Time to embark on Cattle Trail quests

Fresh off their Kimball tourney titles, Dundy-Stratton’s Sable Lambley and both unbeaten Tiger basketball teams now aim high to repeat their titles at last year’s Cattle Trail Tournament in McCook featuring eight area schools. The tourney tips off at 3:30 p.m. today.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

McCOOK, Neb. — Who’s the better 2-0 area boys team: Arapahoe or those Southwest Roughriders?

An early answer should arrive at McCook Junior High today.

Will Maywood-Hayes Center’s talented girls show they’re ready to dethrone Dundy County-Stratton?

The Wolves, Tigers and Wauneta-Palisade Bronco girls are all an impressive 2-0.

Will anyone dunk through the McCook rims like Southwest senior Derek Greenlee last week?

Greenlee’s one of just a few area players who topped 20 points in the season openers last week.

Can anyone bury a three-pointer at the buzzer like Wauneta-Palisade’s Greg Gaston last December?

Gaston’s moved on to compete in track and field at Doane College, but that winning shot against Southwest remained one of most memorable images throughout 2016-17.

Will the Red Devils from Decatur Community, Kan., show great basketball goes beyond those mighty Rock Chalk Jayhawks?

All those potential story lines await the annual Cattle Trail Tournament tipping off in McCook today.

Few other places across Nebraska — perhaps none — bring 16 Gazette-area teams to capture a championship in December’s first full week.

The basketball should be filled with feisty contests like today’s Arapahoe-Southwest boys quarterfinal.

Southwest (2-0) should be filled with confidence following last year’s historic first district title and state toournament spot.

The Roughriders allowed only eight points during a win at Maywood-Hayes Center last weekend.

However, the Arapahoe boys permitted only 11 points to Red Cloud and have averaged better than 60 through two great road victories.

The DC-S boys are also 2-0 as six teams storm into McCook fresh off strong opening weekends.

Tournament action continues into Friday’s semifinals. Both championship games take place on the Peter & Dolores Graff Event Center’s “big stage” at McCook Community College. The annual Cattle Trail girls and boys basketball tournaments tip off in McCook today and continue through Saturday night’s championship contests.

A glance at the complete schedule as 16 Gazette-area teams begin title quests:

GIRLS

Today at

McCook High

Wauneta-Palisade (2-0) vs. Southwest (1-1), 3:30 p.m.; Dundy County-Stratton (2-0) vs. Medicine Valley (1-1), 6:30 p.m.

McCook

Junior High

Maywood-Hayes Center (2-0) vs. Decatur Community, Kan. (0-1), 3:30 p.m.; Hitchcock County (1-1) vs. Arapahoe (0-2), 6:30 p.m.

Friday

Semifinals at McCook Community College: Winners of Wauneta-Palisade vs. Southwest and Hitchcock County vs. Arapahoe, 3:30 p.m.; winners of DC-S vs. Med Valley and M-HC vs. Decatur, 6:30 p.m.

Consolation semis at McCook High: Losers of Tuesday games meet at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Saturday

Final-round games: Seventh place, 1 p.m. at McCook High; Fifth place, 1 p.m. at MCC; Third place, 4 p.m. at McCook High; Championship, 5:30 p.m. at MCC.

BOYS

Today at

McCook High

Wauneta-Palisade (2-0) vs. Decatur Community (0-1), 5 p.m.; Dundy County-Stratton (2-0) vs. Maywood-Hayes Center (0-2), 8 p.m.

At McCook

Junior High

Arapahoe (2-0) vs. Southwest (2-0), 5 p.m.; Hitchcock County (0-2) vs. Medicine Valley (0-2), 8 p.m.

Friday

Semifinals at MCC:

Winners of Wauneta-Palisade vs. Decatur and Hitchcock County vs. Medicine Valley, 5 p.m.; winners of DC-S vs. M-HC and Arapahoe vs. Southwest, 8 p.m.

Consolation semis at McCook High: losers of Tuesday’s games meet at same times.

Saturday

Final-round games: Seventh place, 2:30 p.m. at McCook High; Fifth place, 2:30 p.m. at MCC; Third place, 4 p.m. at MCC; Championship, 7 p.m. at MCC.