By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

Local basketball got its official tipoff for the local area when Reserve Christian opened their season in late October. But as football is winding down, the other River Parish schools will soon have their basketball programs in full swing.

Fans can attend some games close to home this week when Reserve Christian hosts H.L. Bourgeois and John Ehret will come down to Lutcher to take on the Bulldogs. Lutcher’s girls squad will be on the court the following night when they host Port Allen and the Wildcats will take on Thibodeaux in the East St. John gym. The following week, ESJ will head just down Airline Highway to play Reserve Christian on December 5 for a highly anticipated hometown match-up. Then on December 6, the St. Charles girls team have their first scheduled home game against the Crescent City Pioneers. The Pioneers head back to the area when they take on the Lady Rebels in the Riverside gym on December 13. Also on the 13th, Reserve Christian heads to Edgard to take on the Rams.

During that same week of action, St. Charles and Lutcher go head-to-head on the Bulldogs campus when they meet on December 16. SCC stays in town for a game against ESJ in Reserve on December 22 while the Lady Wildcats head out to face Woodlawn. Then on December 23 Lutcher will host WSJ. Meanwhile, Reserve Christian is out of state for the City of Palms and the Les Schwaab Nike Invite in Fort Myers, Floriday and Portland Oregon.

Four local teams will all be together in Westwego just after Christmas for the Rumble on the River Tournament. Starting December 27, the Lady Rebs, Lady Bulldogs, Wildcats and Comets will bus across the river for a round robin bracket. Also that week, Riverside’s boys will host their own tournament with the Riverside Academy Holiday Classic.

District play opens in early January for Lutcher when they host De La Salle for a 10-3A match-up on January 3. On that same Tuesday, East St. John’s boys head to WSJ while the Lady Rams head into Reserve to face the Lady Wildcats and Riverside will host St. Martin’s.

District play is in full force on January 10 when the SCC boys are scheduled to go to Riverside, the Lady Comets host the Lady Rebs and the Lady Wildcats head down to West Jefferson. Also on that Tuesday, Lutcher’s girls squad will trade blows with Reserve Christian in Reserve before turning around for a rematch in Lutcher on January 13.

From here on out on the schedules, hometown match-ups run rampant as the teams will be vying for district seeding or a chance to make the post-season. Highlights of this stretch include:

January 17

Hahnville @ ESJ

St. James @ Riverside

Reserve Christian @ Destrehan

January 24

ESJ @ Reserve Christian

Luthcer @ St. Charles

January 27

Riverside @ St. Charles

January 30

Reserve Christian @ Riverside

January 31

ESJ @ Destrehan

St. James @ St. Charles

February 3

Hahnville @ ESJ

Riverside @ St. James

February 7

St. James @ Lutcher

February 14

Destrehan @ ESJ

St. Charles @ Riverside