Blog

By Jim Wieners

For the 62nd year St. Francis Borgia Regional Catholic High School — located in Washington, Mo. — will be hosting a Boys Basketball Tournament during Thanksgiving Week and for the fifth consecutive year McCluer North will be a participant.

McCluer North, who won tournament titles in 2010 and last year (2013-Blue Division), begins its run for a second straight title, their third overall, Nov. 24 with a 7 p.m. Blue Division Pool A game against Carnahan High School of the Future. The top-seeded overall Stars play their second Pool A game Nov. 28 (Black Friday) 6 p.m. against Normandy, former rivals from the now former Suburban North Conference. The other Blue Division Pool A game is Carnahan versus Normandy, Nov. 26 at 5:30.

Also In the Blue Division Cardinal Ritter — defending Class Three State Champions, Blue Division Runner Up to McCluer North a year ago and the fourth overall seed — is in Pool B along with Pacific and Rockwood-Summit. Ritter tips off the tournament Nov. 24 with a 5:30 game against Rockwood Summit, who will play Nov. 26, 7 p.m. against Pacific, who wraps up Pool B play Nov. 28, 7 p.m. against Ritter.

All Blue Division teams will play Nov. 29. The Championship game is at 6 p.m., the third-place game is at 4:30 and the fifth-place game is at 12 noon. Last year McCluer North defeated Rockwood-Summit, 87-47, Carnahan, 86-54 and Cardinal Ritter, 72-70 in overtime. It was the only tournament won by McCluer North, who was 17-8 last season and was a district runner up to Class Five Fourth-Place finisher Hazelwood Central.

Meanwhile North Tech will make their first appearance at Borgia and the Golden Eagles, seeded sixth overall, will play in the Gold Division and in Pool D. North plays Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving Eve) at 8:30 against Union and Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Day [night]) at 7:30 against the host Borgia Knights, Gold Division Runner Up last year. Borgia also plays Union Nov. 25 at 7:30.

Pool C has defending Gold Division Champion Washington, defending Class Five State Champion CBC and 2011-2012 Class Four State Champion Soldan-International Studies. CBC, seeded second overall plays Nov. 24 at 8:30 against Washington, who then plays Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. against Soldan, who then plays CBC Nov. 27 at 6 p.m.

All Gold Division teams play Nov. 29. The championship game, the final game of the tournament, is at 7:30, the third-place game is at 3 p.m. and the fifth-place game is at 1:30.

North Tech will then play in then play in the Winfield Tournament, Dec. 1-5, where the Golden Eagles were 2-1 the last two years and will be in the Lutheran St. Charles County Cougar Classic, Dec. 18-20, where they took first place the last two years. North Tech, 20-7 in each of the last two years, will not be going back to the Orchard Farm Tournament where they won the last two years.

TRINITY CATHOLIC TOURNAMENT — After playing in the Valley Park Tournament at least the last seven years, winning four of the last five, Trinity Catholic will host a four-team round robin tournament Dec. 1, 3, 5 with Metro, Confluence Prep Academy Charter and St. Louis Priory, teams that played at the Valley Park Tournament. Trinity will play at 7 p.m. against Metro on Dec. 1, Confluence Prep on Dec. 3 and Priory on Dec. 5. Also there will be 5 p.m. games including Confluence Prep vs. Priory Dec. 1, Metro vs. Priory Dec. 3 and Metro vs. Confluence Prep.

OTHER SEASON-OPENING TOURNAMENTS INCLUDE Hazelwood Central at the St. John Vianney Jerry Boeckman Memorial, as defending champions, Dec. 1-5, Hazelwood East at the Troy-Buchanan Tournament, Dec. 1-5, Hazelwood West at the Webster Groves Classic, Dec. 11-13, McCluer at the Pattonville Tournament, Dec. 1-5 and Lutheran North at the St. Charles West Warrior Classic, Dec. 8-12. All of the teams are returning to these tournaments.

ALSO On Nov. 25 Hazelwood West hosts Cleveland Naval Jr. ROTC at 6:30 and Trinity visits Lutheran St. Charles County in an Archdiocesan Athletic Association opener at 8 p.m.

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