BonnerSprings.com

The Bonner Springs Braves wrestling squad will play host to the annual Dick Burns Mat Classic Saturday. The tournament features defending 5A state champion Paola and rival Basehor-Linwood.

In all, 10 teams will compete in what promises to be a competitive tournament.

Other teams joining the Braves, Bobcats and Panthers will be Bishop Miege, Bellevue East (Nebraska), Highland Park, J.C. Harmon, Blue Valley, Topeka Seaman and S.M. Northwest.

Basehor-Linwood, Paola, Topeka Seaman, Bellevue East and Bonner Springs are expected to battle it out for the top three spots. Paola is the defending tournament champion.

"There are some good, top- quality teams at our tournament," said Braves coach Dan Burns. "This is as tough a one-day tournament as we'll participate in all year."

The Braves hope to carry their pre-holiday momentum into the Dick Burns Mat Classic.

The Braves upset Paola in a dual just before the break. They finished second at the Gardner-Edgerton Invitational. They sport a 3-1 dual record. Their only set-back was a season opening dual loss to Basehor-Linwood.

"We want to carry the momentum into the second half of the season," said Burns. "This is a competitive tournament with a lot of quality teams. We want to continue improving and focus on maintaining good position on the mat."

First-round action gets under way at 9:30 a.m. The championship semifinals are slated to take place before lunch, beginning at approximately 11 a.m.

The championship and consolation finals will begin at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Medals will be awarded to the top four finishers in each weight class and plaques will be presented to the top three teams.