Dec 26, 2019 3 min read

It’s holiday basketball tournament time and one local school will feature a game with a family twist to it.

And it doesn’t involve players or coaches.

When Washington plays Albert Gallatin in the second game of the Laurel Highlands Christmas Tournament at 2 p.m. today, the officiating crew will consist of a father and two sons.

Paul Lancaster, an accomplished arbiter in four sports, will head a crew that will include sons Nick Lancaster and Greg Lancaster.

Paul is a recently retired NCAA Division I baseball umpire who worked a WPIAL football final this fall. He is currently a working PIAA official in baseball and softball in addition to basketball.

The Laurel Highlands tournament is one of many this weekend. It tips off with the host Fillies taking on Vincentian Academy at 12:15 today. Following the Lancaster crew’s game, Uniontown will play South Allegheny at 3:45 p.m.

On Saturday, it’s South Allegheny vs. Albert Gallatin at noon, Washington vs. Uniontown at 1:45 p.m. and Beth-Center vs. Laurel Highlands at 3:30 p.m.

In Greene County, the Carmichaels boys and girls basketball teams are part of an eight-team field that will participate in the King Coal Lions Club Christmas Tournament. For the second year in a row, there will be a girls bracket to go along with the boys bracket.

The tournament tips off today with Waynesburg Central (2-4) playing the Mikes (2-6) at 2:30 p.m. The first boys game follows at 4 p.m. with Beth-Center (4-2) taking on Mapletown (0-5). The third game pits Geibel Catholic (0-5) against Frazier (1-6) in the second girls match-up. The Mikes (2-4) play Geibel Catholic (4-1) in the night’s finale at 7.

Play continues Saturday with the Waynesburg Central-Carmichaels loser meeting the Geibel Catholic-Frazier loser at 2:30 p.m. in the girls consolation game. The Beth-Center-Mapletown loser plays the Geibel Catholic-Carmichaels loser in the boys consolation game at 4 p.m.

The first championship game will have the Waynesburg Central-Carmichaels winner vs. the Geibel Catholic-Frazier winner at 5:30 p.m. in the girls final. The boys championship game caps off the night with the Beth-Center-Mapletown winner clashing with the Geibel Catholic-Carmichaels winner at 7 p.m.

In the Mon Valley, another local tournament involving several area boys teams began on Thursday. The three-day Charleroi Christmas Tournament’s schedule today has the Southmoreland-Clairton loser vs. the Yough-Charleroi loser at 5:30 p.m., the Frazier-Belle Vernon winner vs. the Yough-Charleroi winner at 7 p.m., and the Southmoreland-Clairton winner vs. Ringgold at 8:30 p.m.

The Charleroi tourney concludes on Saturday with the fifth-place consolation game at 5:30 p.m., the third-place consolation game at 7 p.m. and the championship at 8:30 p.m.

The Peters Township Tournament finds the Monessen boys versus Upper St. Clair at 6 p.m. and South Fayette versus PT at 7:30 p.m.

Four games mark the Avella Tournament, starting at 1:30 p.m.Propel Montour vs. Chartiers-Houston and ending with a 7:30 p.m. game between Avella and Burgettstown.

Canon-McMillan plays Blackhawk at 6 p.m. and host Trinity takes on Albert Gallatin at 7:30 p.m.