Boosters Basketball Tourney Tips Off Friday

The sixth annual holiday basketball tournament at Barrington High School starts Friday, Dec. 27.

Ten teams, including the undefeated boys’ and girls’ teams at Barrington, and the girls’ team from neighboring East Providence, make up the field for the two-day tournament that continues Saturday, Dec. 28.

The tournament has switched this year to a Friday-Saturday schedule. It is officially known as the Barrington Boosters Holiday Basketball Tournament -- the sixth straight year of competition sponsored by the high school Boosters Club. Each team is guaranteed to play two games – one each day. 

There is no team championship based on the format, but all-star teams and most valuable players are selected to recognize outstanding play by individual athletes. 

The other squads in the field include the boys’ teams from Mount St. Charles Academy, undefeated North Kingstown and Shea, and the girls’ teams from Juanita Sanchez, East Providence, Rogers, Portsmouth and The Prout School.

Juanita Sanchez (4-1) and East Providence (0-3) open the tourney on Friday at 1 pm. Mount St. Charles (0-2) and Shea (0-1) play at 2:30 pm. Rogers (1-1) plays Portsmouth (0-3) at 4 pm. North Kingstown’s boys (4-0) tangle with Barrington’s boys (3-0) at 5:30 pm.  The Prout School (0-3) and Barrington’s girls (1-1) teams close out the first day of competition at 7 pm. 

Juanita Sanchez also opens the tourney on Saturday at 12 pm against Rogers. Portsmouth plays Prout at 1:30 pm. Shea plays North Kingstown at 3 pm. The girls from East Providence and Barrington play at 4:30 pm. The Barrington and Mount St. Charles boys play at 6 pm to end the tourney on Saturday.

Because it's holiday-break week, many of families, friends and former athletes attend the tourney, which makes it a homecoming of sorts for some former student-athletes.

Admission is $5 a day for the complete slate of games. BHS athletics director George Finn coordinates the annual event for the boosters.

The Barrington Boosters operate to support all interscholastic and intramural sports at the high school and middle school. Officers and directors usually meet monthly.

The boosters staff the concession stand at Victory Field for football, soccer, and lacrosse games. They often open a concession stand for basketball games and wrestling matches. The boosters sponsor an annual dinner to induct Barrington High School athletes into a Hall of Fame. Purchases from the Boosters go toward athletics gear and equipment for all athletes.