Central Basketball Teams Seeded First in Class Five, District Six

BY JIM WIENERS
Hazelwood Central basketball teams are seeded first in the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class Five, District Six Tournament at Hazelwood West.

The tournament begins Saturday with a pair of Girls games — Riverview Gardens versus Hazelwood East at 1 p.m. followed by McCluer against Hazelwood West at 2:30. The following Monday Riverview and East will open the boys tournament at 4 p.m. followed by two time State finalist McCluer North against host West at 5:30.

Hazelwood Central plays a pair of 4 p.m. semifinal games against East or Riverview. Central’s girls play Feb. 24 while Central’s boys play Feb. 25. McCluer North’s girls play West or McCluer Feb. 24 at 5:30 while McCluer boys meet North or West Feb. 25 at 5:30.

District championship games at West will take place Feb. 28 with the boys game starting at 11 a.m. while the girls game to follow at 2 p.m. The Class Five, District Six winners will head to Cedar Hill, Northwest High School, for the sectional round March 4 against the winners from District Five. The boys play at 6 p.m. while the girls meet at 7:45.

“Doesn’t matter what seed we are,” said Hazelwood Central boys head coach Josh Martin after the Hawks won last Friday at McCluer North, 46-43 on a Sam Sebacher three-pointer with two seconds left. “We got to come ready to play.”

McCluer North prepared for districts with games this week against Chaminade, Jennings and East. “We’ll be tournament tough,” said head coach Randy Reed. “We’ll be ready to go.”

NORTH COUNTY CHRISTIAN JOPLIN BOUND — North County Christian’s high school basketball teams will be in Joplin Thursday-Saturday for the Missouri Christian School Athletic Association Class 4A State Tournaments.

Both teams open Thursday against Christian Fellowship, Columbia, Mo. The NCCS Boys, seeded first, play at 8:30 p.m. while the NCCS girls, seeded second, play at 7 p.m.

For more information go online at nccsedu.org, click on “Winter Joplin Information,” then click on Girls 4A bracket or boys 4A bracket. Last week NCCS boys and girls teams won the Twin Rivers Christian Activities Association Tournaments at home and both defeated Collinsville (Ill.) Christian and Tower Grove Christian in the TRCAA Tournaments.

“I’m real impressed with the coaching staff and the players,” said NCCS Athletic Director John Davis. NCCS boys go to Joplin with a 21-1 record, losing only to Liberty Faith, Springfield, Mo., 45-42 in the championship game of the Midwest Extravaganza Tournament, Feb. 7. NCCS Boys head coach Kyle Walton played on the NCCS team that won the 2000 MCSAA state title.

“We have three tough games,” Walton said. “We got to be ready to play and the guys know it.”

NORTH COUNTY TECH, TRINITY CATHOLIC AND LUTHERAN NORTH will have one more week before beginning district play in Class Three. Last Friday North Tech went to Brussels, Ill., via the Golden Eagle Ferry from St. Charles County to Calhoun County Ill. After the junior varsity game, which started at 6:15 or 75 minutes late and abbreviated to two quarters because the officials arrived late — the varsity game was played at 7 p.m., 30 minutes later than scheduled.

Brussels, a school that has only 65 students, won the varsity game over North Tech, 58-46. North Tech coach Victor Jordan did not want to use the late arrival of the officials as an excuse saying “we did not come out ready to play.”

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