Holiday tournaments offer early barometer

Glen Burnie High School boys basketball coach Mike Rudd knows the season is still young and doesn't want to make an early assessment on his team's progress yet. The defending Class 4A East Region champion Gophers are off to a 4-1 start and will have to buckle down in order to stay near the top when the county schedule kicks into full swing next month.

But like every county coach, Rudd isn't letting his players take it easy over the holiday break.

"We take the holiday tournament schedule pretty seriously," Rudd said this week. "It's very important because it gives the county a chance to showcase its skills against other teams...