Coach Josh Arey and the Peebles Indians are the #10 seed in Division IV and will open sectional play on February 15, hosting Portsmouth Clay. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
Seeds: Peebles #10, North Adams #14, Manchester #19, West Union #29
Head coach Nathan Copas and his North Adams Green Devils are the #14 seed in the Division III super sectional and will host Dawson-Bryant on February 15. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
coach Greg Scott and his Manchester Greyhounds will open Division IV sectional tournament play on February 15 with a trip to Franklin Furnace Green. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
A week after the Southeast District girls tournament pairings were announced, it was time for the boys teams in Adams County to get the word on where their postseason trails would lead. On Sunday afternoon (February 6), the Southeast District Athletic Board released the brackets for Divisions III and IV, which includes the four high school boys swuads from Adams County.
The records of the teams were turned in a few days before the brackets were released, giving coaches time to cast their ballots in the super sectional format that the Southeast District employs. The records shown here are those that were sent in for the draw.
In Division III, Coach Nathan Copas and his North Adams Green Devils (9-9) earned a#14 seed and a home sectional semi-final contest with #19 seeded Dawson-Bryant (Coal Grove). That game will be played on Tuesday, February 15 at 7 p.m. A win there propels the Devils into the sectional championship game on the road where they would see a familiar foe in the #3 seeded Eastern Brown Warriors on Friday, February 18 with a 7 p.m. tip off.
“I thought we might been a little higher sees but it is what it is,” Coach Copas said of his team’s spot. “I don’t know much about Dawson-Bryant right now but I know if we go play well as a team for four quarters, we can give ourselves a chance to win a sectional.”
First-year head coach Shane Fultz and his West Union Dragons have certainly struggled this season and with an 0-13 record, they will be the lowest seed in the bracket at #29. With that seed, the Dragons will be on the road in a sectional semi-final contest at #4 seeded Zane Trace on February 15 at 7 p.m. If the underdog Dragons pull off the upset, they will move to a sectional title game on February 18 against the winner of #13 seed Eastern Meigs and #20 seed Southeastern.
In Division IV, Coach Josh Arey and his Peebles Indians (7-9) have had an up-and-down regular season but can never be counted out come tournament time. The Indians are the #10 seed and will get a very winnable first-round sectional game at home on February 15, facing #23 seed Portsmouth Clay (1-18) in a 7 p.m. tip off. If the Indians advance, they will be on the road at #7 seeded South Webster (11-6), playing for a sectional championship on February 18 at 7 p.m.8
“Portsmouth Clay is down this year but South Webster is really good,” says Coach Arey. “They’ve lost twice to state-ranked Waverly and once to Lucasville Valley, but they also beat Valley. They have some seniors with experience and a 6’7” freshman that can play.”
“We ended up with the seed we thought we would get and it worked out where our league teams all have the opportunity to get out of the sectional without having to play one another.”
Finally in Division IV, Coach Greg Scott and the senior-laden Manchester Greyhounds (5-13) are the #19 seed and will board the bus for a sectional semi-final battle at #15 seeded Franklin Furnace Green, February 15 at 7 p.m. If the Hounds put it together and win that road game, they will move to the sectional finals, where they would again be on the road at #3 seeded Symmes Valley (14-2). That game would be played on February 18 at 7 p.m.
All rickets for OHSAA tournament games must be purchased online at www.ohsaa,org/tickets.
