By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — It’s tournament week. Wellington, Belle Plaine and Conway Springs boys teams are off to Chaparral for the Roadrunner Tournament Classic, while the other Sumner County teams have completed the first round of the South-Central Border League Tournament.

Lots of basketball ahead this week…

Chaparral Basketball Tournament (See tournament bracket here)

Wellington, Conway Springs and Belle Plaine have been going to the Chaparral Roadrunner Classic for more than a decade now and nobody is complaining. There isn’t a better concession stand out there with its homemade pies and assorted food.

“This is the one tournament where every team is treated like royalty,” said Brian Buchanan, Wellington head boys basketball coach. “They really do a good job with this tournament.” 

Wellington hopes to defend its tournament championship status. Last year, the Crusaders were tournament champions after unseating Kingman in overtime in 2014, 79-77.

It was one of the most entertaining high school games played last year. Wellington had lost to Kingman in the Kingman Tournament earlier last season by 30 or so points but came back to win in an overtime thriller.

This year, Wellington has an interesting matchup to begin the tournament. The Crusaders will be hosting No. 8 seed Arkansas City tonight at 6 p.m. Yes, the Bulldogs are 1-8 but they are the biggest school there and have been playing nothing but 5A and 6A competition.

“It’s a tough draw,” Buchanan said. “We need to be on our game – especially on the defensive side of the ball. We haven’t always played great defense lately.”

Wellington is coming off a big 59-40 win over El Dorado which broke a three-game losing streak. The Crusaders are 6-4 and would like to get some momentum going before February.

“We don’t exactly have the easiest non-league schedule,” Buchanan said. “After Chaparral we play Buhler, Augusta and Winfield which are very good basketball teams.”

The team the Crusaders may need to watch out for is Conway Springs, which comes into the tournament red hot.

The Cardinals started Christmas break sporting the worst record of any team in the Central Plains League. But since returning to the hardwood in 2015, Conway Springs has rattled off four straight victories – including a big 63-55 victory over Wichita Independent Friday night. Conway Springs is shooting for a Central Plains League title. Of course, Cheney and Wichita Trinity might have something to say about that.

Conway Springs will battle Clearwater at 6 p.m. Thursday in the first round.

Belle Plaine is 3-7 and broke a three-game losing streak Friday with a 43-35 win over Douglass. It will play host Chaparral Thursday night at 8 p.m. in the first round.

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SCBL Tournament update

While the Chaparral tournament is just about ready to get underway, the SCBL Tournament has been going at it for five days now.

Tuesday’s night girls scores were as follows:

Cedar Vale-Dexter 70 Argonia 47

Sedan 62 Oxford 31

Flint hills 40 Central 32

South Haven 50 Caldwell 31.

The schedule for the Thursday and Friday night semifinal games at Cowley County Community College in Ark City are as follows:

Thursday’s games – Boys semifinals (at CCCC):

Consolation round:

4 p.m. – CV-Dexter vs. Sedan.

5:30 p.m. – Argonia vs. Flinthills.

Championship round:

7 p.m. – Caldwell vs. West Elk.

8:30 p.m. – Udall vs. Oxford.

Friday’s games — Girls semifinals (at CCCC):

Consolation round:

4 p.m. — Argonia vs. Caldwell

5:30 p.m. — Oxford vs. Central.

Championship round:

7 p.m. — CV-Dexter vs. South Haven.

8:30 p.m. — Sedan vs. Flinthills,

Boys tournament bracket is here. Girls tournament bracket is here.

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