Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament tips off Tuesday

Is it possible for one sporting event to capture the intense rivalries of the NFL, Cinderella possibilities of March Madness and exuberance of the Little League World Series at the same time?

Yes. Yes, it is.

The annual Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament brings together 16 area high school boys basketball teams for five days of hardwood action. This year's tournament kicks off Tuesday, Dec. 26, with all teams in action at the Show Me Center. Top-seeded Cape Girardeau Central will square off with No. 16 Delta in the opening game at 9 a.m. No. 2 seed Jackson and No. 15 Bell City follow at 10:30 a.m., with games continuing until the 9 p.m. nightcap between eighth-seeded Scott City and ninth-seeded Oran.

Games will continue through championship and consolation brackets until the tournament final -- set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30. (There are no high school games on Friday, Dec. 29, as the SEMO Redhawks have a home double-header.)

Many of these teams see each other on a regular basis, and some of them are on a collision course to meet again in the tournament. Notre Dame and Cape Central could meet in the third round, and the same goes for Jackson and Charleston. Because the tournament has a consolation bracket, there are lots of chances for old foes to see each other.

As the old saying goes, games get decided on the court -- not in the seeding room -- so look for some underdogs to make some noise. This year, keep an eye on Woodland in the top half of the bracket and Chaffee in the bottom. If they get on a roll, another old saying comes to mind -- on any given night, who knows?

And for sheer sports excitement, it's difficult to beat high school sports. Community bragging rights are at stake, and those fierce battles often span generations, with parents and grandparents cheering on their youngsters as they recall their playing days.

Keep up with all the highlights in the Southeast Missourian and at semoball.com.

So, good luck to all 16 teams, and let the games begin!