The second half of the holiday season tips off tonight, as 16 teams vie for the Hooters Holiday Shootout title and others, like Class 2A, No. 1-ranked Admiral Farragut and 5A, No. 4 Clearwater head out of town for tournaments.
Four Pinellas County schools compete at Hooters, which has 4, 5:30, 7 and 8:30 p.m. games at two sites: Boca Ciega High and the Times Bayfront Center.
Lakewood, the last county team to win the Hooters championship (in 1999), plays Cypress Creek at the Bayfront Center at 5:30 p.m. East Lake, Boca Ciega and Gibbs play today as well.
The tournament continues Saturday, and after a day off returns Monday with the semifinals. The final is Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Bayfront Center.
Admission is $5 for each session, which includes four games today.
Admiral Farragut, listed as the best team in 2A when the Florida Sportswriters Association poll came out Monday, plays at the prestigious Kingdom of the Sun tournament in Ocala, which is in its 30th year.
The Blue Jackets play Mitchell, a state semifinal team in Memphis last season, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. A potential second-round match-up against Bakersfield features 7-foot-2 Robert Swift. A potential NBA lottery pick if he decides to skip college, Swift is considered the premier player this year at the Kingdom of the Sun.
Clearwater is the lone Florida team playing in the 8-team red bracket at the KSA Holiday Boys tournament at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. The Tornadoes take on Chartiers (Pa.) Valley Saturday at 4:15.
Keswick celebrates the 19th year of its Suncoast Classic tournament, which begins Saturday and includes Shorecrest, Calvary Christian and Tarpon Springs. The final is Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.
