Believe it or not, once the Friday and Saturday games are over, it’s playoff time for some Missouri side prep basketball teams. Yeah, already. And that means it’s time for Earl and me to break down the brackets and let everybody know who we think is moving on and who we think is going home.
The district playoffs will officially begin on Monday in Classes 4 and 5, with the Class 1, 2, and 3 district playoffs tipping off the following week. The winners of the Class 4 and 5 districts will
advance to the state sectionals on March 4. The sectional winners will advance to the state quarterfinals on March 7, known as Super Saturday, before the Show-Me Showdown State Championship
Final Four on March 13 & 14.
Listed in the space below is a breakdown of the 11 Class 4 & 5 Missouri districts which feature STL area teams, along with all the relevant info like team records (at presstime), when and where that district’s
championship game will he played, as well as mine & Earl’s picks to win each district. On a side note, I smoke Earl in these picks every year. I don’t know even know why he bothers. But since he does, here is our 2009 Boys Basketball District Playoff Preview:
Missouri Class 5
District 2 at Parkway North
Francis Howell N. (10-14), Marquette (5-17), Parkway C. (3-20), Parkway N. (9-14), Parkway W. (19-5), Pattonville (4-19).
Top seeds: Parkway W., Parkway N.
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 7:30 p.m.
Winner will play: District 1 winner (most likely Poplar Bluff) in sectionals on Mar. 4 at Farmington Civic Center.
Ceddie says: Parkway W. The Longhorns are going to cruise through this district awfully weak district.
None of the other teams even have winning records. West’s first real
test won’t come til they get to sectionals, where they’ll likely face
the fighting Tyler Hansboroughs from Poplar Bluff.
Earl says: Parkway North
District 3 at Kirkwood
Gateway Tech (17-5), Kirkwood (13-10), SLUH (12-12), Vianney
(16-8), Webster Groves (20-3).
Top seeds: Webster Groves, Gateway Tech.
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 7:45 p.m.
Winner will play: District 4 winner in sectionals on Mar. 4 at UMSL.
Ceddie says: Webster Groves. The defending Class 5 state champs haven’t drawn the
headlines some of the area’s other top teams have. But don’t sleep on
the Statesmen. This team hasn’t lost a game yet in 2009, 15 wins in a
row at press time, and it’s gonna take some team playing the game of
its life to keep these guys from getting back to the Final Four.
Earl says: Webster Groves
District 4 at Ritenour
Chaminade (21-3), CBC (14-10), DeSmet (10-13), Ladue (6-14), Normandy (11-13), Ritenour (17-6).
Top seeds: Chaminade, CBC. .
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 8 p.m.
Winner will play: District 3 winner in sectionals on Mar. 4 at UMSL.
Ceddie says: Ritenour. Seriously, who did you think I was gonna pick? The Huskies
are my squad. Ritenour is my alma mater. I bleed black & orange,
although I can’t seem to find anyone that will sell me one of those
funk-tastic Husky Hoodies. But most important, I truly believe the
Huskies are the most complete team in the district. The potential title
game showdown between Chaminade scoring machine Bradley Beal and the
“R’s” superstar Corey Allen is gonna be just fantastic.
Earl says: Chaminade
District 5 at Washington
Eureka (8-14), Lafayette (15-8), Parkway S. (18-6), Rockwood Summit (11-12), Washington (9-15).
Top seeds: Lafayette, Parkway S.
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 7:30 p.m.
Winner will play: District 6 winner in sectionals on Mar. 4 at Northwest House Springs.
Ceddie says: Parkway S. No doubt the title game here will be South & Lafayette.
But I like the Patriots because their stars, including two-time
Suburban West Conference scoring champ Ben Hoener, get it done at
crunch time, while Lafayette’s top players seem to shrink in big
moments.
Earl says: Parkway South
District 6 at Hazelwood West
Hazelwood C. (22-3), Hazelwood E. (13-10), Hazelwood W. (4-19), McCluer (20-4), McCluer N. (17-5), Riverview Gardens (11-13).
Top seeds: Hazelwood C., McCluer.
Championship game: Sat., Feb. 28. Tipoff at 11 a.m.
Winner will play: District 5 winner in sectionals on Mar. 4 at Northwest House Springs.
Ceddie says: Hazelwood C. The Hawks have proved time and again this season, they are
the best team in the area. Not just because they own the area’s No. 1
ranking, but because they ran the table in the Suburban North &
beat more good teams more convincingly than any other team in the area.
Earl says: Hazelwood Central
District 7 at Oakville
Fox (4-18), Lindbergh (0-18), Mehlville (12-10), Oakville (18-6), Roosevelt (1-14).
Top seeds: Oakville, Mehlville. .
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 7:30 p.m.
Winner will play: District 8 winner in sectionals on Mar. 4 at Meramec Community College.
Ceddie says: Oakville. The Tigers dismantled No. 2 seed Mehlville,
when the teams met on Feb. 11. Should they meet again in the district title game, I
bet it’ll be a closer game, but unless Oakville completely yaks all
over itself, the Tigers should win this district in a breeze.
Earl says: Oakville
District 8 at Ft. Zumwalt South
Francis
Howell (13-10), Francis Howell C. (7-15), Ft. Zumwalt E. (2-20), Ft.
Zumwalt N. (9-12), Ft. Zumwalt S. (16-6), Ft. Zumwalt W. (15-8).
Top seeds: Ft. Zumwalt S., Ft. Zumwalt W.
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 7 p.m.
Winner will play: District 7 winner in sectionals on Mar. 4 at Meramec Community College.
Ceddie says: Ft. Zumwalt S. My wife’s little sister is a standout performer on the
Zumwalt South tennis team. And she told me, there’s going to be hell to
pay if I didn’t pick her Bulldogs. So here you go lil sis-in-law, I’m
taking the “Red & Black, Bark & Bite Attack” to win districts
for the third straight year.
Earl says: Fort Zumwalt South
Missouri Class 4
District 3 at Lutheran South
Affton (2-21), Central V&P Arts (3-10), DuBourg (9-14), Lutheran S. (9-13), St. Mary’s (9-12), Windsor (10-14).
Top seeds: Lutheran S., St. Mary’s.
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 7:15 p.m.
Winner will play: District 4 winner (most likely Borgia) in sectionals on Mar. 4 at Jefferson College.
Ceddie says: Lutheran S. Playing at home should be the difference for the Lancers,
as they look to claim the title in one of the state’s weaker districts.
Earl says: Lutheran South
District 5 at Gateway Tech
Beaumont (9-13), Imagine Prep (7-12), Miller Academy (9-10), Soldan (14-7), Sumner (2-13), Vashon (9-5).
Top seeds: Miller, Soldan..
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 6:30 p.m.
Winner will play: District 6 winner in sectionals on Mar. 4 at Parkway West.
Ceddie says: Soldan. I like these Tigers and the way they play. Former SLU standout
Justin Tatum has got a group that could go a long way in these
playoffs. Junior guard Brier West is a fun young player to watch as
well.
Earl says: Miller Career Academy
District 6 at MICDS
Clayton (18-6), Jennings (15-8), McCluer S.-Berkeley (12-8), MICDS (14-8), University City (5-17), Westminster Christian (8-16).
Top seeds: Jennings, Clayton.
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 8 p.m.
Winner will play: District 5 winner in sectionals on Mar. 4 at Parkway West.
Ceddie says: Jennings. The Warriors will be tested in this very tough district. But
coach Randy Carter always has his team ready for the playoffs. And this
year’s Jennings squad might be Final Four worthy, led by the area’s best little
man scoring machine, point guard De’Shaun Cooper.
Earl says: Jennings
District 7 at St. Charles West
Duchesne (15-7), Priory (9-12), St. Charles (7-15), St. Charles W. (22-2), St. Dominic (15-7), Warrenton (10-14).
Top seeds: St. Charles W., Duchesne
Championship game: Fri., Feb. 27. Tipoff at 8 p.m.
Winner will play: District 8 winner (most likely Moberly) in sectionals on Mar. 4 at Jefferson City.
Ceddie says:
St. Charles W. The Warriors are the No. 1 team in Class 4. They’ve got
one of the best three teams in the entire state. And I think it’ll be a
major surprise if they don’t win it all.
Earl says: St. Charles West
