The Best Seat in the House

For the next two weeks, Mercer County will be the place to watch basketball in this area.

While area teams will be criss-crossing the map to get to holiday tournaments, Mercer will host two big events — the only two holiday tournaments in the Advocate’s coverage area — that will include six local teams and 25 others.

Beginning Monday, there will be 60 games played in a span of 11 days in the boys and girls tournaments hosted by Mercer. The inaugural Whitaker Bank Fort Harrod Classic boys tournament tips off Monday, and the Kentucky Army National Guard Titan Christmas Clash girls tournament will be played for the third time starting Dec. 27.

The boys tournament will be played at both the new and old Mercer high school gyms (the old school is now called Mercer County Ninth Grade Academy), while the girls tourney will be played entirely at the new Mercer gym for the first time.

Here are the full schedules for both tournaments:

Game 1 — x-Perry County Central vs. DeSales, 1:30 p.m.
Game 2 — x-Oldham County vs. North Hardin, 3:45 p.m.
Game 3 — x-Whitley County vs. Danville, 6 p.m.
Game 4 — x-Mercer County vs. Deming, 8:15 p.m.
Game 5 — Russellville vs. Fort Walton Beach (Fla.), 1:30 p.m.
Game 6 — North Oldham vs. Marion County, 3:45 p.m.
Game 7 — Franklin County vs. Conner, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — Lincoln County vs. Highlands, 8:15 p.m.

Game 9 — x-Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 1:30 p.m.
Game 10 — x-Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 3:45 p.m.
Game 11 — Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 1:30 p.m.
Game 12 — Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 3:45 p.m.
Game 13 — x-Quarterfinal, Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 14 — x-Quarterfinal, Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 8:15 p.m.
Game 15 — Quarterfinal, Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 16 — Quarterfinal, Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:15 p.m.

Game 17 — x-Game 9 loser vs. Game 10 loser, 1:30 p.m.
Game 18 — x-Game 11 loser vs. Game 12 loser, 3:45 p.m.
Game 19 — Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 1:30 p.m.
Game 20 — Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 3:45 p.m.
Game 21 — x-Game 13 loser vs. Game 14 loser, 6 p.m.
Game 22 — x-Game 15 loser vs. Game 16 loser, 8:15 p.m.
Game 23 — Semifinal, Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 24 — Semifinal, Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner, 8:15 p.m.

Game 25 — 11th place, Game 19 loser vs. Game 20 loser, 12:15 p.m.
Game 26 — x-15th place, Game 17 loser vs. Game 18 loser, 12:15 p.m.
Game 27 — x-Seventh place, Game 21 loser vs. Game 22 loser, 2:30 p.m.
Game 28 — x-13th place, Game 17 winner vs. Game 18 winner, 4:45 p.m.
Game 29 — x-Fifth place, Game 21 winner vs. Game 22 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 30 — Ninth place, Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 31 — Third place, Game 23 loser vs. Game 24 loser, 4:45 p.m.
Game 32 — Championship, Game 23 winner vs. Game 24 winner, 7 p.m.
x-at Mercer County Ninth Grade Academy

Game 1 — Tates Creek vs. Lincoln County, 10 a.m.
Game 2 — Central vs. Elizabethtown, 11:30 a.m.
Game 3 — Monticello vs. Anderson County, 1 p.m.
Game 4 — St. Patrick vs. Nelson County, 2:30 p.m.
Game 5 — Lexington Catholic vs. St. Henry, 4 p.m.
Game 6 — Wayne County vs. Taylor County, 5:30 p.m.
Game 7 — Boyle County vs. Pineville, 7 p.m.
Game 8 — Mercer County bye

Game 9 — Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 11 a.m.
Game 10 — Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 12:30 p.m.
Game 11 — Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 2 p.m.
Game 12 — Game 7 loser bye
Game 13 — Quarterfinal, Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 5 p.m.
Game 14 — Quarterfinal, Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 15 — Quarterfinal, Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 8 p.m.
Game 16 — Quarterfinal, Game 7 winner vs. Mercer County, 9:30 p.m.

Game 17 — Game 9 loser vs. Game 10 loser, 10 a.m.
Game 18 — Game 11 loser bye
Game 19 — Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 20 — Game 11 winner vs. Game 7 loser, 2:30 p.m.
Game 21 — Game 13 loser vs. Game 14 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 22 — Game 15 loser vs. Game 16 loser, 5:30 p.m.
Game 23 — Semifinal, Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 24 — Semifinal, Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Game 25 — 15th place, Game 17 loser bye
Game 26 — Seventh place, Game 21 loser vs. Game 22 loser, 10:30 a.m.
Game 27 — 13th place, Game 17 winner vs. Game 11 loser, Noon
Game 28 — 11th place, Game 19 loser vs. Game 20 loser, 1:30 p.m.
Game 29 — Ninth place, Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner, 3 p.m.
Game 30 — Fifth place, Game 21 winner vs. Game 22 winner, 4:30 p.m.
Game 31 — Third place, Game 23 loser vs. Game 24 loser, 6 p.m.
Game 32 — Championship, Game 23 winner vs. Game 24 winner, 7:30 p.m.