St. Paul-Monroeville III highlights tournament slate

One of Huron County's oldest rivalries will get a third meeting this season. Among the highlights from Sunday's statewide boys basketball district tournament draw came in Division VII. After splitting in the regular season, No. 5-seed St. Paul (12-9) will make the short trip to No. 1 Monroeville (14-5) in a rubber match between the two Firelands Conference rivals at 6 p.m. on Feb. 26 in a sectional championship game. Each team won at home during the regular season. The Eagles claimed a 57-47 win on Steve Moore Court on Dec. 12, while the Flyers returned the favor with a 44-38 win inside Harvey Keller Gymnasium on Jan. 17 in Norwalk. The game will mark the 12th all-time tournament meeting — all in the sectional rounds — between the Eagles and Flyers. In the same district, No. 6 Danbury (4-17) will visit No. 4 Cardinal Stritch (13-9). The winner of that game and the winner between Monroeville and St. Paul will then meet in a district semifinal at 6 p.m. March 5 at Oregon Clay High School. The bottom half of the bracket features No. 6 North Central (10-11) at No. 2 Edon (13-8) and No. 7 Hilltop (8-13) at No. 3 Pettisville (12-9). Those four winners will meet in the other district semifinal at 7:30 p.m. March 5 at Bryan High School. At the Div. VII Galion district, Plymouth (13-7), is the No. 2 seed and hosts No. 6 Mansfield St. Peter's (7-10) in a sectional title game at 6 p.m. Feb. 26. Opposite that game is No. 8 Lucas (0-21) at No. 1 Tiffin Calvert (12-7) on the same night. Those two winners then meet in a 6 p.m. district semifinal at Galion on March 5. The other half of the bracket has No. 2 St. Mary Central Catholic (16-4) hosting No. 8 Toledo Horizon Science Academy, and No. 3 Old Fort (14-7) hosting No. 7 Fremont St. Joseph Central Catholic (1-18). The two winners face off in a 7:30 p.m. district semifinal on March 5 at Oregon Clay. The district title game site shifts back to Galion at 7 p.m. March 7. Also in Div. VII, South Central (10-10), is a No. 4 seed and hosts No. 5 New Riegel (6-14) in its sectional title game at 6 p.m. Feb. 26. Opposite the Trojans is No. 3 Crestline (12-9), hosting No. 7 Buckeye Central (2-17). The winners then face each other in a district semifinal at Galion at 7:30 p.m. on March 5. The other half of the bracket has No. 8 Vanlue (1-20) at No. 1 Arlington (18-3) and No. 6 Cory-Rawson (3-17) visiting No. 4 McComb (7-14). That district semifinal is at 6 p.m. March 5 at Lima Senior. The district championship game is also at Lima Senior at 7 p.m. on March 7. In Div. VI, another area team will have a third meeting with an FC opponent. At the Findlay Liberty-Benton district, No. 3 New London (11-8) hosts No. 4 Ashland Crestview (10-10) in a sectional title game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 27. The Cougars and Wildcats also split in the regular season. New London claimed a 63-53 win over the Cougars at home, then fell at Crestview, 72-55, on Jan. 17. The winner advances to a 7:30 p.m. district semifinal at Willard on March 4 against the winner between No. 5 Mansfield Christian (10-9) and No. 2 Seneca East (16-5). Opposite on the bracket includes No. 7 Riverdale (12-7) at No. 2 Columbus Grove (15-6), with that winner advancing to face No. 1 Van Buren (18-2) at 6 p.m. in a district semifinal on March 4 at Liberty-Benton. The district title game is at 6 p.m. on March 6 at Liberty-Benton. In Div. V, Edison, Western Reserve, and Willard are in two different districts. At the Lakota district, No. 9 Edison (9-11) renews acquaintances with former SBC member Oak Harbor (8-13) when it visits the No. 7 Rockets in a sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. on Feb. 25. That winner draws No. 2 Margaretta (18-3) on the road in the sectional title game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 27. In the district semifinals, those winners will face either No. 6 Huron (8-12) or No. 4 Eastwood (12-7) at 6 p.m. on March 3 at Lakota. Opposite those teams at the Napoleon district site are No. 6 Bluffton (9-12), No. 4 Ottawa Hills (13-9), No. 5 Coldwater (9-11), and No. 3 Archbold (13-8). The district title game shifts back to Lakota to 7 p.m. March 6. In the Napoleon district, No. 8 Western Reserve (10-9) drew a huge challenge and visits No. 1 Genoa (20-0) in a sectional title game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 27. The winner takes on the victor between No. 5 Findlay Liberty-Benton (14-7) and Willard (17-3). The No. 3-seeded Crimson Flashes will also host that sectional title game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 27. The district semifinal is slated for 7:30 p.m. on March 3 at Lakota. The other side of the bracket shows Delta (4-16), Swanton (6-13), No. 1 Paulding (17-4), Northwood (3-18), and No. 2 Liberty Center (14-7). The two winners from that group meet at 6 p.m. on March 3 at Napoleon, with the district title game at 7 p.m. on March 6, also at Napoleon. In the Div. III Ontario district, Norwalk is the No. 11 seed and visits No. 3 Mansfield Senior (15-7) in a sectional title game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 27. The winner would advance to a district semifinal on March 5 at Ontario against the winner of the trio from No. 9 Toledo Woodward (5-14), No. 4 Sandusky (13-7), and No. 2 Oregon Clay (15-5). ---------------------------------- Tournament glance DIVISION III Ontario district Feb. 25 Sectional semifinal No. 9 Toledo Woodward at No. 4 Sandusky No. 10 Toledo Bowsher at No. 2 Toledo Rogers Feb. 27 Sectional championships (7 p.m) Sandusky-Woodward winner at No. 2 Oregon Clay No. 11 Norwalk at No. 3 Mansfield Senior Rogers-Bowsher winner at No. 1 Lima Shawnee No. 9 Bowling Green at No. 7 Holland Springfield March 5 District semifinal at Ontario Woodward-Sandusky-Clay winner vs. Norwalk-Mansfield winner, 6 p.m. District semifinal at Liberty-Benton Rogers-Bowsher-Shawnee winner vs. Bowling Green-Springfield winner, 7:30 p.m. March 7 District championship at Ontario Teams TBD, 7 p.m. DIVISION V Lakota district Feb. 25 Sectional semifinal No. 9 Edison at No. 7 Oak Harbor, 6 p.m. Feb. 27 Sectional championships (7 p.m.) Edison-Oak Harbor winner at No. 2 Margaretta No. 6 Huron at No. 4 Eastwood No. 5 Coldwater at No. 3 Archbold No. 6 Bluffton at No. 4 Ottawa Hills March 3 District semifinal at Lakota Edison-Oak Harbor-Margaretta winner vs. Eastwood-Huron winner, 6 p.m. District semifinal at Napoleon Archbold-Coldwater winner vs. Ottawa Hills-Bluffton winner, 7:30 p.m. March 6 District championship at Lakota Teams TBD, 7 p.m. Napoleon district Feb. 25 Sectional semifinal No. 8 Delta at No. 7 Swanton, 6 p.m. Feb. 27 Sectional championships (7 p.m.) Swanton-Delta winner at No. 1 Paulding No. 9 Northwood at No. 2 Liberty Center No. 8 Western Reserve at No. 1 Genoa No. 5 Findlay Liberty-Benton at No. 3 Willard March 3 District semifinal at Napoleon Delta-Swanton-Paulding winner vs. Northwood-Liberty Center winner, 6 p.m. District semifinal at Lakota Western-Genoa winner vs. Liberty-Benton-Willard winner, 7:30 p.m. March 6 District championship game at Napoleon Teams TBD, 7 p.m. DIVISION VI Findlay Liberty-Benton district Feb. 27 Sectional championships (6 p.m.) No. 7 Riverdale at No. 2 Columbus Grove No. 5 Mansfield Christian at No. 2 Seneca East No. 4 Crestview at No. 3 New London March 4 District semifinal at Liberty-Benton Riverdale-Grove winner vs. No. 1 Van Buren, 6 p.m. District semifinal at Willard M. Christian-Seneca East winner vs. Crestview-NL winner, 7:30 p.m. March 6 District championship at Liberty-Benton Teams TBD, 6 p.m. DIVISION VII Oregon Clay district Feb. 26 Sectional championships (6 p.m.) No. 5 St. Paul at No. 1 Monroeville No. 6 Danbury at No. 4 Cardinal Stritch No. 6 North Central at No. 2 Edon No. 7 Hilltop at No. 3 Pettisville March 5 District semifinal at Oregon Clay Monroeville-St. Paul winner vs. Eden-North Central winner, 6 p.m. District semifinal at Bryan Edon-North Central winner vs. Hilltop-Pettisville winner, 7:30 p.m. March 7 District championship at Oregon Clay Teams TBD, 7 p.m. Galion district Feb. 26 Sectional championships (6 p.m.) No. 8 Lucas at No. 1 Tiffin Calvert No. 6 Mansfield St. Peter's at No.2 Plymouth No. 8 Toledo Horizon Science at No. 2 St. Mary C.C. No. 7 Fremont SJCC at No. 3 Old Fort March 5 District semifinal at Galion Lucas-Calvert winner vs. St. Peter's-Plymouth winner, 6 p.m. District semifinal at Oregon Clay Horizon Science-SMCC winner vs. SJCC-Old Fort winner, 7:30 p.m. March 7 District championship game at Galion Teams TBD, 7 p.m. Lima Senior district Feb. 26 Sectional championships (6 p.m.) No. 8 Vanlue at No. 1 Arlington No. 6 Cory-Rawson at No. 4 McComb No. 7 Buckeye Central at No. 3 Crestline No. 5 New Riegel at No. 4 South Central March 5 District semifinal at Lima Senior Vanlue-Arlington winner vs. Cory-Rawson-McComb winner, 6 p.m. District semifinal at Galion Crestline-Buckeye Central winner vs. South Central-New Riegel winner, 7:30 p.m. March 7 District championship at Lima Senior Teams TBD, 7 p.m.