By Robert Hudson

The Selma Times-Journal

 

A pair of local boys basketball teams are preparing to give the community some entertainment to go along with its turkey dinners.

The Selma High Thanksgiving Tournament will be held Nov. 24-26 at Wallace Community College-Selma.

Selma High is hosting the tournament that includes the local Southside High School Panthers as well.

“This is the fourth annual Thanksgiving tournament,” said Woodie Jackson, head coach of Selma High School basketball. “Normally on Thanksgiving Day, you have a lot of people from out of town visiting including former players, relatives and former students, and with nothing to do in the afternoon, we start playing at 5 p.m. so they can come out. Normally, we have a big turnout … they come out and enjoy some good Black Belt basketball.”

The tournament will feature three games a day, with games starting at 5 p.m.

Other teams participating in the tournament include Wilcox-Central High School, Bessemer City High School, Greene County High School and Central-Hayneville High School.

Southside head basketball coach Cedric Brown said the tournament will give alumni and fans returning home for the holidays a chance to see their old school play.

“It will give the community a chance to see us over the break,” Brown said. “People that are coming home for the Thanksgiving break, they’ll get a chance to see us as well as those that are already here. It will mean a lot for some people who haven’t seen us in a while.”

Jackson said not only will playing three nights in a row build character, it will also give his team a chance see if its adjustments work sooner rather than later.

“I like it because it makes it very competitive,” Jackson said. “After the first night, you see some of the things you need to work on, you need to do and you come right back the next night and try to make those adjustments. To me, it gets you ready for that long, tough season.”

Brown said he’s looking for his team to be focused and gain some experience that could be vital over the course of the season.

“We want to keep our focus on the goal that’s at hand,” Brown said. “We’re going to try and play some guys that don’t really get a chance to play a whole lot to get them some experience against some quality teams.”

The tournament will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 25 with Greene County against Bessemer City, followed by Wilcox Central versus Southside at 6:30 p.m. and Selma versus Central-Hayneville at 8 p.m. The tourney will resume Friday at 5 p.m. with Wilcox Central versus Central-Hayneville, followed by Greene County versus Southside at 6:30 p.m. and Selma versus Bessemer City at 8 p.m.

The tournament concludes on Saturday with Bessemer City versus Wilcox Central at 5 p.m., followed by Greene County against Central-Hayneville at 6:30 p.m., all leading up to rivals Selma and Southside facing off at 8 p.m.