The annual Doc Edwards Memorial Invitational hosted by Airline starts Thursday.
The tournament has traditionally been played right after Christmas but it has been moved up this year because the third and final day would’ve been a Sunday.
There are 10 girls team competing in a championship bracket and eight boys teams competing in a round robin format.
The total of 18 is down from 33 last year.
Parish teams competing in the girls tournament along with Airline are Benton, Parkway, Bossier and Plain Dealing.
Airline, Bossier, Benton and Plain Dealing are competing in the boys tournament.
Airline (2-5) is the defending girls champion. The Lady Vikings defeated Captain Shreve 72-54 in the championship game last season.
The Lady Gators (6-2) are back this year. They are No. 23 in the LBR state rankings, which includes all classes.
Airline got off to a slow start but the Lady Vikings won two in a row before falling to Ruston Tuesday.
Parkway, the 2024-25 non-select Division I runner-up, is 5-5 against some tough competition. Benton is 7-7, Bossier 4-2 and Plain Dealing 5-5.
Also in the field are Neville (7-1), Summerfield (4-5), Mansfield (7-4) and Union Parish (4-3).
Ruston defeated Huntington in the boys championship game last year. Neither team is back. Airline defeated Bossier in the third-place game.
The Vikings are off to a 7-4 start under new Head Coach Marvin Davis. Bossier is 5-3 and No. 10 in the LBR state rankings. Benton is 5-4.
Union Parish (5-3), Cedar Creek (5-7), Jonesboro-Hodge (0-7) and Junction City, Ark. (4-1), are also in the field.
