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New Christmas tournament tips off Dec. 27

Dec 22, 2021

by Dennis Garcia

ASHEBORO — The Christmas holidays in Randolph County have always meant plenty of shopping, plenty of food and plenty of high school basketball during The Courier-Tribune Christmas Invitational’s 29-year run.

But because of COVID and then other factors, that tournament came to an end a few seasons ago and local basketball teams were forced to find a different way to spend the holidays.
That ends now.

Thanks to a collaboration with Davidson County schools, a new holiday tournament will tip off next week as the first Davidson-Randolph Christmas Classic debuts.

Here's who's competing

Seven girls teams and seven boys teams from Randolph County, along with the teams from Jordan-Matthews, will join eight girls teams and eight boys teams from Davidson County to embark on a holiday tournament, which will be held Dec. 27-29 at Providence Grove High School and Ledford High School.

Each school is scheduled to host eight games a day with every team playing three games in the three-day event.

Games begin at 10 a.m. each day.

“I am excited about it,” said PGHS Athletic Director Calvin Brown, who will be hosting in Randolph County. “It is great to have teams back to playing and get back to what used to be a tradition in Randolph County.”

School officials, including Brown, Asheboro High School Athletic Director Steve Luck and Southwestern Randolph High School AD Chris Chapman had discussions to begin a tournament. Talks with Ledford Athletic Director Donald Palmer resulted in a combined tournament that brought parts of The Courier-Tribune Christmas Invitational along with parts of the Davidson County tournament to one event.
There will be two eight-team tournaments.

“We loved the tournament when it was here and we wanted to do something similar and still give schools the opportunity to play other opponents,” Brown said. “We are going to do things very similar as in the past. We just thought it was a great time to combine the two tournaments. There’s still a chance to play a team from your county, but at least we can guarantee a first-round game against someone new.”

The new setup

Playing at PGHS will be Randleman, Asheboro, Providence Grove, J-M and Davidson County teams Lexington, East Davidson, Central Davidson and West Davidson.

Playing at Ledford High School will be Southwestern Randolph, Eastern Randolph, Wheatmore and Trinity along with Thomasville, Oak Grove, South Davidson and Ledford.

Each site will alternate girls and boys games beginning at 10 a.m. each morning.

“That was a question I had,” Brown said about playing eight games in one day. “But they said it has been done. That does cut the tournament to three days instead of six.”

Brown said all proceeds will be divided among the schools and plans would include rotating the tournament in future years.

“The Christmas tournament was always something really good and this could help us get back to a little normalcy,” Brown said.

The schedule

At Providence Grove High School

Monday
December 27

10 a.m. — (w) Randleman v Lexington
11:30 a.m. — (m) Randleman v Lexington
1 p.m. — (w) Asheboro v E. Davidson
2:30 p.m. — (m) Asheboro v E. Davidson
4 p.m. — (w) Jordan-Matthews v C. Davidson
5:30 p.m. — (m) Jordan-Matthews v C. Davidson
7 p.m. — (w) Providence Grove v W. Davidson
8:30 p.m. — (m) Providence Grove v W. Davidson

Tuesday
December 28

10 a.m. — (w) 7 pm Loser v 1 pm Loser
11:30 a.m. — (m) 8:30 pm Loser v 2:30 pm Loser
1 p.m. — (w) 10 am Loser v 4 pm Loser
2:30 p.m. — (m) 11:30 am Loser v 5:30 pm Loser
4 p.m. — (w) 10 am Winner v 4 pm Winner
5:30 p.m. — (m) 11:30 am Winner v 5:30 pm Winner
7 p.m. — (w) 7 pm Winner v 1 pm Winner
8:30 p.m. — (m) 8:30 pm Winner v 2:30 pm Winner

Wednesday
December 29

10 a.m. — (w) 10 am Loser v 1 pm Loser
11:30 a.m. — (m) 11:30 am Loser v 2:30 pm Loser
1 p.m. — (w) 10 am Winner v 4 pm Loser
2:30 p.m. — (m) 11:30 am Winner v 5:30 pm Loser
4 p.m. — (w) 1 pm Winner v 7 pm Loser
5:30 p.m. — (m) 2:30 pm Winner v 8:30 pm Loser
7 p.m. — (w) 7 pm Winner v 4 pm Winner
8:30 p.m. — (m) 8:30 pm Winner v 5:30 pm Winner

At Ledford High School

Monday
December 27

10 a.m. — (w) Thomasville v SW Randolph
11:30 a.m. — (m) Thomasville v SW Randolph
1 p.m. — (w) Oak Grove v E Randolph
2:30 p.m. — (m) Oak Grove v E Randolph
4 p.m. — (w) S Davidson v Trinity
5:30 p.m. — (m) S Davidson v Trinity
7 p.m. — (w) Ledford v Wheatmore
8:30 p.m. — (m) Ledford v Wheatmore

Tuesday
December 28

Wednesday
December 29