December is the time for holiday tournaments. The first wave will begin Thursday (Dec. 16) and carry through to early next week.

There are two large boys basketball tournaments, the Horizon at Phoenix Horizon and the Phoenix Union High School District Holiday Classic at Phoenix North.

The Horizon tournament begins Thursday with four games and runs through Saturday (Dec. 18). The Phoenix Union tournament begins Friday (Dec. 17) and continues Saturday, with semifinals on Monday (Dec. 20) and championship on Tuesday night (Dec. 22).

Many of the Valley’s girls teams will participate in the Nike Tournament of Champions at several sites in Chandler.

The annual Moon Valley holiday wrestling tournament will be held Friday and Saturday at Phoenix Moon Valley High. The event features 30 teams in a state tournament-type atmosphere.

There are two sessions on Friday, the second beginning at 5 p.m., and the championship round begins on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Teams in the Horizon tournament are Peoria Centennial, Tempe Marcos de Niza, Glendale Deer Valley, Phoenix Scottsdale Christian, Phoenix Shadow Mountain, Anthem Boulder Creek, Phoenix Greenway and Horizon.

Teams in the Phoenix Union tournament are North, Phoenix Camelback, Phoenix Barry Goldwater, Phoenix Trevor Browne, Chaparral (Colo.), Gilbert, Phoenix Central, Goodyear Estrella Foothills, Phoenix Mountain Pointe, Phoenix Carl Hayden, Laveen Betty H. Fairfax, Peoria Sunrise Mountain, Gilbert Mesquite, Phoenix South Mountain, Phoenix Alhambra and Laveen Cesar Chavez.

HORIZON TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Thursday, Dec. 16

Centennial vs. Marcos de Niza, 3:30 p.m.; Deer Valley vs. Scottsdale Christian, 5 p.m.; Shadow Mountain vs. Boulder Creek, 6:30 p.m.; Greenway vs. Horizon, 8 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 17

Losers of Thursday’s early games, 3:30 p.m.; Losers of Thursday’s late games, 5 p.m.; Winners of Thursday’s early games, 6:30 p.m.; Winners of Thursday’s late games, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 18

Seventh-place game, 12:30 p.m.; Consolation championship, 2 p.m.; Third-place game, 4 p.m.; Tournament championship, 6 p.m.

PHOENIX UNION DISTRICT SCHEDULE

Friday, Dec. 17

Barry Goldwater vs. Trevor Browne, 9 a.m.; Alhambra vs. Cesar Chavez, 10:30 a.m.; Mountain Pointe vs. Carl Hayden, noon; North vs. Camelback, 1:30 p.m.; Mesquite vs. South Mountain, 3 p.m.; Central vs. Estrella Foothills, 4:30 p.m.; Betty H. Fairfax vs. Sunrise Mountain, 6 p.m.; Chaparral (Colo.) vs. Gilbert, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 18

Loser’s bracket games at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m. Winner’s bracket games at 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 20

Loser’s bracket games at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon (consolation semifinal) and 1:30 p.m. (consolation semifinal); Winner’s bracket games at 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m. (championship semifinal) and 7:30 p.m. (championship semifinal).

Tuesday, Dec. 21

Loser’s bracket games at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m. (consolation championship). Winner’s bracket games at 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (tournament championship).