Prep picks: Winter sports get rolling as December arrives – Arizona Daily Star
Thanksgiving has come and gone, fall sports are officially a thing of the past and December arrives on Tuesday.
It’s time to jump right into winter sports.
Basketball, soccer and wrestling opened up last week with several tournaments around town and regular-season action kicks off Monday.
This week also features Salpointe Catholic’s Brandon Bean Kickoff Classic, which features a total of 30 boys and girls soccer teams and runs through Saturday night.
Here’s a look at what to watch:
MONDAY-SATURDAY
Soccer: Sixteen boys teams and 14 girls teams – mostly from the Tucson area – make up the field of the annual season-opening Brandon Bean Kickoff Classic.
Pool play begins Monday at 4 p.m. at various locations around town, and runs though Wednesday. After a day off, the top teams face off Friday afternoon at Salpointe and those winners play again Saturday; the girls championship match is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. the boys final is set for 7:30 p.m. that night.
The host Lancers take on 2014 Division II state semifinalist Mountain View at 6 p.m. in boys action on Monday while the defending Division III state champion Walden Grove girls travel to play district rival Sahuarita in a 4:30 p.m. match.
TUESDAY
Boys basketball: Coming off a strong outing last week, Sunnyside hosts 2014 Division II runner-up Phoenix Arcadia in its regular-season home opener on Tuesday night. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Senior forward Jacob Inclan was named the MVP of the Salpointe Tipoff Classic last week after averaging 22,8 points and 10.4 rebounds for the Blue Devils, who notched wins against Cienega, Cholla and Ironwood Ridge.
Sunnyside High School forward Jacob Inclan (33) celebrates as he runs down the court after hitting a three pointer against Chartiers Valley High School at Sunnyside High School, 1725 E. Bilby Rd., on Friday, Dec. 12, 2014 in Tucson, Ariz.
Inclan drained three triples and scored a team-high 13 points as Sunnyside topped Phoenix Arcadia on the road last season. The Titans went on to reach the Division II state championship, where they fell to Gilbert Christian.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Wrestling: Sahuaro welcomes 16 teams for this weekend’s William Bell Wrestling Tournament, which begins Friday at 9 a.m. and shoot run into the evening.
Action resumes at 9 a.m. on Saturday with the finals scheduled for 5 p.m. that day. The format of the invitational features head-to-head team matches along with a mini championship for the top wrestlers in each pool.
Along with the host Cougars, Cholla, Catalina, Douglas, Nogales, Palo Verde, Pueblo, Rincon/University, Sabino, Salpointe Catholic, Santa Rita, Tucson High and Walden Grove are the local teams in the field.
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