The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Area girls’ teams prepare for sectionals

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

With the 2016-2017 girls high school basketball regular season winding down, sectional tournament pairings will be determined this Sunday.

Based on factors such as overall record, head-to-head competition and strength of schedule, teams will be assigned a seed or ranking.

From there, coaches will be able to determine where to be placed on the tournament bracket.

Here is a breakdown of where local and area teams will begin sectional semifinal competition February 21 and 22, with winners advancing to sectional championship action February 25.

Division II — Van Wert is one of 12 schools scheduled to begin sectional semifinal play at Leipsic or Spencerville High School.

The remaining schools are Bath, Bryan, Celina, Defiance, Elida, Kenton, Napoleon, Ottawa-Glandorf, St. Marys, Shawnee, and Wapakoneta.

Ottawa-Glandorf and Wapakoneta appear to be frontrunners for the top two seeds, with Kenton also in the mix. However, Wapakoneta defeated Kenton 55-54 on January 5, which may give the Lady Redskins the nod as the second overall seed.

Sectional winners will advance to the Paulding district.

Division III — A field of 13 teams will compete at Lincolnview or Wapakoneta High School. The list includes Allen East, Bluffton, Coldwater, Columbus Grove, Delphos Jefferson, Fort Recovery, Liberty-Benton, Parkway, Patrick Henry, Paulding, St. Henry, Tinora, and Van Buren.

Columbus Grove is expected to be the top overall seed, with Bluffton and Coldwater contending for the second seed.

Sectional winners will advance to the Elida district.

Division IV — 14 teams will open sectional play at Allen East or Bath High School, with winners advancing to the Wapakoneta district.

Crestview and Lincolnview are two local schools scheduled to compete, along with Hardin-Northern, Lima Central Catholic, Lincolnview, Marion Local, Minster, New Bremen, New Knoxville, Perry, Ridgemont, Spencerville, Upper Scioto Valley, and Waynesfield-Goshen.

Minster is expected to be the top seed.

Thirteen other Division IV schools will begin sectional competition at Bluffton and Paulding High School. That list includes Delphos St. John’s and Wayne Trace, along with Arlington, Continental, Cory-Rawson, Fort Jennings, Kalida, Leipsic, McComb, Miller City, North Baltimore, Ottoville, and Pandora-Gilboa.

Ottoville and Wayne Trace are contenders for the top two seeds, with Arlington in the mix as well. Winners from that sectional will advance to the Ottawa-Glandorf district.

POSTED: 02/01/17 at 7:58 am. FILED UNDER: Sports