 30: Sequim at Bellingham
Girls non-tournament games
Thursday, Dec. 28: Ferndale at Holy Names
Friday, Dec. 29: Bellingham at Marysville-Getchell
