Boys high school basketball teams learn tourney seeds, opponents

With the Ohio High School Athletic Association releasing the tournament brackets Sunday night, the Martin RPI rankings have again stripped most of the suspense from seeding day, but a handful of eyebrow-raising pairings still give the draw sheets a jolt of intrigue.

Nowhere is that more evident than in Division IV’s East District, where John Glenn (19-1) landed the No. 3 slot behind Cambridge (17-3) despite beating the Bobcats head-to-head in December’s Catfish Classic inside Gene Ford Gymnasium. The Muskies quickly answered the slight by choosing Cambridge’s side of the bracket when draws opened Feb. 15, setting up a potential rematch for the district title March 6.

Defending state champion Maysville (20-1) earned top billing in the same district and opens at home Feb. 27 against West Holmes. A win would send the Panthers into a March 3 semifinal versus either East Liverpool or Richmond Edison, with the district final scheduled for March 6 at a site still to be determined.

In the bracket’s opposite half, John Glenn entertains Morgan (5-16) while neighboring Philo (10-10) travels to Claymont. Those winners collide March 3, likely setting the stage for a Muskie-Cambridge finale that would decide one of two regional berths out of the East District.

Steubenville (18-1) secured the No. 1 seed in Division II’s East segment and will meet No. 3 Dover (13-9) in a one-game district semifinal at 8:15 p.m. March 4 at the Ohio Convocation Center, with the victor punching a ticket to regionals.

Tri-Valley (11-10) and Zanesville (10-10) square off at 7 p.m. Feb. 24 in Dresden for the right to face New Philadelphia in the Division I East semifinals Feb. 28. That bracket’s champion advances to meet the Southeast District’s lower-bracket survivor March 4 at The Convo.

Sheridan (12-8) drew the No. 6 seed in the Southeast and treks to Chillicothe (14-5) for a first-round game. A win would pit the Generals against either Jackson (17-3) or Hillsboro (6-15) in a Feb. 27 semifinal.

Washington Court House Miami Trace (16-2) headlines the Southeast’s upper bracket, joined by Marietta (18-3), Vincent Warren (11-8) and Athens (7-14). The bracket final is slated for 6:15 p.m. March 4, with the survivor moving on to face the Tri-Valley/Zanesville bracket champion.

West Muskingum (15-5) claimed the No. 2 seed behind St. Clairsville (14-6) in a loaded 17-team field and will host Navarre Fairless (3-19) in a pigtail game Feb. 24. The winner meets Sandy Valley two nights later for a semifinal berth, while Barnesville and Harrison Central tangle March 4 for the opposite slot.

Coshocton (10-11) entertains River View on Feb. 28 for a chance to meet either Martins Ferry or Garaway in the next round, while Ridgewood travels to Union Local in the bottom half, the victor drawing Fort Frye or Meadowbrook in the semis. Both bracket finals are set for March 7 at neutral floors.

Circleville (18-2), Unioto (16-3) and Washington Court House (12-8) occupy the top three seeds in the Southeast District, where two bracket champions will move on to regionals at Zanesville’s Winland Memorial Gymnasium.

New Lexington (6-16) opens at Fairfield Union (13-6) on Feb. 23, with the winner meeting either Waverly or River Valley for a district final berth March 1 at The Convo. Crooksville, seeded last among nine teams, visits Shenandoah the same night for the right to challenge Berlin Hiland three days later.

In the small-school East, Rosecrans (15-5) sits second behind New Matamoras Frontier (12-5) and hosts Strasburg on Feb. 27. Malvern (12-7) entertains Tuscarawas Central Catholic the same evening, and the winners move into March 3 semifinals at a neutral site, culminating in a title game March 6.