Straughn boys basketball coach Todd Reynolds said he is expecting a great crowd at the third annual Straughn Christmas Shootout, which starts today.

“It’s our third year having this and we’re excited,” Reynolds said. “We have some teams that will provide good match ups. So, it’s going to be very entertaining.”

The first game today will start at 3:30 p.m. at Straughn High School between Red Level and McKenzie. Other teams that will participate in the tournament are Goshen, Brantley, Pleasant Home, Butler Magnet (formerly Georgiana High School) and Kinston.

“The games will start 3:30 p.m. on Thursday and subsequently, the game times will be the same,” Reynolds said about the bracket schedule. “The other games, as far as who plays when, won’t be determined until we know who wins and who loses. There will be a first, second, third place and a tourney MVP as well as an all-tourney team.”

As far as being the tournament’s host, Reynolds said he hopes his team will have a successful run at the shootout.

“We’re going to have to start developing some consistency,” he said. “This first week was about getting our legs under us and getting the season started.

“We started out on a very tough road trip (at Pleasant Home) and ended the week 1-2. Now, we have four consecutive home games and it’s the time to step it up and start showing some consistency.”

Last season, Straughn finished in fourth place at its tournament.

The tournament sponsors are Southeast Alabama Gas District; Farmers Insurance Group; Little Caesars; CCB Community Bank; Seminole Development LLC.; Garrett’s Grocery; Hart’s Country Store; Winn-Dixie; Woodard, Patel and Sledge; Moore and Moore Tires; Cosby and Cosby; and Vector Aerospace.

“It’s going to be a very competitive tournament,” Reynolds said. “We hope that people will come out and enjoy the games as teams start to prepare for area play next January.”

Admission is $5 per person per day.