Arnold Marlin Classic starts Monday (See Capsules, Schedule)

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The Area Glass Marlin Christmas Classic, which starts Monday, may as well be dubbed the Tournament of Champions.

This year’s field features three past champions, and another, Franklin (Tennessee), claimed the Bay Barnstorm Christmas Classic title last December.

“Whoever wins it is going to have something to brag about,” said Arnold coach James Baxley, whose Marlins won the 2006 and 2007 tournaments. “There’s no easy path this year. We need to focus on winning one at a time because nobody we play is going to be a pushover.”

The tournament starts Monday at 2:15 p.m. with Hopkinsville (Ky.) against Franklin at the Arnold gym. Tickets are $6 per day.

In addition to Arnold, three other teams are returning guests, two of which have won the event. Marshall County is the defending champion, having prevailed in last year’s championship game over the Marlins, Niceville won in 2007 and Bartram Trail out of Jacksonville was third in 2008.

The newcomers already are giving the rest of this year’s field fits, and the first game hasn’t even started.

Columbia Central (Tenn.), Foley (Ala.), Franklin and Hopkinsville (Ky.) are all first-time participants. Three of those teams are bringing their own rivalry to the beach.

Columbia Central and Franklin are natural rivals, just 25 miles apart, and Franklin football’s coach left Hopkinsville for the job.

“I thought we could have played the first round up here,” Franklin coach Jay Johnson joked.

The bracket could pit the rivals in the semifinals on Tuesday afternoon, if they advance.

Most of the teams making the trek to Panama City Beach are in search of their basketball souls. Some are rebuilding, while Niceville has been trying to stay on track without four football players who have missed the basketball season thus far because the Eagles made a run to the Class 4A football state championship game.

That season ended Dec. 19, but Eagles coach Jerome Strutchen is giving the football players a couple weeks to get their legs back. He said late last week, however, that guards Cody Williams and Kyle McDermott may join the team this week.

“Right now we’re gelling with (who we have) and it’s going to be a matter of them coming in and adding to the team chemistry,” Strutchen said. “I’m excited about (the tournament) for the simple fact that we all talk about having our kids figure the game out as we go and it’s good opportunity to test their basketball IQ. And the coaches and staffs have to adjust to what the other teams are doing.”

The defending champions are undergoing their own reconstruction.

Marshall County is 7-0 while trying to replace five seniors, including a point guard who averaged almost 25 points per game. Coach Gus Gillespie has reshaped his team, the result being a smaller lineup that shares the offensive responsibilities. In seven games, the Marshals have had five different leading scorers.

“We’re kind of surprising ourselves a little bit,” Gillespie said. “We feel like we’re taking good shots and not committing a lot of turnovers, and taking care of the ball and rebounding.”