One team withdraws from Tustin Classic prompting adjustment for opening day

One team has withdrawn from the Tustin Classic boys basketball tournament ond one other squad will not play on the first day of the event which begins on Monday, Tustin Coach Ringo Bossenmeyer said Sunday.

Trabuco Hills has withdrawn from the tournament, leaving it with 15 teams, according to Bossenmeyer. There will be one less game on Monday with the cancellation of the Trabuco Hills vs. Esperanza 3 p.m. game. The rest of the games Monday, starting with the 9 a.m. contest between Tustin and Tesoro, will go on as scheduled, Bossenmeyer said.

Bossenmeyer did not indicate why Trabuco Hills withdrew but Trabuco Hills basketball released a statement on Twitter that said that “Due to COVID safety protocols, the Mustangs will be unable to participate” in the tournament. It also wished Coach Bossenmeyer and his team “the best of luck this week.”

As a result, Bossenmeyer said:

–Esperanza, win or lose, moves on to the 3 p.m. game on Tuesday against the Woodbridge-Los Alamitos winner.

–However, Esperanza will still play on Monday at 7:30 p.m. vs. Calvary Chapel replacing Ocean View, which will not play Monday due to a roster shortage, Bossenmeyer said.

“Ocean View is good to go for Tuesday,” Bossenmeyer said.

—The Esperanza-Calvary Chapel game will not have a bearing on the tournament bracket. Win or lose, Calvary Chapel will move to the winners spot on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and Ocean View will move to the consolation bracket on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 10:30 a.m.

—Officials are working to find another team to face the loser of the Woodbridge-Los Alamitos game on Tuesday.

If not, there will be additional byes along the way.

“Hopefully that will be the only change we have and if we can get teams to fill in for Trabuco Hills along the way, we will do so,” Bossenmeyer said.

The Tustin Classic was postponed last year due to the coronavius pandemic.

Bossenmeyer said he’s excited for the propsects of this year’s tournament. Tustin and Tesoro (both 12-2) start the tournament Monday.

“The field is one of the stronger fields we’ve had,” Bossenmeyer said. “We’re excited to be back at it considering what happened last year. We’re glad to be back in the gym. Even though we’ve had to make this one adjustment, we’re still excited for four days of basketball with some of the best teams in Orange County and probably the best tournament in Southern California right now.”

Following COVID-protocol for indoor sports, fans will be required to wear masks, Bossenmeyer said.

“We will have masks at the scorer’s table for anybody who doesn’t bring them,” he said.

First round match-ups Monday, Dec. 27 (in order of the bracket):

(No 3 p.m. game)

Marina vs. Chaparral, 10:30 a.m.

Tesoro vs. Tustin, 9 a.m.

Long Beach Wilson vs. Mission Viejo, noon

Beckman vs. Laguna Beach, 1:30 p.m.

Long Beach Millikan vs. San Clemente, 6 p.m.

Esperanza vs. Calvary Chapel, 7:30 p.m.

Woodbridge vs. Los Alamitos, 4:30 p.m.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com