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The Freedom girls basketball team celebrates after defeating Concord Academy in the championship game of the Freedom Christmas Invitational last year in Â鶹´«Ã½.
One of Burke County’s most-celebrated high school sports events is ready to celebrate its golden anniversary.
The 50th annual Freedom Christmas Invitational, adorned with a new title sponsor in Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Foothills Marine, will take place from Dec. 26-28, and brackets for both the boys and girls tournaments recently were released.
In addition to the host Patriots, the boys field includes Asheville Christian, Bessemer City, Chase, Hibriten, North Buncombe, and T.C. Roberson at West Caldwell.
On the girls side, the tournament field consists of the host Lady Patriots, Asheville Christian, Bessemer City, East Rutherford, Hibriten, Kings Mountain, North Buncombe and North Wilkes.
Last year’s tournament champions were the West Caldwell boys and the Freedom girls. The FHS boys finished as the runner-up.
In first-round action on Dec. 26, the girls schedule includes Asheville Christian versus Hibriten at 10 a.m., North Wilkes versus North Buncombe at 11:30 a.m., East Rutherford-Bessemer City at 4 p.m. and Freedom versus Kings Mountain at 7 p.m.
On the boys side, first-round games on Dec. 26 include Asheville Christian against Chase at 1 p.m., Wilkes Central against North Buncombe at 2:30 p.m., Hibriten against T.C. Roberson at 5:30 p.m. and Freedom against Bessemer City at 8:30 p.m.
On Dec. 27, girls action will include consolation games at 10 a.m. (North Wilkes-North Buncombe loser versus Asheville Christian-Hibriten loser) and 11:30 a.m. (Freedom-Kings Mountain versus East Rutherford-Bessemer City loser) and championship games at 4 p.m. (North Wilkes-North Buncombe winner versus Asheville Christian-Hibriten winner) and 7 p.m. (Freedom-Kings Mountain winner versus East Rutherford-Bessemer City winner).
Boys consolation games on Dec. 27 will be played at 1 p.m. (West Caldwell-North Buncombe loser against Asheville Christian-Chase loser) and 2:30 p.m. (Freedom-Bessemer City loser against Hibriten-T.C. Roberson loser) and championship games at 5:30 p.m. (West Caldwell-North Buncombe winner against Asheville Christian-Chase winner) and 8:30 p.m. (Freedom-Bessemer City winner against Hibirten-T.C. Roberson winner).
On Dec. 28, the girls schedule will be seventh-place (10 a.m.), fifth-place (11:30 a.m.), third-place (4 p.m.) and championship (7 p.m.).
And for the boys, the final day’s lineup will be seventh-place (1 p.m.), fifth-place (2:30 p.m.), third-place (5:30 p.m.) and championship (8:30 p.m.).
The Freedom girls basketball team celebrates after defeating Concord Academy in the championship game of the Freedom Christmas Invitational last year in Â鶹´«Ã½.
