TOURNAMENT PLAY HIGHLIGHTS THE START OF DECEMBER

TODAY, WEDNESDAY: The Rockets welcome the high-scoring Pacers to Toyota
Center for a 7:00pm start, Houston’s final home game before a three-game swing
to the Lakers, Jazz and Trail Blazers. The Rockets opened the week with the best
record in the Western Conference with a 15-4 record that is also the second-best in
the NBA behind the Celtics’ 18-3 mark. Indiana has cooled off after a strong start,
but still own an 11-9 record on the strength of their 108.3 points per game. AT&T
Sportsnet will have the game beginning with the pregame show at 6:30pm.
TOMORROW, THURSDAY: The 60th annual Peggy Whitley Girls Basketball
Tournament begins as all three of the area’s state-ranked teams will be in action
over the course of the next three days. State-ranked Clear Creek, Clear Falls and
Hitchcock will be joined by Clear Brook, Clear Springs and Galveston Ball as games
will be played in both the Butler and Carlisle Gyms on the campus of Clear Creek
High School.
A host of other area girls teams will be in tournament action, as Dickinson travels to
Fort Worth to take part in the FWISD Cowtown Classic, while Friendswood will take
part in the Pasadena Sam Rayburn Classic. La Marque’s girls will be in the YMBL
Tournament in Beaumont, with Santa Fe participating in the Academy Lady Bee
Tournament in Little River, while Texas City heads out to take part in the Arlington
Tournament.
Clear Lake High School will be the site for the annual Carlisle-Krueger Boys
Basketball Tournament, with Clear Brook, Clear Creek, Clear Falls, Clear Springs,
Hitchcock and Texas City among the teams taking part of the three-day event.
Meanwhile, Friendswood will be in the Needville Tournament.
FRIDAY: Friendswood, the area’s only high school football team to survive last
week’s area round play, places its state title hopes on the line when the 9-3 Mustangs
meet undefeated Cy-Fair (11-0) at TDECU Stadium on the campus of the University
of Houston. The key to Friendswood advancing another week will be stopping
Bobcats running back Trenton Kennedy, who has rushed for 1,418 yards and nine
touchdowns this season. Kennedy is also a sought-after back, with Air Force, Army,
Purdue and Tulane having already offered the senior workhorse.
In boys basketball action, Brazoswood Christian is at La Marque and Santa Fe at
Sam Rayburn are each 7:00pm tips.
The Texas City swimming team will also be in action as they head to Brazosport for
a meet.
SATURDAY: With tournament play ending for the varsity boys and girls basketball
teams involved, future area hoops stars are also taking part in tourneys, as the Texas
City ninth grade boys basketball team concludes the tournament it hosted at the
Texas City high school gym. Tennis fans should head out to the Manvel high school
courts at 9:00am as a host of area junior high school teams will take part in a meet
that will feature some potential future stars for the likes of Friendswood and Texas
City.