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This Saturday, Nov. 11, Pike Liberal Arts School will host its inaugural Junior High Basketball Tournament.

The tournament will feature Pike Lib, Zion Chapel, Ariton, Elba, Georgiana, Geneva, highland Home and G.W. Long on the boys side, while Pike Lib, Georgiana and G.W. Long will play on the girls side. Pike Lib basketball coach Jonny Mitchell said that the boys will play be guaranteed at least two games in the tournament with there being a championship bracket and a consolation bracket. The girls will play in a round robin format.

“I’ve been talking with coaches over the last few years – since I was at Highland Home – about doing a year-end junior high tournament,” Mitchell said. “The way junior high is set up there really isn’t enough time with the junior high kids. There’s just one gym and not enough coaches. So, once football is over and you get into varsity, it’s hard to give (junior high) the time they need.

“They don’t get as many games, so we want to give them something to play for at the end of the year and have something to look forward to.”

Mitchell said he hopes the tournament becomes a yearly event and that it can expand in future years, especially on the girls side. The tournament will feature an All-Tournament Team and the teams will play for a trophy at the end.

The Junior High Tournament will be played all day Saturday at both the First Baptist Church Gym in Troy and at Pike Lib. In the boys tournament, Elba and GW Long will open up at 8 a.m. followed by Pike Lib vs. Zion Chapel at 9 a.m. Both of those games will be played at Pike Lib, while Ariton vs. Highland Home at 8 a.m. and Georgiana vs. Geneva at 9 a.m. will take place at First Baptist Church.

The semifinals games – at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. – will both take place at Pike Lib. The consolation bracket will also see two semifinal games played at 3 and 4 p.m. at Pike Lib followed by the championship game at Pike Lib at 5 p.m. The girls will play in a round robin style tournament, as well.