The East Webster girls will kick off the 12th Mid Mississippi Challenge basketball tournament hosted by Choctaw County Saturday with a 9 a.m. game against the host Lady Chargers.
There will be seven girls games and three boys games. The Choctaw County boys will not be a participant.
The East Webster boys take on Louisville at 10:15 a.m. followed by the Philadelphia and Kossuth girls at 11:30 a.m. and the Ingomar and Louisville girls at 12:45 p.m.
“We have some great match-ups,” said Charger coach and longtime director of the event Gary Beals.
Three defending MHSAA state champions will participate – Coahoma County boys (2A), Choctaw Central girls (3A) and Ingomar girls (2A).
Featured matchups include Pontotoc-Pearl girls, Ingomar-Louisville girls, New Site-Choctaw Central girls and Choctaw Central-Coahoma County boys. Pontotoc and Pearl girls are both 18-1 and Pearl is top ranked in the state by the website MaxPreps.
Ingomar girls are 20-3, Louisville girls 13-2, Coahoma boys 14-2 and Choctaw Central boys 12-4. Choctaw Central girls are 16-1, ranked second in the state and New Site is 17-4. Starkville, which plays Booneville, is 14-1 ranked third in the state.
The tournament sponsor is Dakota Brasher Agency, an Ackerman agency for Alfa Insurance. Tickets are $8.
The 2 p.m. match-up has the Pearl and Pontotoc girls facing off, followed by the Booneville and Puckett girls at 3:15 p.m. and the Starkville and Booneville boys at 4:30 p.m. The Choctaw Central and New Site girls face off at 5:45 p.m. with the Holmes Central and Coahoma County girls playing at 7 pm. and the Choctaw Central and Coahoma boys wrapping up the night at 8:15 p.m.
