If you follow high school basketball in north central Ohio, your favorite week has arrived.
Area teams are involved in post-season play, as boys’ sectional games get underway at several venues and the girls enter the district round.
Here is what is on tap, starting Tuesday night.
· Boys Division III action at Monroeville pits Wynford against Genoa at 6 p.m. The Royals come in at 13-9. The Comets are 15-7.
Coach Mike Smith’s team is led by Grant McGuire at 13 points per game. Six-foot-6 junior Sam McMillan is tops in rebounding with 11.4 per game.
Wes Prenger (12.7) and Cainen Allen (12.6) provide support. Prenger missed 9 games with a wrist injury but is back in uniform.
· In a Division IV sectional semifinal at Fostoria, Mohawk plays North Baltimore (2-20) at 6 p.m.
The Warriors come in at 19-3 and their 11-3 mark was good for second place in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference. They lost to Carey 48-31 last Friday night.
AJ Hess leads Mohawk with 18.7 points and 8.5 rebounds.
· On Wednesday, Upper Sandusky ventures to Lima Senior for a date with Elida. Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. The Rams are 3-19 and the Bulldogs 8-14.
Holden Daris (12.2) paces the US offense. Ethan Kessler is the top rebounder with 5.5 per game.
· Bucyrus opposes Northwood (6-16) in a D-III sectional at Monroeville High School at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Malachi Bayless, who tied the school’s single-game scoring record of 44 a couple of weeks ago, leads the Redmen (6-16) on a team dominated by a strong junior class.
Bayless averages 18.9 per game, tops in the N10, as well as 3 assists and 2 steals. Noah Burke grabs 7 rebounds per outing to go along with 8 points.
· In boys Division II, Galion (5-17) takes on Willard (14-8) at Madison High School with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff on Wednesday. Clear Fork plays Ontario at 6 p.m.
The Tigers are led by their 1-2 scoring punch of Cooper Kent, who averages 19.7, and Elijah Chafin at 17.6 and 3 steals. Jackson Hart averages 3 assists.
· Two N10 rivals meet on Wednesday in a Division IV sectional semifinal at Ashland Crestview High School. Seneca East (15-7) takes on Buckeye Central (6-16) at 7:30 p.m.
Isaac Mason’s 16 ppg average leads the Tigers. Lucas Bordner contributes 12.6 and Luke Mason 10.1.
Tyler Sanderson averages 12.6 points. Drew Rose, Manny Mullins, and Jack Phillips add about 5 per game apiece.
The Bucks are led on the glass by Sanderson, who garners 7.1 rebounds, and freshman Dom Dean’s 5.6.
· The opener pits Crestline (5-17) against Monroeville (13-9) at 6 p.m.
Bulldogs head coach Tyler Sanders announced he was stepping down after this season.
” I have realized that no time is the best time or the easy time. But I have been wrestling with this for months now and have come to the conclusion that even though it isn’t easy it is time,” he posted on Facebook last weekend.
Sanders has coached at Crestline for 5 years.
“We have set records and beat teams we hadn’t beaten in years. We have had overtime wins and buzzer beater tournament thriller. We have gone from losing seasons to new expectations,” he added.
“We have grown this program tremendously. While we love having success on the floor and winning seasons, I hope we are remembered more not for the wins, but for the lives we have helped change.”
Isaiah Perry averages 15 per game for the Bulldogs.
· Colonel Crawford awaits the winner of Tuesday night’s game between Plymouth and Sandusky St. Mary. The Eagles play at 6 p.m. Friday at Shelby High School in the D-IV sectional final.
The Eagles, under veteran coach David Sheldon, finished third in the N10 with a 10-4 mark and 15-7 overall.
Leading the way are Braxton Baker, whose 18.7 ppg is third in the league, and Jacob Maddy (12.8 ppg and 10.3 rebounds). Derek Horsley adds 8.9 points and 3.5 assists.
· Carey plays the winner of Liberty-Benton/Parkway at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Miller City. The Blue Devils enter tournament play at 19-3 and as N10 champions at 13-1.
Carter Smiley’s 13.3 ppg and Brayden Young’s 4 assists per game are tops for Carey.
Five girls’ games are slated for Thursday.
· In girls Division III district semifinals at Shelby on Thursday, Upper Sandusky vs. Clear Fork at 6 p.m.
· Wynford (14-10) takes on perennial powerhouse Margaretta (18-6) at 7:30 p.m.
The Lady Royals topped Colonel Crawford Saturday night 40-35 for their first sectional title in several years. Grace Stucky averages 11 and Katie Wagner 9. Wagner adds 9 rebounds, Stucky 7 and Maradath Engler, a freshman, 3.5 assists.
Margaretta has a new coach in Ray Neill but is a tradition-laden program. Last year the team made it to the regional semifinals.
Kylie Leibacher is the leader of the squad and returned from a fractured fibula to score 8 points. The Ashland University commit is backed by Eden Palomo and Lilly Edwards.
Palomo had 16 in the 62-23 sectional final win over Ashland Crestview.
· Buckeye Central squares off with South Central at 7:30 p.m. in a Division IV district semifinal at Willard.
The Buckettes are 20-3 overall and N10 regular season champs at 13-1. The Lady Trojans are decided underdogs at 4-12. Kate Siesel at 14 ppg and Ryley Kantzer at 9.5 ppg lead coach Abram Kaple’s club. Kennedy Deppen chips in 9 ppg and 5 rpg Kantzer lends 4 assists per game.
Two other teams play in the Division IV district semifinals at Fostoria.
· Mohawk (16-7) tangles with Hopewell-Loudon (13-7) at 6 p.m. Emily Klopp gets 13.5 points and 10 rebounds per game.
· Carey (17-6) battles McComb (13-8) at 7:30 p.m. Ady Stewart’s 12.6 ppg leads the Lady Blue Devils. Julia Brodman grabs 6.2 rebounds per game.
On Saturday, wrestling teams compete in sectional competition.
· Carey travels to the D-III tourney in Van Buren.
· Bucyrus, Mohawk, and Seneca East grapplers are on the mats at the D-III sectional in Plymouth.
· Galion and Upper Sandusky compete in the D-II sectional at Clyde.
Action begins at 10 a.m. at all three sites. The top four placers in each sectional advance to the district tournaments next weekend.