Evans High to play host in Shoot Out tournament

Most high school basketball teams use the Christmas break to rest, regroup and practice for the upcoming region schedule in January and February.

Evans High School boy's basketball coach Kevin Kenny has a different philosophy.

"Most kids would rather play than practice," he said. "If you go two weeks without a game it's hard to stay sharp."

With that thought in mind, Evans will hold the Firehouse Subs Shoot Out tonight and Thursday.

The tournament, including both boys and girls teams, includes Evans, Harlem, Lincoln County and Warren County. In the girls bracket, the match-ups start today with Harlem facing Lincoln County at 3 p.m.

In the other girls game, the Lady Knights will play host to Warren County at 6 p.m. for the second time this season. Evans defeated the Lady Screaming Devils 66-20 three weeks ago.

In the boys bracket, the match-ups are the same as the girls.

Harlem will take on Warren County today at 4:30 p.m. The Screaming Devils suffered a one-point overtime loss to Thomson on Dec. 10 while Harlem fell in overtime a week later to Evans.

The Knights play the final game of the day at 7:30 p.m. against Lincoln County, a team Evans has already beaten twice this season.

The match-ups could lead to a championship game featuring Evans vs. Harlem. The contest would be a rematch of the Dec. 17 overtime game in which Harlem erased a 19-point third-quarter deficit to force overtime at Evans. The Knights eventually won by five points, but a Christmas rematch could bring even more fireworks.

"They play like champions," Kenny said of the Bulldogs. "We know when they get hot, they can drain anything."

Harlem was forced to play without head coach Kim Chambers that night. Chambers was serving a two-game suspension after two quick and questionable technical fouls were called against him at Taliaferro County Dec. 12.

Harlem still won the game, but Chambers had to sit out of both of the following road games at Greenbrier and Evans. Chambers will be back on the bench for the tournament at Evans.

"We missed him a lot," Harlem senior Ajay Miller said. "Coach (Jonathan) Holley did a great job, but you can't replace Coach Chambers."

The Firehouse Subs Shoot Out Championship games will take place on Thursday with the girls title game starting at 6 p.m. and the boys championship at 7:30 p.m.