Busy tournament schedules ahead for boys and girls basketball

Staff report
news@wbcowqel.com

The second season for high school basketball is quickly approaching and it will be a hectic pace to keep up – for the fans and maybe even more so for us here at North Central Ohio Media Group better known as Iconic Rock Q92.7, County Legends WBCO 1540 AM and 107.5 FM, www.wqel.com and www.crawfordcountynow.com.

We will do our best to keep you up to date, including on our Facebook pages, with the comings and goings of local teams on the tournament trail.

Here is a day-by-day description of what we know to this point about the next two weeks. Seeds are in parentheses ( ).

GIRLS SECTIONAL WEEK
Feb. 21 – The first center jump of the tournament for local teams will come in girls Division III at Willard where Colonel Crawford (5) will take on Seneca East (8) for the third time this season. That will be a single session that evening so the ball goes up in the center circle at 7 p.m. Winner plays again at 6:15 p.m. on Feb. 25.

Feb. 22 – Staying in Division III, it will be Crawford County Night at Lexington High School for a double header. In the 6:15 game Bucyrus (12) will take on Willard (2). In the 8 p.m. game of the twin bill Wynford (11) will square off with Fostoria (10). Those two winners will move to Willard on Saturday evening at 8 p.m.

Galion (13) will be matched against Margaretta (3) in the front end of a twin bill at 6:15 p.m. at Willard.

Also on Feb. 22 in Division IV, Crestline (13) will play New London (3) at 8 p.m. at Shelby High School. That winner will advance and play again at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 back at Shelby.

Feb. 25 – This will be a busy night with the potential of Crawford County teams playing at three different venues.

In Division IV Buckeye Central (2) will step onto the tournament trail for the first time after taking a bye in the first round. The Buckettes will face the winner of St. Mary Central Catholic (5) or Plymouth (11) for the right to cut down the nets at Hopewell-Loudon.

Also in Division IV, should Crestline survive and advance on Feb. 22 the Lady Bulldogs will return to Shelby to play either South Central (12) or St. Peter’s (6) in an 8 p.m. sectional final there.

In Division III, everyone but Galion fans will head to Willard. The Lady Tigers, should they win on Feb. 22, will play either Mohawk (6) or Crestview (9) in the second half of the twin bill at 8 p.m. at Lexington.

At Willard, the Colonel Crawford/Seneca East winner will have the honor of playing the tournament’s top seeded Western Reserve (1) team at 6:15. That game will be followed by the winners of the Willard/Bucyrus and Wynford/Fostoria games. Could a rubber game in the offing for Bucyrus and Wynford?

BOYS SECTIONAL WEEK/GIRLS DISTRICT WEEK
It’s even a little wilder, if that is possible, when the boys teams also start their version of the one-and-done campaign.

Feb. 28 – The madness starts in Division IV at Sandusky Senior High School where Buckeye Central (8) will take on neighboring Plymouth (10) in an 8 p.m. tip off.

March 1 – The Division IV tournament stays busy on Wednesday when Crestline (11) and Wynford (7) will be at Lexington High School. The Bulldogs will play in the 6:15 opener that night against South Central (4). The Royals will take center stage at 8 p.m. versus Mansfield Christian (9).

In Division III on Wednesday Galion (9) will play Clear Fork (6) in a single session event at Shelby. That game tips off at 7 p.m.

March 2 – The girls get back in the picture for district semifinal action. Any Division III teams in the county still alive will be at Shelby. Bucyrus, Colonel Crawford or Wynford could take the floor at 6:15. If Galion remains in the tournament, the Lady Tigers would be next at 8 p.m.

March 3 – The nets come down tonight for those who win and for those who don’t, the curtain comes down on their seasons.

In Division III, Bucyrus (10) will get its feet wet at 8 p.m. against Edison (2) at Monroeville. If Galion wins on Wednesday, the Tigers will be back at it again at 6:15 at Shelby against top-seeded New London (1).

In Division IV, Colonel Crawford (2) will take its first step on the tournament trail at 6:15 at Sandusky Senior against either Lucas (5) or St. Mary Central Catholic (6). Buckeye Central will also be at Sandusky if the Bucks win the previous Tuesday. If the Bucks are there, they will tackle Norwalk St. Paul (3) at 8.

Down at Lexington, there could be one, two or no teams from Crawford County playing Friday night. Winners from Wednesday’s Crestline/South Central and Wynford/Mansfield Christian games will play at 8 p.m. at the home of the Minutemen.

March 4 – It back to the girls where it’s time to determine the Sweet 16 coming out of the district finals. The Division III district finals of local interest will be played at 2 p.m. at Shelby, while the Division IV district championship will be contested at 7 p.m. at Seneca East.