Southeast District Division III - Only 2 Sectionals

[bbjunky81]

I was checking the district website and noticed they updated the information about sectional and district tournaments. The only two sectionals for Division 3 in the Southeast District will now be at Waverly and Jackson. This is the division that many people had called for a super sectional. Although that didn't happen, it did split some of the former Jackson sectional teams up.

Here are the teams in the sectionals this year:

Waverly: Adena, Eastern (Sardinia), Huntington, Lynchburg-Clay, Northwest, Piketon, Portsmouth, Portsmouth West, Southeastern, Valley, West Union, Westfall, Wheelersburg, Zane Trace. (14)

Jackson: Alexander, Belpre, Chesapeake, Crooksville, Dawson Bryant, Fairland, Federal Hocking, Ironton, Nelsonville-York, Oak Hill, River Valley, Rock Hill, South Point, Waverly, Wellston. (15)


Obviously this makes getting to the district tournament even harder for Division III schools in our area.

What are your thoughts? Predictions?


(If this was expected than I apologize, I've been in football mode for a couple months!)

[smurray]

How many sectional winners from each, 4?

[art_vandelay]

D2 only gets one spot at Regionals....that will make for some great sectional games. D4 also had some changes in sectional placement with peebles, north Adams, and paint valley dropping down and placed in Lucasville bracket, and South Webster moved to Meigs bracket.*

[WarriorBlue]

Ttt

[smurray]

Is this a DIII thread?

[teamworkwins]

Waverly could be a tough out in DIII. Senior loaded teams have a lot to play for come tourney time. Valley, Portsmouth and Burg to Waverly sectional helps also.

[danicalifornia]

Goodness, the Waverly sectional is now a monster, especially with only 4 teams getting out.

Eastern Brown, Lynchburg, Piketon, Portsmouth, Southeastern, West Union, West, Wheelersburg, Valley, and Zane Trace all would've had great shots to make it in last year's set up. Now, only 4 of those will move on and a couple of them won't even compete for Sectional titles.

This should make the games at Waverly really, really fun to watch again. Teams battling it out to even get a chance at the Convo!

[EasternDspy]

Sucks because Athens sectional had those 2 for 1s.

[Regulator]

Everyone calling for a super sectional almost gets it. Two sectionals compared to three last yr. 4 less teams making it to convo. One less team making it to regionals. Should take away the watered down sec games and make for more intriguing convo matchups!!!

[EasternDspy]

That means a central district team will be at the convo.

[danicalifornia]

That means a central district team will be at the convo.

Even though there haven't been a lot of Central District teams at the Convo, the last one to advance to the Schott via Athens was in 2000.

[EasternDspy]

Maybe in D3.. But Linden McKinley was like 8-12 and made through in D2 a few yrs back.

[danicalifornia]

Maybe in D3.. But Linden McKinley was like 8-12 and made through in D2 a few yrs back.

This is a D3 topic. But, in D2, since McKinley, Desales made it back to back years, but since then Chillicothe, Logan Elm, Dover, St. Clairsville, and Warren have made it since the last Central team came out of Athens.

[bbjunky81]

That Linden McKinley team was very fun to watch, remember them playing like it was yesterday. Kids played with a ton of heart.


Nonetheless, the "super sectional" is definitely in play here. Will be interesting to watch the Sectional Final games of each sectional because the Waverly sectional has a legitimate 8-9 teams that would win the sectional this year (barring injuries of course).

[trojandave]

Interesting change to the D3 sectionals.......as far as a Central District team coming to Athens, D3 in the Central normally is not that strong as far as depth of the field........I know in 2008, Bishop Ready eliminated Wheelersburg 48-46 in the regional semifinal, then lost to Sugarcreek Garaway in the final. In 2005, undefeated Ironton beat Bloom-Carroll in 2OT in the D3 regional final. Bloom-Carroll lost last year in the Bowling Green D3 regional final in 2OT to eventual state champion Ottawa-Glandorf. In most years, two Central District teams advance to the regional, with one going to the Dayton Regional.

I think having a Central District team in Athens will make it much more interesting, getting to see another team outside the SE district. In reference to Linden McKinley, I believe they beat Greenfield McClain in the D2 regional semifinals in 2005, with Linden winning the regional final. Linden's star players that year were Sam Payne and Shawn Gunnell........if I remember correctly, Gunnell ended up playing for Shawnee State.

Going into the season, I pick the Valley Indians at the top of the D3 field, with Zane Trace, Eastern Brown, Portsmouth, and Waverly as teams that could possibly make a long tourney run, with Wheelersburg maybe joining that group, depending on how the Pirates adjust to their new coach. Valley is loaded at every position, and have excellent size up front, as well as depth. 5 of the 6 teams I mentioned are in the Waverly sectional. I do think that D3 overall is not as strong as it has been over the last several years.

[EasternDspy]

Trust me the Central top seed will pick to come to Athens this year. Why battle top Cincy teams in Dayton when you can come to Athens. Southeast wide open and East wide open. Should make it fun to watch. Preseason East should 1.Garaway 2. St Clairsville 3. Fort Frye 4. Martins Ferry 5. Buckeye Trail/Monroe Central

[trojans_16]

Really makes it tough to get to the convo now!

[Regulator]

Really makes it tough to get to the convo now!

As it should be!!

[danicalifornia]

Trust me the Central top seed will pick to come to Athens this year. Why battle top Cincy teams in Dayton when you can come to Athens. Southeast wide open and East wide open. Should make it fun to watch. Preseason East should 1.Garaway 2. St Clairsville 3. Fort Frye 4. Martins Ferry 5. Buckeye Trail/Monroe Central

Since 4 Division play started in 1988, 9 teams from the Central district have advanced to the Final Four, while 17 SE/E teams have advanced to Columbus. It hasn't been since all the way back in 2012 that a SE D3 team has played for a title, only slightly ahead of 2002's Bishop Ready. The Central hasn't won a title since 1998, while Garaway won one much more recently. Since Ready's run to the Finals in 02, their have only been 2 Regional champions from the Central.

I know that the Central District in D1/D2/D4 are better overall than the SE/E, but D3 basketball is much stronger depth wise. Most of the Central D3s are rural schools and there are far less private or even city schools. There is Ready and Worthington Christian, but for the most part, it's more: Madison Plains, London, North Union, East Knox, Centerburg, Liberty Union, Berne Union, Fairbanks, etc, that would be much like a SE/E school anyways, where it's homegrown talent and every once in a while, they have a great squad.

[EasternDspy]

Garaway didn't win title they lost in title 2 times tho.