It’s hard to believe, with the snowfall and Arctic temperatures that have descended on West Central Ohio lately, that high school basketball tournament action is just around the corner. Girls’ tourney draws take place on February 2nd, with the boys’ pairings to be established a week later. It will be an interesting tournament season as there are now seven divisions rather than the traditional four, with a completely different format for state semifinal play.
With the move to seven divisions, state semifinals will be played at various sites around the state, with only the state championships to be contested at UD Arena, the girls the weekend of March 14-15, and the boys March 21-22. It will seem strange not to have a Thursday through Sunday schedule of state semis and finals all at one location, something that has been a tradition throughout the years and one that has been cherished by scholastic hoop fans and players. Regardless, the state tournaments are always looked forward to each year!!
The new divisional breakdowns mean that many area teams, both boys and girls, will be in competition with schools that haven’t been previous tournament opponents. To find out which division your favorite team or teams have been assigned, go to the OHSAA website, click sports and tournaments, either boys or girls basketball, and then divisional breakdowns.
Some notable items—in girls D-VII, Ansonia and Franklin-Monroe are the two largest schools enrollment-wise, while in D-V, Tri-Village is the smallest (the Lady Patriots were bumped up from D-VI due to a plus 30 increase based on out-of-district students).
On the boy’s side, Richmond Heights from northeastern Ohio, long a thorn in area D-IV team’s sides, has been moved to D-V. Basically, a collection of AAU talent from a widespread area, the Heights has a plus 23 competitive balance increase, and the move will open the way for many smaller schools to have a legitimate chance at a state trophy. Harvest Prep from the Columbus area is another school that has a somewhat tarnished image around the state and has also been assigned to D-V based again on out-of-district enrollment.
In related OHSAA news, beginning in the 2025-26 school year there will be a change in track and field and also cross country divisional assignments. D-I will become smaller in both sports, with track and field expanding from three to five divisions and cross country from three to four. The discrepancy in enrollments in D-I over the years has long been a controversy, and this will supposedly even the playing field.
Moving along, I was in Bowling Green Saturday to attend the BGSU-Eastern Michigan mens basketball game. Good friend Rex LeJeune and three of his basketball fanatic buddies met me there at the Stroh Center to watch the MAC contest as the Falcons fell to the Eagles 72-66. The Stroh, which opened in 2011 and seats approximately 4,500, is a great venue to watch a game and fairly typical of MAC arenas. How many different college arenas have you visited? Conservatively, I’ve been in sixteen and plan to see many more over the coming years!
Speaking of arenas, the Student Activities Center at Vandalia-Butler High School has hosted many tournament games over the years in addition to regular season Aviator games. First opened in 1986, the SAC can hold 4,500 fans and thus has been the site of many regional finals, particularly in girls D-III and D-IV action.
What’s your prediction for the NCAA title clash between THE and Notre Dame in Atlanta? I think that the Bucks’ overall talent and a defense that should contain the Irish offense lead to a trophy coming back to the Columbus campus. With a little trepidation, I like THE 24-13.
The NFL moves to the conference championship stage as the Super Bowl awaits in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9th. The two-time defending champion Chiefs took out the Texans (is it just me, or do the Chiefs always seem to get the calls? See the Bengals playoff game of 2022!) and will face the Bills, who held off a late Ravens rally in the AFC title contest. Meanwhile, Washington surprised the NFC’s top-seeded but injury-riddled Lions and will meet the Eagles for the right to head to NOLA. The Rams couldn’t overcome two inopportune fumbles and fell just short of a miracle comeback against Philly. Nothing says playoff football like two cold and snowy games on a January Sunday!!
Finally, I’ve been watching the Commanders (hard not to say Redskins!) the past few weeks, and I really like their away uniforms, a white jersey trimmed in gold and burgundy with burgundy pants (I always thought burgundy was a wine from eastern France!). Two of my other favorite NFL uniforms, at least for now, are the Bengals all-white jerseys, pants, and helmets with striping and the Saints away uniforms; white jerseys, black pants, and the great gold helmets with the fleur-de-lis symbol. What are your favorite three uniforms?
Hey, the days are getting longer—Reds pitchers and catchers report to spring training camp in Goodyear, Arizona, on February 10th. Next thing you know, the buzzards will be returning to Hinckley, Ohio!! Have a great week, stay warm!!