CENTRE – The 2008-09 Sand Rock boys and Spring Garden girls basketball teams will be pioneers of sorts when play begins next Tuesday in the Cherokee County Tournament.

That’s because both squads will go in the record books as being the top seeds in the first county tournament held in the new Gadsden State-Cherokee Arena Jan. 13-17.

On Wednesday, the Cherokee County basketball coaches met to determine seeding for the 2009 tournament. Since Sand Rock’s boys (10-7) and Spring Garden’s girls (17-2) have the best overall records of the county teams, their reward is a first-round bye.

In the boys bracket, No. 4 Spring Garden (1-16) and No. 5 Gaylesville (0-13) get things going Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The winner will face Sand Rock next Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Second-seeded Cherokee County (8-6) and third-seeded Cedar Bluff (7-7) clash in the other tournament semifinal next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The championship game is slated for Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

In the girls bracket, No. 4 Gaylesville (5-9) takes on No. 5 Cedar Bluff (5-10) next Tuesday at 6 p.m. Spring Garden will face the winner of that game next Thursday at 6 p.m.

The other girls’ semifinal pits No. 2 Cherokee County (10-6) against No. 3 Sand Rock (10-8). That game is slated for next Friday at 6 p.m.

The girls’ championship game will be next Saturday at 6 p.m.

Admission to the varsity tournament is $5 per person each day.