For the fifth consecutive year, the Cocke County Lady Red basketball squad is spending it's holiday break preparing for one of the south's most prestigious girls' basketball tournaments.

Cocke County will tipoff play in the 24th annual LandAir Ladies' Classic as they face unbeaten Oakland High School out of Murfreesboro in Wednesday's opening round at Hal Henard Gymnasium in Greeneville. (1:30 p.m.).

Oakland is one of the favorites in the tournament field, as they enter the Ladies' Classic with an 8-0 record and have demolished all Tennessee foes that they have faced this season.

"They're unbeaten, one of the top-10 teams in the state, but we're not going to back down," Cocke County first-year coach Jeremy Byrd said. "We will give it our best effort, because this is a huge tournament.

"We've got some girls banged up and don't know what their prognosis will be, but we're looking forward to (the tournament)," Byrd said.

For the full story, see the December 22 edition of the Newport Plain Talk.