7 divisions will send area teams in all directions

The high school basketball tournament tips off in less than two months, and teams in the Northwest District recently got their assignments in the OHSAA's new seven-division format. Area schools will play in Divisions III, IV, V, VI and VII and play in districts with as few as seven teams and as many as 11. Following sectional finals, winners will advance to traditional four-team districts at a lot of unfamiliar tourney venues. For the girls, sectional finals are scheduled for February 13 in Divisions III, IV and V and February 15 for VI and VII. District tourneys in Divisions III, IV and V are February 19 and 22. For VI and VII, districts are February 20 and 22. Bellevue girls coach Kory Santoro is a fan of the expanded format. "I think there are more basketball teams in the state of Ohio than football teams and they've had seven divisions for years," Santoro said. "It's about time they do it for basketball." Bellevue was in Division II last year; now the Lady Red are in Division IV. Bellevue's eight-team district includes Clyde, Lexington, Ontario, Perkins, Shelby, Upper Sandusky and Vermilion. One tourney win would get Bellevue to a district tourney at Bucyrus High School. Bellevue is off to an 8-0 start and has five girls averaging 7 points per game or more. "We can play so many different ways," Santoro said. "We can slow play it or pressure. We're not just relying on Kaitlyn (Turinsky) or Hailey (Rees). This is probably the deepest bench I've had. You got girls who can come in and do some things. They'd be major starters on other area rosters." In Division III, Sandusky and Norwalk are in a seven-team field that feeds into a district tourney at Buckeye Central. Also in their district: Ashland, Columbian, Mansfield Madison, Mansfield Senior and Toledo Waite. In Division V, Edison, Huron and Port Clinton join Willard, Clear Fork, Crestview and Galion in a seven-team field that feeds into a district at Shelby. In Division VI, Margaretta and Monroeville are in the same tourney pod. Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, Colonel Crawford, Mansfield Christian, New London, Western Reserve and Wynford are others fighting for spots in a district tourney at Willard. Margaretta defeated Colonel Crawford in a Division III district final last season in Shelby. Three area girls teams — Danbury, St. Paul and St. Mary Central Catholic — are in a nine-team field that feeds into a district at Shelby. The other six: Crestline, Lucas, Plymouth, Seneca East, South Central and Mansfield St. Peter's. The boys draw is very similar. Boys sectionals in all seven divisions are scheduled for February 17-22 with districts played February 24-March 1. Perkins will play in the largest Division IV district in the Northwest — 11 teams. Four will advance to district play at Oregon Clay. Joining the Pirates are Bellevue, Bryan, Clyde, Maumee, Napoleon, Otsego, Port Clinton, Rossford, Vermilion and Wauseon. "I'm an old-school individual, but there are opportunities for some more competition against similar-sized schools," Perkins coach Eric Kochendoerfer said. "That might help get teams further along." In Division III, Sandusky is in a loaded seven-team district field that includes Ashland, Columbian, Lexington, Mansfield Madison, Mansfield Senior and Norwalk. The last four standing will play in a district in Willard. "Whoever gets out of that district deserves it," Sandusky coach DeMar Moore said. In Division V, Margaretta, Edison and Huron are joined by Fostoria, Galion, Genoa, Liberty-Benton, Oak Harbor and Willard. That district will be contested at Lakota High School. There are five districts in Division VI and VII in the small-school heavy Northwest District. In Division VI, Monroeville is in a nine-team lineup that feeds into a district at Ontario. Joining the Eagles will be Bucyrus, Colonel Crawford, Crestview, Mansfield Christian, New London, Seneca East, Western Reserve and Wynford. In Division VII, Danbury, St. Mary Central Catholic and St. Paul are with Buckeye Central, Crestline, Lucas, Plymouth, South Central and Mansfield St. Peter's. The district for that group will be played at Shelby.