Throughout the remainder of this week and into next week, there will be a total of 11 basketball tournaments around the area involving Owensville and Hermann basketball teams ranging from fourth grade all the way up to high school.

The frenzy will begin tomorrow (Thursday) with Cullen VanLeer’s varsity Dutchmen basketball team competing at the Four State Classic in Frontenac, Kan., through Saturday

Action will continue Saturday morning with Owensville’s fourth, fifth and sixth-grade boys basketball tournaments taking place inside both gyms at Owensville High School in addition to the Owensville Elementary School (OES) gym.

Owensville will have a team in all three tournaments while St. George’s Dragons out of Hermann will have a team in the fifth-grade tournament at OES.

Beginning Monday, there will be seven tournaments as close to home in Owensville and Hermann in addition to being as far away as Pacific.

Jarrett Payne’s seventh-grade Dutchmen will end their season in Sullivan while Shane Hunt’s eighth-grade Dutchmen and Todd Anderson’s eighth-grade Bearcats will end their respective seasons in the St. Clair Tournament.

John Vanleer’s freshman Dutchmen will host their annual home tournament at OES beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 23 and running through Friday, Jan. 26.

Owensville, Sullivan and Dixon will make up the orange pool while Fatima, St. James and Salem will comprise the black pool.

Pool games will be played next Tuesday through Thursday at 5:00 and 6:30 p.m., with tournament action concluding Friday beginning at 4:30 p.m., with the fifth-place game.

Tuesday pool games will see St. James face Salem at 5 p.m., followed by Sullivan taking on Dixon at 6:30 p.m.

Pool games next Wednesday will see the host Dutchmen battle Sullivan at 5 p.m., followed by Fatima facing St. James at 6:30 p.m.

Concluding pool play next Thursday will be a Highway 28 showdown between Dixon and Owensville at 5 p.m., followed by Salem and Fatima at 6:30 p.m.

Owensville’s JV Dutchmen and Hermann’s JV Lady Bearcats will compete in their respective tournaments at Pacific High School beginning Monday and running through next Wednesday.

Northern Gasconade County will also be full of basketball action next week with both the Hermann Boys and Girls Invitational Basketball Tournament tipping off Monday.

John VanLeer’s Dutchgirls in addition to both the Hermann Lady Bearcat and Bearcat basketball teams will be competing at either the Hermann Middle School (HMS) or Hermann High School (HHS) gyms.

As long as Mother Nature cooperates, there should be plenty of basketball to go around no matter what team in Gasconade County you follow.