The Mt. Zion High School girls basketball team will begin action at 7 p.m. Monday in the Thunder Holiday Classic against host Jacksonville Christian (Ala.) as it looks to keep its early-season momentum going. It will be one of three local schools involved in tournaments other than Haralson County’s, one of which starts Saturday.

The Lady Eagles (9-0) have finished second in this tournament each of the past two seasons, and MZ coach Millie Grimes said her team’s opener should be a good test.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a tough ball game,” Grimes said. “And that’s what we need.”

Donoho and Cedar Bluff, both from Alabama, will also be in the tournament. And after nine straight wins to start the season, Grimes said winning this tournament would likely become the best part of the season thus far, though she certainly knows her players can’t afford to look ahead of Monday’s tournament opener.

“That would be nice to have a Christmas (and) New Year’s present to win a tournament like that,” Grimes said. “That would help us going into our region.”

Mt. Zion boys coach Bill Bailey, whose team has also finished second two years in a row at Jacksonville Christian’s tournament, said his guys must improve on their early-season play.

“We’ve got to develop some more team chemistry and learn to play with a little heart,” Bailey said. “You know, I think we’re going to be all right.”

The Eagles begin tournament play Monday at 8:30 p.m. against Jacksonville Christian.

Woodstock Invitational The Carrollton boys scored solid wins against Villa Rica and Sandy Creek in the 15th Annual Central-Carrollton SMI Holiday Classic before falling to LaGrange in Monday’s championship.

“We’ve found out a lot about ourselves the last few games,” Trojan coach Tim Criswell said.

He has a feeling Carrollton (8-2) will learn even more about its team starting with Monday’s 3 p.m. contest against North Cobb Christian in the Woodstock Invitational, a tournament Criswell said should provide his guys with a strong challenge.

Though it’s still early, Criswell likes what he has seen so far this season.

“We feel like in the long run we’ve got a chance to be pretty good,” Criswell said.

State Bank of Gray Holiday Classic

The Carrollton girls open their State Bank of Gray Holiday Classic run Monday at 4 p.m. against Class AAAAA Tift County (6-1) at Jones County High School.

Lady Trojan coach Shon Thomaston said it should be a good chance for his team to build some chemistry by going on the road and playing some tough opponents.

He doesn’t know much about the teams Carrollton (6-5) will face, which doesn’t concern him much. He’s focused on his team improving, though he said his young group is giving him good effort.

“They’re doing everything that they’re asked to do right now,” Thomaston said.

And with so many tough games like the tournament will provide, as well as previous games against Douglas County and Lithia Springs, Thomaston said his team should be well-prepared when sub-region play rolls around in January.

First National Bank of Barnesville Classic

Both the Central boys and girls will be taking part in the four-team First National Bank of Barnesville Classic, which also features Towers, Upson-Lee and host Lamar County.

The Lady Lions (4-6) play Towers out of Decatur at 4 p.m. Saturday, while the Central boys (1-9) face Towers at 5:30 p.m. Central coach Jimmy LeBlanc said Towers’ athleticism should provide quite a test.

“That’s going to be a different kind of challenge for us there,” LeBlanc said.

The championship and consolation games will be on Monday.

As both teams struggle through sickness and other issues, LeBlanc is focusing on the positive of how his squads are becoming deeper. He is hoping both the boys and the girls continue to make progress in Barnesville in one of their final pre-region tuneups.

“Obviously, you want to win, but you want to push yourself, to stretch yourself as much as you can during those times,” LeBlanc said.