Basketball and wrestling seasons will get underway in earnest with area schools either hosting games or on the road for season openers.
Here is a look at some of those games.

• Central-Burden: The Central-Burden High School basketball teams will play at Elk Valley in Longton on Friday night, Dec. 4, while the junior high teams will play at West Elk on Thursday, Dec. 4, beginning at 4 p.m.

The Raider hoops teams will compete in the Border Queen Tournament in Caldwell, Kan., starting next Tuesday, Dec. 9.

The Raider wrestling team will hold it season opener at the Flinthills Invitational Tournament in Rosalia on Saturday, Dec. 6.

The junior high basketball teams at Central-Burden will host West Elk on Thursday, Dec. 3, beginning at 4 p.m.

• West Elk: At West Elk High School, the Patriot varsity basketball program will host Cedar Vale/Dexter in season openers on Friday, Dec. 4, with junior varsity games tipping off at 4 p.m.

The West Elk junior varsity and varsity teams will then compete in the 7th Annual Wildcat Winter Classic in Yates Center beginning on Monday, Dec. 7 and continuing through Saturday, Dec. 12.

The West Elk High School wrestling team will debut for the 2009-10 season on Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Kan-Okla Classic in Caney.

Junior high hoopsters from West ELk will play at Central-Burden on Thursday, Dec. 3 with games beginning at 4 p.m.

• Elk Valley: Elk Valley High School basketball teams will host Central-Burden on Friday night, Dec. 4.

• Sedan: The Sedan High School men’s and women’s basketball teams will hold their season opener next Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 7 and 8 at the 7th Annual Wildcat Winter Classic in Yates Center. See accompanying story for more details.

The Sedan Junior High basketball teams will hold their season openers against Cedar Vale/Dexter at home on Thursday, Dec. 3.

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Patriots, Blue Devils to compete at Yates Center tournament

West Elk High School junior varsity and varsity basketball teams along with Sedan High School varsity cagers will compete in the 7th Annual Wildcat Winter Classic in Yates Center next week.

In the varsity women’s bracket, West Elk will play at Erie next Monday, Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m., while Sedan will tackle Uniontown the following night, Dec. 8, in an 8 p.m. bout.

The junior varsity girls’ bracket shows West Elk playing Erie in an opening round game on Monday, Dec. 7 at 5:15 p.m.

In the varsity men’s opening round, West Elk will play at Erie at 8 p.m., Monday, Dec. 7 while Sedan will play Uniontown at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8.

The West Elk junior varsity boys’ basketball team will lock horns with Erie at 4 p.m., Monday, Dec. 7.
Tournament action continues on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 10-12.

The tournament’s opening round schedule is printed below.

7th Annual Wildcat Winter Classic
Yates Center, Kan.

Varsity Women’s Bracket
Opening round
• Monday, Dec. 7: West Elk vs. Erie, 6:30 p.m., East Gym; Yates Center vs. Altoona-Midway, 8 p.m., Norris Gym.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8: Uniontown vs. Sedan, 8 p.m., East Gym; Colony-Crest vs. Cherryvale, 6:30 p.m., Norris Gym.

Junior Varsity Girls’ Bracket
Opening round
• Monday, Dec. 7: Yates Center vs. Burlington, 4 p.m., Norris Gym; West Elk vs. Erie, 5:15 p.m., East Gym.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8: TBA vs. Uniontown, 4 p.m., East Gym; Colony-Crest vs. Cherryvale, 5:15 p.m., Norris Gym.

Varsity Men’s Bracket
Opening round
• Monday, Dec. 7: Yates Center vs Altoona-Midway, 6:30 p.m., Norris Gym; West Elk vs. Erie, 8 p.m., East Gym.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8: Uniontown vs. Sedan, 6:30 p.m., East Gym; Colony-Crest vs. Cherryvale, 8 p.m., East Gym.

Junior Varsity Boys’ Bracket
Opening round
• Monday, Dec. 7: Yates Center vs. Altoona-Midway, 5:15 p.m., Norris Gym; West Elk vs. Erie, 4 p.m., East Gym.
• Tuesday, Dec. 8: Cherryvale I vs. Uniontown, 5:15 p.m., East Gym; Colony-Crest vs. Cherryvale, 4 p.m., East Gym.