JOURNAL SPORTS
The annual signature local high school basketball event of the non-district schedule, Airline High School’s “Doc” Edwards Invitational, gets a busy three-day run going today at four different sites.
The tournament features 15 girls teams and 18 boys squads, most from the area. Five local girls teams – Airline, Benton, Bossier, Captain Shreve and Green Oaks – are playing. In the boys bracket, Airline, Benton, Bossier, Haughton, Huntington, Loyola, Northwood and Southwood are the local teams. Tupelo (Miss.) will compete in the boys division.
Games will take place at Airline, Bossier, Benton and Cope Middle School. Admission is $10 for daily access to games at any site, as long as the patron picks up a wristband while paying.
Championship, consolation finals and third place games will wrap up the competition on Saturday at Airline.
The Huntington boys (8-3) are two-time defending champions. Winning last year’s “Doc” Edwards title was a season highlight for the always strong Raiders, who finished 15-13 with a first-round state playoff exit.
Arcadia (12-2) is the defending girls champion. Last year, the tournament title was part of a 33-3 season that finished with a Non-Select Division IV state title for the Lady Hornets.
Opening-round girls games today involving local teams are Benton (11-5) hosting North Webster at 4:30, Bossier (3-8) hosting Ebarb at 1:30, Captain Shreve (12-2) against Summerfield (15-2) in a 1:30 showcase game at Benton, and Green Oaks (1-11) against Jonesboro-Hodge at Cope at 1:30. Airline (8-1) hosts the winner of that game Friday at noon.
Two first-round boys contests pair local teams. Huntington meets Southwood (4-7) in a 3 p.m. game at Bossier. Haughton (7-5) plays Loyola (5-6) in Benton at noon.
Other games today in the boys’ bracket: Airline (3-8) hosts Homer at 4:30, Benton (5-5) hosts the Eunice/Ebarb winner at 6, Bossier (3-5) plays at home at 6 against the Loyola-Haughton victor, and Northwood (5-10) meets Mansfield at Cope at 3.
The brackets divide into championship and consolation fields after the opening round. Follow Journal high school basketball writer Preston Edwards on X at @peedee1906 to track the tournament progress.