By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports
The “Doc” Edwards Invitational gets under way today at three different sites as the final weekend of the 2023 basketball season winds down with the tournament that features 15 girls teams and 14 boys squads from the area.
Tournament host Airline will be home to six games, Benton High six games and Cope Middle School two today.
Championship, consolation finals and third place games will wrap up the competition on Saturday at Airline.
Both champions from last year’s tournament are back to defend their titles. Gibsland-Coleman got past Benton, 50-43, in last year’s girls championship. Huntington beat Bossier, 79-70, in the boys final.
Benton’s girls are 9-8 and are led by sophomore Avery Ryan. Gibsland-Coleman brings a 6-9 mark into this year’s tournament and led by junior Samora Sampson, last year’s girls MVP of the tournament.
Benton opens the tournament with Zwolle (6-14) on its home floor at 6 p.m.
Other top girls teams in the field include Airline (11-4), Hornbeck (12-6), Northwood (11-7) and Arcadia (15-7).
The Lady Vikes, led by first-year coach Tucker Cox, are led by Kezyriah Sykes and will play Loyola (3-8) at 4:30 today to start the tournament. Northwood faces 1-1A power Arcadia at 1:30 at Cope Middle.
Bossier’s boys return with a 9-5 mark and will face Gibsland-Coleman (9-6) today in a first-round game at noon at Airline. Jevon Johnson recently reached the 1,000-point mark while leading the Bearkats.
Airline (6-7) will play Loyola (2-7) at 6 p.m. before Huntington (8-5) faces off with Ringgold (12-5) in the final game of the day at Airline set for 7:30 p.m. Haughton (7-8) will play Minden (7-3) in the first boys game at Benton that begins at 1:30. The host Tigers (8-7) entertain Northwood (7-5) at 7:30.
Here is a complete schedule for the tournament.
Thursday’s games
GIRLS
At Airline
G3: Hornbeck (12-6) vs. Homer (4-5), 1:30 p.m.
G9: Airline (11-4) vs. Loyola (3-8), 4:30 p.m.
At Benton
G2: Ebarb (3-16) vs. BTW (7-9), noon
G10: Captain Shreve (6-6) vs. Minden (6-6), 4:30 p.m.
G12: Benton (9-8) vs. Zwolle (6-14), 6 p.m.
At Cope Middle School
G5: Northwood (11-7) vs. Arcadia (15-7), 1:30 p.m.
G8: Bossier (8-9) vs. East Beauregard (10-8), 3 p.m.
Gibsland-Coleman (6-9) – Bye
BOYS
At Airline
G1: Bossier (9-5) vs. Gibsland-Coleman (9-6), noon
G6: BTW (8-4) vs. Hornbeck (8-10), 3 p.m.
G11: Airline (6-7) vs. Loyola (2-8), 6 p.m.
G13: Huntington (8-5) vs. Ringgold (12-5), 7:30 p.m.
At Benton
G4: Haughton (7-8) vs. Minden (7-3), 1:30 p.m.
G7: Homer (1-2) vs. Ebarb (10-11), 3 p.m.
G14: Benton (8-7) vs. Northwood (7-5), 7:30 p.m.
Friday’s games
At Airline
BOYS
G15: loser G11 vs. loser G6, 9 a.m.
G26: winner G11 vs. winner G6, 3 p.m.
G:34: winner G26 vs. winner G21, 7:30 p.m.
GIRLS
G17: loser G9 vs. loser G2, 10:3 a.m.
G20: winner G5 vs. Gibsland-Coleman, noon
G23: winner G9 vs. G2, 1:30 p.m.
G28: winner G17 vs. G26, 4:30 p.m.
G31: winner G23 vs. winner G22, 6 p.m.
At Benton
BOYS
G18: loser G1 vs. loser G4, 10:30 a.m.
G21: winner G1 vs. winner G4, noon
G27: winner G13 vs. winner G7, 3 p.m.
G35: winner G27 vs. winner G14, 7:30 p.m.
GIRLS
G16: loser G3 vs. loser G8, 9 a.m.
G24: winner G12 vs. G10, 1:30 p.m.
G29: winner G19 vs. loser G5, 4:30 p.m.
G32: winner G24 vs. winner G20, 6 p.m.
At Cope Middle School
GIRLS
G19: loser G12 vs. loser G10, 10:30 a.m.
G22: winner G3 vs. winner G8, noon
BOYS
G25: loser G13 vs. loser G7, 1:30 p.m.
G30: winner G15 s. winner G18, 4:30 p.m.
G33: winner G25 vs. loser G14, 6 p.m.
Saturday’s games
At Airline
GIRLS
Consolation championship, noon
Third place, 4:30 p.m.
Championship, 6 p.m.
BOYS
Consolation championship, 1:30 p.m.
Third place, 4:30 p.m.
Championship, 7:30 p.m.