Bellevue going for third straight district title

The Bellevue girls basketball team has always had a bullseye on its back. It may have gotten even bigger this season after winning a Div. IV state championship last season. Despite being challenged on a nightly basis, Bellevue is 25-0 overall this season and the top seed in the Division IV Fostoria district. The Lady Red will go for a third straight district championship at 3 p.m. Saturday when it faces fifth-seeded Bryan (16-9). "It's one of the goals," Lady Red coach Kory Santoro said. "We want to win a league title and make a deep tournament run. Our next step is a district championship." The Golden Bears avenged an early-season loss to Bath by topping the Wildkittens in a district semifinal Tuesday at Miller City. Bryan has won nine straight games since a one-point road loss to St. Marys Memorial on Jan. 17. The winner faces either Lutheran East (11-6) or Holy Name (17-6) in a regional semifinal at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Bluffton University. Division III Norwalk is playing in a district final for the second year in a row. The second-seeded Truckers (18-6) will make the near two-hour trek to Columbus Grove to battle fourth-seeded Elida (14-9) at 7 p.m. Saturday. Norwalk enacted some revenge when it rolled past Ashland, 50-20, in a district semifinal Tuesday. Elida defeated Defiance to get to the district final. "I think they finally started believing that with the proper amount of preparation mentally and physically, we can compete with anybody," Norwalk coach Kyle Brubaker said. "And I think we brought that same level of focus." The Bulldogs started the season 0-3, including an opening night loss to Columbus Grove, who won the Div. VI state title last year. Elida has won four of their last four games. Norwalk won district titles in 2017 and 2023. The winner takes on either Toledo Notre Dame (13-10) or Celina (16-8) in a regional semifinal at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Elida Fieldhouse. Division V Willard played perhaps its best game of the season when it clobbered Clear Fork 68-45 in a district semifinal Tuesday. Now, the Crimson Flashes take on Delta in a battle of No. 2 seeds who are each 20-4. The district championship is 3 p.m. Saturday at Lakota High School. "Delta is a solid team who is long and athletic," Willard coach Alanna Bedingfield said. "They have shooters and players who crash the boards hard and penetrate well. They pressure the ball and switch up defenses." The Panthers started the season 13-1 before losing three out of four games. Since then, Delta has won four consecutive games including a 47-44 win over Archbold in a district semifinal. "We will need to be patient offensively and move the ball to look for open opportunities to score," Bedingfield said. "We will need to play with poise against their different defense and full-court pressure. "Defensively, we need to pressure the ball, communicate cutters and shooters, box out and only allow one shot opportunities." The winner moves on to face either Columbus Africentric (20-4) or Madison-Plains (23-0) in a regional semifinal at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Mansfield Senior. Division VI Margaretta's seniors only know winning district titles. The top-seeded Polar Bears (23-1) have won four of them in a row and look to make it five straight when they face second-seeded Wynford (20-4) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Fremont Ross. Margaretta has won its first two tournament games by an average of 45.5 points. The Polar Bears took care of business Wednesday when it defeated Lakota. The Royals are coached by Amy Taylor-Sheldon, the wife of Colonel Crawford boys coach David Sheldon. Wynford has won five games in a row following back-to-back losses to Upper Sandusky and Carey. The winner will battle either New London (21-3) or Ottawa Hills (16-8) in a regional semifinal at 8 p.m. Thursday at Bluffton University. New London will take on the Green Bears at 3 p.m. Saturday at Napoleon High School. The Wildcats last played in a district final in 2024, a loss to Danbury. "For this team, it is another opportunity to play together again," NL coach Eric Mitchell said. "They know how hard it is and the work it takes to get to a district final game. They deserve it, and I know one thing, this team will give everything they got once again." Ottawa Hills is led by sophomore Kendell Skiver. The 5-foot-11 guard is averaging 26.1 points per game this year and is already over 1,000 points for her career. "They have played some respectable teams this season and done a nice job competing," said Mitchell of the Green Bears. "They really like to play zone on the defensive end of the ball and try to make you beat them from outside. "Offensively, they like to push in transition and get out in front of defenses. They have a big time scorer in Skiver. She is a tough guard because of her length." Division VII The incredible turnaround this season for St. Mary Central Catholic continues when the fifth-seeded Panthers (12-13) face top-seeded Seneca East (17-7) in a district final at 3 p.m. Saturday at Gibsonburg. SMCC snapped an 82-game losing streak when it won its first and only game last year. The Panthers defeated St. Paul, 44-37, in a district semifinal Wednesday. "I don't know if it'll sink in until we get here Saturday, to be honest," Panthers coach Kevin Youskievicz said. "We have a lot of work to do. The next team, it gets harder and harder. As you go deeper, the teams are better and better. I think we're playing well at the right time." The Tigers enter on the strength of a 67-38 win over Hopewell-Loudon. Seneca East has a pair of 1,000 career point scorers in seniors Alexa Snay and Izzy Stockmaster. The Tigers were in a similar rebuild not long ago as well. George Parks, who was the Clyde baseball coach not long ago, went 1-22 three years ago when his current seniors were freshmen. The Tigers were 8-16 two years ago before going 16-8 last year. The winner takes on either Berlin Center Western Reserve (22-2) or Willoughby Cornerstone Christian (15-9) in a regional semifinal at 6 p.m. Thursday at Massillon Perry.