BRIEFLY: AREA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SEASON TIPS OFF TONIGHT

The local high school basketball season will open tonight as several area teams play their first games of the 1997-98 campaign.

Many more of the area squads will tip off the season next week.

A boys game tonight will have Leopold visiting Meadow Heights. In girls action, Scott City hosts Woodland, Kelly hosts Delta and Oran entertains Charleston.

Also in girls play, the Perryville Thanksgiving Tournament will be played tonight through Wednesday. Games tonight have Notre Dame facing Farmington at 6 and Perryville taking on St. Pius at 7:30.

A big boys event later in the week will be the New Madrid Riverbend Classic, set for Friday and Saturday. Notre Dame will have one game at New Madrid, playing Meridian, Ill., at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Charleston will have two games, against Seagoville, Texas, at 3 p.m. Friday and against Cairo, Ill., at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.