Refreshed Lady Eagles may be team to beat at Bush's Chicken Holiday Classic
Posted On: Tuesday, Dec. 29 2009 05:36 AM
By Angel Verdejo
Killeen Daily HeraldThe Ellison Lady Eagles are perhaps the area's hottest basketball team, and went into the Christmas break with a 15-2 record, winners of 12 of their last 13 games and a 2-0 start to District 12-5A play.
But with all the momentum the Lady Eagles have built up in their favor, even their coach, Sherry McKinnon, said both she and her team needed a little break. They got that with the holiday, and now the Lady Eagles head into the sixth annual Bush's Chicken Holiday Classic, which begins today at Copperas Cove High School.
"I like the break," McKinnon said. "I love the break for myself and for my kids. The Christmas tournaments just get us back into basketball mode before we regroup and have to go back into our district play."
Ellison will be one of five area schools in the 14-team bracket, as the Lady Eagles join the host Lady Bulldawgs, Killeen, Harker Heights and Temple. Five area schools means nine teams coming in from outside the Killeen-Copperas Cove area, with most making this an overnight tournament.
Schools traveling the farthest to reach Cove include Corpus Christi Moody (282 miles), Whitehouse (220), Fort Bend Clements (209) and Victoria Memorial (190).
It's that component – in addition to the break from district play – that coaches said they enjoyed with tournaments. Copperas Cove coach Richard Herbst said he makes it a point to mix local schools with out-of-area teams for the tournament.
"I'd like to get at least five or six out-of-town teams," Herbst said. "Or enough out-of-the-area teams so you know you're going to get at least one or two games with them."
It's the point of tournaments, coaches said. Cove went to San Antonio to play in the Lone Star Invitational earlier this season, while Ellison couldn't make a return trip to the Polk-Key City Tournament in Abilene this year, but instead played a nondistrict game at Amarillo Palo Duro, which counted as the team's overnight trip.
Harker Heights went to Beaumont earlier this month and took second place at the Young Men's Business League/Beaumont ISD Tournament.
"You see a different style of basketball with the different teams," McKinnon said. "Their offenses; their defenses. It gives our kids a chance to look at a totally different type of basketball."
The teams are different but one constant has remained since the first classic in 2004 – the Lady Dawgs playing for first place. In five years, Cove has reached the final four times, only missing the championship game in 2005.
Cove is 2-2 in championship games, beating Temple 51-36 last year and winning the 2006 title over Austin Akins. The Lady Dawgs lost to Harker Heights in 2007 and to Arlington Bowie, the tournament's only repeat champion, in 2004.
All of today's opening-round games will be played at the main gym. Cove plays the final first-round game, facing Austin Akins at 7:30 p.m. Ellison plays San Marcos (10:30 a.m.), Killeen faces Victoria Memorial (1:30 p.m.) and Harker Heights plays Whitehouse (noon).
Games on Wednesday and Thursday will be split between the main and secondary gyms.
"I think it will be a good chance for us to build a little momentum to the rest of the district race," Herbst said.
Contact Angel Verdejo at
averdejo@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7564.