This week is tournament week, and it’s the biggest tournament week for many teams who have high hopes once district starts in the coming weeks.

This is the holiday break tournament, one that keeps players’ legs from going stale and a ambitious head coach from pulling his hair out.

Huntington and Cathedral will start today in their respective tournaments, Louisiana teams will go in the Sicily Island tournament Wednesday, both Natchez High teams are in tournaments and several private schools will go Thursday at the WCCA Shootout.

Cathedral’s Green Wave &045; a squad that started to build some momentum before the Christmas break &045; goes today at 2:30 p.m. against North Pike at the Wesson tournament.

&uot;That’s why we scheduled this tournament &045; to break up that long gap over the Christmas break,&uot; Cathedral head coach Peter Arnold said. &uot;You start building a little momentum before the Christmas break starts, and you can’t shut it down for three weeks. You have to keep playing games.

&uot;We have three seniors and three juniors. Some of them haven’t played in a couple of years, but we’ve got experienced guys. I don’t think the break is going to hurt us.&uot;

The Green Wave hasn’t played since a Dec. 17 win over Bogue Chitto, and the break has been just as long for the Hounds as they head to the Central Holmes tournament. They lost to Canton Academy that same day, but that was their first game in a week since a loss to Trinity Episcopal.

The Hounds will get the host school today in the second day of the tournament.

&uot;That’s all we’re trying to do &045; bridge the gap between the last two months,&uot; Huntington head coach Cliff McCain said. &uot;We’ll see some teams we don’t normally play. We’ll have some fun. We’re trying to have a little team outing Tuesday and maybe go to the movies. We’ll just try to have some fun.&uot;

The Green Wave has a chance at redemption at some teams from earlier this season in the tournament, but the opening draw will a Class 3A Jaguars team that can run the floor. This time the Green Wave feels better now that the point guard position is a little more solidified with senior Jeremy Davis there.

And that’s filtered on down to shooters Matt Goss and Alex Middleton, who opened things up in the win over Bogue Chitto for the inside game.

&uot;That’s a tough draw, but I certainly think we can play with them if we play our game,&uot; Arnold said. &uot;You start (the season) slow because you don’t have some of the football players. The main thing is we’re 1-1 in district. I think there’s going to be a lot of close games in district. Whoever makes the plays in the fourth quarter will be the one who wins the game. This only makes us better, and it helps us down the road in district.&uot;

The Green Wave (3-7 overall) has a chance to match up against solid competition in the tournament with the Jaguars and a shot at Dexter in the second round with a win today. St. Aloysius and Wesson will play in the other first-round game, and that winner will get Franklinton, La., in the second round.

&uot;I don’t care who you are &045; when you’re playing against a higher classifications, you’re not going to win a lot of those games,&uot; Arnold said. &uot;If you can get to .500 or near it, you’re doing OK. You’re playing higher classes. We’ve done OK. Jeremy has done such a good job. He’s bringing a lot of stability to the team. That’s going to be nothing but better as we go along.&uot;

With the Hounds, it’s a homecoming of sorts for McCain, who coached at Delta Academy and North Sunflower before landing at Huntington. It’s also a chance for his Hounds to get back to running the floor and search for an offensive rhythm.

It’s been defense that the team has relied on so far.

&uot;There are a whole lot of teams in there &045; Winona, Deer Creek, Pillow, East Holmes and Strider &045; I’ve played them at North Sunflower or when I was at Delta,&uot; McCain said. &uot;There’s always going to be two or three in there that are going to be head and shoulders above everybody else. We don’t play Pillow, but they’re one of the best teams in the state.

&uot;We’ll be rusty. We probably won’t shoot the ball well, but everybody else goes through that. Even though we lost several close games before Christmas, I really feel good about how we’re playing. We’re not really good offensively, but the effort is there.&uot;

At Wesson, Cathedral’s girls will go at 4 p.m. today against Dexter in a field that includes Franklinton, North Pike, Wesson, St. Al and St. Andrew’s. A win today would put the Lady Wave playing at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against the St. Al-Wesson winner.

Also at Central Holmes will be the Lady Hounds, who will also draw the host team at 2 p.m. today.