With Christmas right around the corner, the time for high school basketball tournaments has arrived.
Sampson County teams are getting prepared to take on their rivals in some good old fashion winter tourney action. All teams will be competing from Wednesday to Friday in various different tournaments in this county and elsewhere, each going for a early championship Christmas present for their respective schools.
The tournaments will be in a single-elimination format with all teams playing their opponents one after the other. The winners of day one will move on to the second day for the championship game.
The Spartans of Union start things off first out of the local schools, playing on Wednesday on the road in the North Johnston Christmas Tourney. They’ll be taking on the 5-7 Falls Lake Academy Firebirds.
Then the Dark Horses men head to Triton on Thursday where they will part take in the Triton Tournament. Their opponent to open things up will be against the 5-2 Cougars of Wake Forest.
Everyone else will be facing off against each other head to head in the Hobbton Classic on Thursday. This includes the Midway Raiders men and women, the men and women of the Lakewood Leopards and the host Hobbton Wildcat teams.
The last local team is the Clinton Lady Dark Horses, who kick off the start of the tournament battling the host team in the Wildcats. After, the Raiders men take on the last guest team, the 4-7 C.B. Aycock Golden Falcons, followed by the Lady Raiders versus the Lady Leopards. Then the boys will close out day one with Hobbton going against the Lakewood.
Of note, one of the well-known annual holiday traditions in Sampson County regularly hosted by the Spartans, the Nathan Gay Classic, will not be happening at Union this year — and may not take place at all.
“It is my understanding that the Nathan Gay Classic is not taking place this year, at least not at Union,” said Union head coach Colt Pierce. “I believe this decision was made last year between the principal and athletic director.”
