District Basketball Preview
Both Bowling Green Teams Draw #3 Seed And Will Face Winfield Teams To Kick Off District Action
The Bowling Green teams will take part in the Class 3 District 7 tournament at Winfield next week and both the Bobcats and Lady Cats are seeded third and will take on the host school in the opening round.
The Bobcats will take on (6) Winfield on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 4:30 p.m. Those teams squared off in the Bowling Green Tournament consolation final with the Bobcats coming out on top. If Bowling Green advances, they will face the winner of the opener between (2) Montgomery County and (7) MMA in the semifinal on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. The championship is slated for Friday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.
Coach Cary Bibb said he believes the district is very competitive and that several teams could win it all.
“I am hoping with us getting healthy we can be that team but O’fallon Christian and Montgomery are definitely the favorites,” Bibb explained. “We need to be a better rebounding team and cut out our turnovers to be successful. We are looking forward to the challenge of being in a very competitive district.”
The Bobcats defeated Elsberry last Tuesday, 60-50, after having lost to the Indians in the opening round of the Bowling Green Tournament. The boys also picked up a win over Wellsville last week, 57-53.
The Bobcats are slated to host Clopton tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 13) and then North Callaway on Friday night to end the regular season.
The Lady Cats will take on (6) Winfield in the opening round as well. Bowling Green dismantled the Lady Warriors in the opening round of the Bowling Green Tournament. A win sends the Lady Cats to the semifinal where they will take on the winner of the opener between (2) Lutheran and (7) Wright City on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. The championship is set for Friday, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m.
The Lady Cats currently sit at 15-7 for the season. Coach Megan Aubuchon noted the team has gotten better defensively over the course of the season and has made that a staple when game-planning.
“We are still searching for an upset win vs a really good team and we are looking for a chance to do that in district,” Aubuchon explained.
The Lady Cats have taken third at the Montgomery County Tournament, third in the Highalnd Tournament a collected second at the Bowling Green Tournament a couple of weeks ago.
“We got the three seed in our district and play Winfield in the first round. The first seed is Christian and the second seed is Lutheran St. Charles,” Aubuchon reduced. “I think that our district is very evenly matched with lots of good competion. I believe that it was ultimately comes down to who comes to compete that night.”
The girls took a big win over Elsberry on Monday, 54-43. The Lady Cats also pulled off a huge win over Wellsville, 37-17, on Feb. 9
“We are excited for the remaimder of our conference season and the start of districts,” Aubuchon remarked.
The girls are scheduled to host Clopton tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 13) and then North Callaway on Friday to end the regular season.
Clopton Girls Kick Off Districts Against Knox Co. As #3; Hawks Will Battle Tough Van-Far Team In District Opener
Clopton teams will compete in the Class 2 District 6 tournament at Canton next week.
The Clopton Lady Hawks will start the week of district action in Class 2 District 6 at Canton as the number three seed. They will take on (6) Knox County in the opening round which takes place on Monday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m.
If the Lady Hawks advance to the semifinal, they will take on the winner of the game between (2) Paris and (7) Van-Far. The semifinal is set for Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. The championshp game is Saturday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m.
Coach Deaven Streed pointed out the season has been up and down but added she’s been very pleased with the growth they’ve demonstrated.
“We have had the ability to play some really good competition throughout our conference as well as some of the non-conference games we have been able to pick up. We were able to play a couple really competitive Illinois teams in shoot-outs as well as a really good Warrenton team in recent weeks. The girls and I have experiences our share of ‘growing pains’ as I call them, through learning our team roles and embracing changes while also learning to play together in our new roles,” she said.
“We’ve had some really high points during the season and some lows but all in all I feel like we have rallied through adversity and have learned what it takes to be successful. We hope to end the last week of season on a high note and hopefully carry that over to the beginning of districts.”
The Lady Hawks will finish out the regular season at Bowling Green tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 13) and then at Van-Far on Friday, Feb. 16. That game is slated to be featured on TribCast.
The Clopton Hawks drew the number seven seed and will kick off the tournament against (2) Van-Far on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. If Clopton advances to the semifinal they will take on the winner of the opener between (3) Louisiana and (6) Paris on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. The championship game is slated for Saturday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.
Coach Craig Smith noted it’s a competitive district.
The district has some strong teams at the top with Canton, Louisiana, and Van-Far. Scotland Co and Knox are teams that will make it tough for their opponents in the 1st 2 rounds. 6-8 seeds sound like they are on the up swing and playing their best at the right time. As for us we are starting to put things together and having some players take a bigger role and flourishing in those roles. If we can get contributions from those players to help Landon on both ends I believe we could surprise some people and give ourselves a chance to play for a trophy. It will be tough we will play Van Far 2x in less than a week, with one of those contests being a win or go home game. I am pleased with our players and how they have responded at times this year. It is tough to stay engaged when things are not going your way. This will make them stronger people for later in life when tough times encounter them. Thanks for all the coverage this year and the past I know the players appreciate it as well as us coaches,” Smith concluded.
The Hawks will also end the regular season at Bowling Green tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 13) and then at Van-Far on Friday, Feb. 16. That game is slated to be featured on TribCast.
Bulldogs Seeded Third And Kicks Off Tournament Against Paris; Louisiana Girls Are #5 Seed To Face Scotland Co.
Louisiana will participate in the Class 2 District 6 tournament in Canton next week as the boy’s team is seeded third and the girl’s team is the five seed.
The Louisiana Bulldogs have drawn the three seed behind Canton and Van-Far and will face off with (6) Paris in the opening round of Class 2 District 6 action at Canton on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. If the Bulldogs advance they will take on the winner of the matchup between (2) Van-Far and (7) Clopton in the semifinal on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. The championship is slated for Saturday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.
Coach Matt Smith said the main focus this week is finishing the remaining conference schedule.
“We are still in the running for the title just can’t take any more losses. Looking ahead, I’m excited about how we are playing going into districts if we continue to play well throughout next week. I think the nice thing going into our district game with Paris is that we haven’t played them yet. I think the last three out of four years we played South Shelby in the last regular season game of the year as well as the first round district game. I think top to bottom that any team can get beaten in our districts so we have to be playing our best,” he concluded.
The Bulldogs are scheduled to host Centralia and then will travel to South Shelby on Friday, Feb. 16 to round out the season.
The Lady Bulldogs are seeded fifth and will square off with (40 Scotland County in the opening round on Monday, Feb. 19 at 8:30 p.m. If they win they will advance to the semifinal to face the winner of the opener between (2) Paris and (7) Van-Far on Wedensday, Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. The championship is set for Saturday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m.
Coach Jamie Boyd says she’s proud of the way the girls have battled and improved over the course of the season.
“The team as a whole is shooting much better and playing as a stronger team. We are continuing to make improvements and adjustments on the large and small scale as a team. Looking to the future and districts, we have a tough opening round. Our plan is compete at the best of our ability and work hard throughout the rest of the season,” Coach Boyd stated.
The Lady Bulldogs will end the regular season by hosting Centralia and then will travel to South Shelby on Friday, Feb. 16 to finish it up.
Lady Owls Earn #3 To Face Collegiate School; Silex Boys Are #7 And Will Face New Haven At Districts
The Silex teams will take part in the Class 2 District 5 tournament at Elsberry next week.
The Lady Owls are seeded third and will face (6) Collegiate School of Med-Bio Science in the opening round on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. If the girls advance to the semifinal they will square off with the winner of the opener between (2) Elsberry and (7) McKinley Classical Leadership H on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. The championship will be held on Friday, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m.
Coach Aaron Henke points out the girls have made impressive strides this year.
“We have had many bright spots this year and played some good basketball at times. Coming into our last week of the regular season our goals are still the same,” Henke remarked.
“Our theme this season has been ‘Row the Boat.’ Battling injuries and sickness all season we have had to adjust and continue to work hard to make sure our boat is going in the right direction.”
He added that he’s not the only one looking forward to districts and getting further. “Last year won our first round before losing to New Haven. We play Collegiate Med- Bio in the first round of districts at Elsberry on Saturday, Feb. 17.
The Owls are seeded seventh will take on a tough (2) New Haven team in the district opener on Monday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. If Silex wins they will take on the winner of the opener between (2) New Haven and (7) McKinley on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. The championship will be held Friday, Feb, 23 at 7 p.m.
Coach Jett noted this year has been a growing and rebuilding season.
“I think we are playing the best we have all year, took North Callaway to overtime Friday, we are hoping to carry this over to District,” he explained.
The Owls will host Wellsville tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 13) and then Elsberry on Thursday night to finish out the regular season.
Van-Far Boys Take #2 Seed To Start District Against Clopton; Girls Are #7 To See Paris In Opening Round Next Week
Van-Far teams will take part in the Class 2 District 6 tournament at Canton next week as the Indians are seeded second and the Lady Indians drew the number seven slot.
The Indians will kick off the tournament against (7) Clopton on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. A win will push the Indians into the semifinal to see the winner of the opening round game between (3) Louisiana and (6) Paris. The championship is set for Saturday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.
Coach Pat Connaway remarked on what a tremendous season the boys have earned.
“It started with a great summer and it has spilled over into the season. We’ve achieved so many things this year that hasn’t been done since Mike was in school. We currently are at 20 wins with twp games in the regular season left. We even have an opportunity to win our 1st conference title in 13 years and our 1st conference title involving all the schools (not large/small division title) since 2001 and we have a shot for it to be the 1st outright title since 1976 I believe. We are taking things one day at a time and are focusing on one game at a time,” Connaway said.
“Districts this year will be quite a challenge with several good teams in the district this year. We have to face Clopton in the 1st round and they are the team that eliminated us last year so we will be focused to try and eliminate them this year. We just want to be playing our best basketball heading into District week and want to keep playing good defense. We know the road will be tough, but we are trying to get/stay healthy and we plan on being a tough out,” Connaway stated.
Van-Far traveled to Wright City last night and will host Clopton on Friday night to end the regular season. That game is slated to be featured on TribCast at www.thepeoplestribune.com.
The Lady Indians are seeded seventh and will face (2) Paris in the opening round on Monday, Feb. 19. If they’re able to beat the Lady Coyotes, then Van-Far will advance to the semifinal to see the winner of the opener between (3) Clopton and (6) Knox County on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. The championship is on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m.
Coach Kelly Borchert said that looking back over the regular season that are there are things she would like to have changed.
“There are definitely somethings that we wish would have went differently and games that we didnt win and should have, but with the losses and should haves we also had those games that we did pull out a win or play tough against a tough teams and with going into districts we know the potential we have and we know what needs to be done to be successful. When it comes down to it you have to bring your best and that is the plan,” Borchert explained.
The Lady Indians will end the regular season by hosting Clopton on Friday night to end the regular season. That game is slated to be featured on TribCast.
The People’s Tribune will be following all of our local teams with coverage for the paper and live streaming on TribCast online anytime at www.thepeoplestribune.com.
