HEALTHSOUTH CLASSIC DETECTS STRONG PULSE; GIRLS TOURNAMENT SHOWCASES STRENGTH OF AREA TEAMS

Outside of the state championships -- which he knows a lot about -- Jackson High girls basketball coach Ron Cook believes the HealthSouth Holiday Classic offers about the best competition a tournament possibly could.

"It's a really good tournament, almost like a state tournament," said Cook.

The third annual HealthSouth Holiday Classic, featuring eight of the area's top girls teams, will be held today, Thursday and Friday at the Show Me Center.

Jackson, which has finished second in the Class 4A state tourney the past three seasons, is seeded first with a 3-0 record. But even though the Lady Indians again made it to the state championship game last year, they didn't get past the semifinals of the HealthSouth.

"There are always so many good teams in the tournament, so it's really challenging," said Cook. "It's been good for girls basketball in this area and that's the whole idea, to promote girls basketball. It gives the girls a chance to play in the Show Me Center, just like the guys."

Poplar Bluff, the defending tourney champion, is seeded second. The Lady Mules are 5-2. Cape Central, the third seed, is 5-1. Those two teams, along with Jackson, make up a rugged local 4A district.

"It's always a really tough tournament," said Cape Central coach Darrick Smith. "Everybody knows how good Jackson and Poplar Bluff always are but then the other teams are also usually really strong. We're looking forward to it."

Perryville (2-3) is seeded fourth, followed by Notre Dame (4-4), Scott County Central (2-3), Scott City (5-0) and Kelly (6-1).

"There is some great competition," said Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim, whose team upset Jackson in last year's semifinals before losing to Poplar Bluff in the finals. "It's always a big test, especially for the smaller schools."

Today's action will feature four first-round games: Jackson vs. Kelly at 4 p.m.; Poplar Bluff vs. Scott City at 5:30; Cape Central vs. Scott Central at 7; and Perryville vs. Notre Dame at 8:30.

There will be four more games Thursday, including semifinals at 7 p.m. and 8:30.

The finals are set for Friday, with the seventh-place game at 4 p.m., the fifth-place game at 5:30, the third-place contest at 7 and the championship matchup at 8:30.

Scott City and Kelly, despite being a combined 11-1, are the bottom two seeds. Both coaches welcome the challenge.

"It's a good tournament," said Scott City coach Randy White. "As long as you have a team that can compete with those schools, you're going to learn something. We've been playing well but we have a lot of room for improvement."

Said Kelly coach Curtis Finley, "We've got a young team with no seniors and I don't know if we're ready for a team like Jackson. But my girls have been playing well. I've been really pleased with them."

Cook, even though his team is the top seed, doesn't really know if the Lady Indians rank as much of a favorite.

"I think it's pretty wide open," he said. "Any time you go in tournament like this, where you play three days in a row, it takes a lot out of you."

HealthSouth Holiday Classic

(Show Me Center)

Today's Games

4 p.m. -- Jackson vs. Kelly

5:30 p.m. -- Poplar Bluff vs. Scott City

7 p.m. -- Cape Central vs. Scott County

8:30 p.m. -- Perryville vs. Notre Dame

Thursday's Games

4 p.m. -- Consolation semifinal

5:30 p.m. -- Consolation semifinal

7 p.m. -- Championship semifinal

8:30 p.m. -- Championship semifinal

Friday's Games

4 p.m. -- Seventh place

5:30 p.m. -- Fifth place

7 p.m. -- Third place

8:30 p.m. -- Championship