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The 2024 “Doc” Edwards Invitational, sponsored by Willis Knighton Health System, begins Thursday with 33 teams competing.

Games will be played at Airline, Benton, Bossier and Cope Middle School through the first two days. The championship and third-place games and consolation finals will all be played at Airline on Saturday.

The boys bracket features 18 teams with two main draw play-in games that get the tournament started.

Huntington (8-3) will be looking for its third straight boys title. The Raiders edged Airline 51-49 in last year’s title game.

Huntington faces Southwood (4-7) in the first round. The Vikings (3-8) take on Homer (5-2). They are both in the top half of the bracket so there’s no chance they’ll meet in the title game again.

Other teams in the top half are Hornbeck (9-6), Jonesboro-Hodge (2-9), Northwood (5-10) and Mansfield (7-8).

Bossier (3-5) is in the bottom half of the bracket. The Bearkats face the winner between Loyola (5-6) and Haughton (7-5).

Minden (10-0), which has won two tournaments already this season, is also in the bottom half. The Crimson Tide face Ruston (2-3) in the first round.

The bottom half also includes Benton (5-5), which faces the winner between Eunice (6-5) and Ebarb (7-14) in the first round, Ringgold (3-12) and Tupelo (9-3), a Mississippi Class 7A school.

Arcadia (12-2) is back to defend its championship in the 15-team girls division. The Lady Hornets face Converse (5-14) in the first round. 

Arcadia defeated Hornbeck 62-35 in last year’s title game. Hornbeck (5-8) is also back. The Lady Hornets face Minden (6-5)  in the first round.

Airline (8-1) has a good shot at making the championship game. The Lady Vikings received the only first-round bye. They will play the winner between Jonesboro-Hodge (4-9) and Green Oaks (1-11) in the quarterfinals.

Other teams in the top half of the bracket are Cedar Creek (10-2), Homer (6-5), Hornbeck and Minden.

Arcadia is in the bottom half along with Benton (11-5) and Bossier (3-8). The Lady Tigers face North Webster (8-4) and the Lady Kats play Ebarb (9-11) in the first round.

Captain Shreve (12-2)  and Summerfield (15-2), which started the season 13-0, are also in the bottom half.

Thursday’s games

AT AIRLINE 

Hornbeck vs. Minden (girls), 1:30

Minden vs. Ruston (boys), 3

Airline vs. Homer (boys), 4:30

Ringgold vs. Tupelo (boys), 6

AT BENTON

Loyola vs. Haughton (boys), noon

Captain Shreve vs. Summerfield (girls), 1:30

Arcadia vs. Converse (girls), 3

Benton vs. North Webster (girls), 4:30

Benton vs. Eunice-Ebarb winner (boys), 6

AT BOSSIER 

Eunice vs. Ebarb (boys), noon

Bossier vs. Ebarb (girls), 1:30

Southwood vs. Huntington (boys), 3

Cedar Creek vs. Homer (girls), 4:30

Bossier vs. Loyola-Haughton winner (boys), 6

AT COPE 

Jonesboro-Hodge vs. Green Oaks (girls), 1:30

Northwood vs. Mansfield (boys), 3

Jonesboro-Hodge vs. Hornbeck (boys), 4:30

GIRLS BRACKET

BOYS BRACKET

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