By By SCOTT NOVAK and ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - The first competition of the new year will be held tonight as the Buchanan varsity basketball team will travel to Lake Michigan Catholic in a non-conference triple header.
Freshmen will begin play at 4:15 p.m., with junior varsity and varsity following.
The Bucks are 2-3 heading into tonight's game against the Lakers.
On Wednesday, the Niles Vikings volleyball team will travel to Benton Harbor for a Big 16 match-up.
Freshmen and JV will begin at 6 p.m., with varsity following at 7 p.m.
On Thursday, the Vikings wrestling team will host Kalamazoo Central High School for a Big 16 match set to begin at 6 p.m.
And on Friday, Niles, Brandywine and Buchanan will all have home basketball games.
The Vikings will take on Lakeshore in a Big 16 game, the Bobcats host Coloma and the Bucks will take on Cassopolis. Both games are Lakeland Athletic Conference contests.
The Dowagiac varsity basketball team hosts South Haven in a non-conference tripleheader tonight.
The Chieftains, fresh from their Sturgis Bank &Trust Holiday Basketball Classic championship, will be looking to win their third straight game and fourth game of the season.
Dowagiac enters tonight's contest with a 3-2 overall record.
The Rams are 3-2 on the season as well, having defeated Coloma 52-40 in its last contest.
Caleb Grimes led the Rams with 23 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists against the Comets.
The freshmen squad will get the tripleheader started at 4:15 p.m.
Following tonight's contest, the Chieftains will turn their sights to the Big 16 Conference West Division. Dowagiac will travel to St. Joseph on Friday night for a tripleheader scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. with the freshmen contest.
The Chieftain wrestling team, which finished sixth last Friday at the SMAC Team Wrestling Tournament, returns to action on Wednesday.
Dowagiac heads to Allendale for a quad tournament.
Dowagiac and Allendale will be joined by Godwin Heights and Muskegon Orchard View.
The Chieftains will be taking both their A and B teams.
Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Dowagiac will face Orchard View in the opening round before taking on Allendale in the second round.
There will be B team matches between rounds.
On Saturday, the Chieftains will complete in the Decatur Invitational. Wrestling is set for begin at 9 a.m.
The Dowagiac varsity volleyball team will return to action on Saturday when it heads to the Portage Northern Invitational.
Play is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m.
Look for more information about these tournaments later this week.