Brentwood girls ready to defend host tournament title
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Friday, December 1, 2017 | 11:00 PM
Preseason drills are winding down.
It soon will be time for the annual Brentwood High Athletic Boosters' tip-off basketball tournament.
This year's tourney will take place Friday and Saturday (Dec. 8-9) at both the high school and middle school gyms at Brentwood.
Brentwood, Carrick, Steel Valley and Northgate will vie for the boys championship; Brentwood, Carrick, Steel Valley and Beaver Falls will compete for the girls championship.
The Brentwood girls team and Steel Valley boys team are the defending tournament champions.
Opening night features a Brentwood-Carrick boys and girls doubleheader.
“It should be another great tournament this year,” said Bob Bauer, president of the Brentwood High Athletic Boosters. “The returning champions for both the boys and girls will be looking to defend.
“The Brentwood boys team is returning all of its players from last year, and the Lady Spartans should be solid once again. Also, the Beaver Falls girls team, which made the playoffs last season, is in this year's tournament.”
Friday's first-round schedule is as follows:
• At 6 p.m., the Brentwood and Carrick girls will play in the high school gym. The Northgate and Steel Valley boys will play in the middle school gym.
• At 8 p.m., the Brentwood and Carrick boys will play in the high school gym. The Steel Valley and Beaver Falls girls will play in the middle school gym.
The following day, the girls' consolation game will be held at 1 p.m., followed by the boys' consolation game at 3 p.m.
The girls championship game will take place at 5 p.m., followed by the boys' championship game at 7 p.m.
All games Saturday will be held in the high school gym.
“The tournament has been one of the boosters' largest fundraisers throughout the years,” Bauer said. “We should have big crowds for both days and nights.”
Brentwood's Stephanie Thomas and Steel Valley's Ja'Mier Fletcher were named the most valuable players of last year's tournament.
DeAngelo Brisco and Morgan Dryburgh of Brentwood were all-tournament selections. Both are senior forwards this year.
The Brentwood girls have won four consecutive tournament titles, defeating Brashear, Carlynton and Avonworth (twice) in the past four championship games.
The Spartans cruised past Carrick, 51-20, and Brashear, 54-40, in last year's tournament.
“We have won our tip-off tournament for the past four years, so hopefully this (year) will be the fifth,” Dryburgh said. “The teams have changed, but I believe this will not affect us.
“I am extremely excited for the season because I think it will be a good senior year. I love my team and I know if we work hard we can be successful.”
The Brentwood boys struggled out of the gate last season, losing to Carrick, 57-45, and Northgate, 51-48, in the tip-off event.
The Brentwood and Beaver Falls girls teams advanced to the postseason playoffs in 2016-17, as did the Steel Valley and Carrick boys teams.
Tickets for the tip-off event will be available at the door at a cost of $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens.
Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.
Tags: Brentwood
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