By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
An exciting and exhausting boys basketball season has reached its final week of action, which means just one thing. It’s time for the beginning of the postseason. With the release of the Southeast District Tournament brackets this past Sunday afternoon, the four boys squads in the county know where the trail to possible postseason success begins or ends.
On the Division V bracket, Coach Adam Barr and the West Union Dragons’ three-win season (3-17) put them in a district play-in game, The #17 seeded Dragons will be on the road on Friday, February 20, traveling to #16 seed Oak Hill High School to battle for a spot in a district quarterfinal game on February 24. Unfortunately, that quarterfinal match up would send the Dragons on the road again to face #1 seeded Chesapeake (16-1).
In Division VI, Coach Josh Arey and his 17-3 Peebles Indians earned the #1 seed and the only bye on the brackets. The Indians will open their postseason run on March 2 at 6:15 p.m. in the Waverly Downtown Gym in a district semifinal, facing the winner of the quarterfinal contest between #8 seeded Waterford (11-10) and #9 seeded Belpre (9-9). If the Tribe pulls off the win in the district semi, they will be making a return trip to the Ohio University Convo on March 8 at 2 p.m. to play for a district championship and a trip to the Sweet 16.
Also in Division VI are the defending district champions, Coach Austin McCormick and the 12-7 North Adams Green Devils. The #6 seed Devils will open in the district quarterfinals on February 27 on their home court, hosting #11 seeded Southeastern (7-13). A win there moves North Adams into the district semifinals on March 3 at 8 p.m. in the Waverly Downtown Gym, facing the winner of #3 seeded Portsmouth West (13-6) and #14 seeded Paint Valley (1-20). On the line in that March 3 match up will be another trip to the Convo for the Devils on March 8 at 4 p.m.
“We will be getting a familiar opponent in Southeastern Ross which comes with advantages and disadvantages,” said Coach McCormick. “If we are able to get past them, we will more than likely match up with Portsmouth West who has a great mix of size, athleticism and physicality. The top seven teams in our division are very quality teams so it should be very interesting to see how everything plays out. We’ll have to show up and play with great energy, effort and enthusiasm to give ourselves a shot.”
Finally in Division VII are Coach Austin Kingsolver and his 8-13 Manchester Greyhounds. The Greyhounds are the #7 seed on the Division VII bracket and will get a district quarterfinal on their home court on February 26, hosting #10 seeded Portsmouth Clay (7-12). If the Hounds survive that match up, they move on to the district semifinals on March 3 at Southeastern High School, facing off with the quarterfinal winner of #2 seeded South Webster (12-6) and #15 seeded New Boston (5-15). The Manchester squad will be looking to return to the Convo for a district championship game on March 8 at 8 p.m.
“We will play whoever is in front of us,” says Coach Kingsolver. “We don’t have an easy path to the district title but we will be preapred and ready to play.
All of the Southeast District boys tournament brackets can be found online at https://www.ohsaa.org/Southeast-Sports-Tournaments/Basketball-Boys.
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