By By ADAM FISHER / Dowagiac Daily News
While many schools are taking their holiday vacations off to practice and recooperate from the start of the winter season, not the Chieftains. All three Dowagiac teams are in action over the winter break.
The action begins Dec. 28, when the basketball team heads to the White Pigeon Holiday Tournament. It is a two-day tournament, and both the junior varsity and varsity teams will be playing.
The Chieftains will be in search of their first victory this season at White Pigeon. After falling to Lakeshore Friday in their final game before the holiday tournament, Dowagiac stands at 0-4 this year.
The volleyball team gets into the act next when it hosts the Chieftain Invitational on Dec. 29. Participating along with the Chieftains will be Benton Harbor, Bridgman, Cassopolis, Coloma, Niles, Plainwell and Sturgis.
Pool play is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
All pool play matches will be two games with rally scoring to 25 points.
The top two teams in each pool will advance to the semifinals, which will be a best-of-three format with rally scoring to 25 points.
Pool A will consist of Bridgman, Benton Harbor, Dowagiac and Niles.
Pool B will consist of Cass, Coloma, Plainwell and South Haven.
Coloma is the two-time defending champion of the tournament.
Last year the Comets defeated South Haven in the finals, 15-5 and 15-10.
South Haven is not returning to the tournament this year. The Lady Rams are being replaced by Sturgis.
Coloma reached the finals by defeating Niles in the semifinals. South Haven reached the championship match with a victory over Plainwell.
Dowagiac did not advance out of pool play after going 3-3. The Chieftains split with Coloma and lost twice to South Haven. The Chieftains swept Benton Harbor.
Dowagiac enters this year's tournament with a 3-5 overall record. Dowagiac will be coming into the tournament off a Big 16 Conference West Division victory over the Lady Tigers on Dec. 15.
The next day, Dec. 30, the Chieftain wrestlers resume action in a Southwestern Michigan Athletic Association meet. Dowagiac went 3-1 and took second place Saturday at its home invitational. The one loss ended a six-meet winning streak for the Chieftains, who are now 9-3 on the year.
While they won't be as busy as Dowagiac, Edwardsburg and Cassopolis will also have teams in action before the new year.
Both the Eddies' and the Rangers' basketball teams will participate in the Sturgis B&T Holiday Classic Dec. 28-29. After winning two in a row to start the season, Edwardsburg has since dropped two straight and comes into the tournament at 2-2. Cassopolis picked up its first victory of the year Friday at Brandywine and is now 1-2.
Cass' volleyball team will travel to Eau Claire on Dec. 30, while Edwardsburg's volleyball team has the break off. The Eddies play again Jan. 5 when they face Berrien Springs on the road.
Both the Eddies' and the Rangers' wrestlers don't compete again until Jan. 5. Edwardsburg wrestles Berrien Springs at home that day, while Cass faces Buchanan at home.