SHELBY — The road to the state tournament was unveiled Sunday afternoon and the state-ranked Shelby Whippets are ready to roll.
Undefeated Shelby (18-0) earned the No. 1 seed in the 15-team Division II Ashland district tournament draw and will open sectional play against No. 13 Tiffin Columbian at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 at Bucyrus. A win would send the Whippets into a sectional championship game against No. 14 Galion.
Shelby clinched at least a share of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference with a 59-53 win at River Valley over the weekend. The Whippets can clinch the title outright with a win in any of their remaining MOAC games.
Clear Fork earned the No. 3 seed in the Ashland district and will open tournament play against No. 12 Clyde at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Willard.
No. 7 Mansfield Senior will play No. 8 Oak Harbor in a sectional semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Willard. No. 15 Ontario will meet No. 2 Bellevue in the late game Feb. 17 at Willard.
No. 10 Lexington will play No. 6 Vermilion at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Bucyrus.
Division I
Madison earned the No. 11 seed and will play No. 12 Wapakoneta at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at Fostoria High School in the sectional semifinals. The winner plays No. 8 Perrysburg.
No. 17 seed Ashland will play No. 3 Holland Springfield in the sectional semifinals at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at Millbury Lake. The winner will play No. 9 Toledo Whitmer for a sectional title at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at Lake.
Division III
Crestview picked up the No. 2 seed at the Division III Shelby district and opted for an opening-round bye. The Cougars will play either No. 4 Wynford or No. 12 Edison for a sectional championship at 2 p.m. Feb. 19 at Buckeye Central. Wynford and Edison meet at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Buckeye Central.
No. 7 seed Colonel Crawford will play No. 10 Willard at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Old Fort. No. 13 Bucyrus plays No. 5 Huron in the late game at Old Fort on Feb. 17.
Division IV
Buckeye Central earned the top seed at the Willard district and took a bye in the first round. The Buckettes will play either No. 10 Plymouth or No. 11 New London for a sectional crown at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Crestview. The Big Red and Wildcats meet at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Crestview.
No. 4 seed Mansfield Christian will play No. 8 South Central at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Crestview.
In the top half of the bracket, No. 7 Lucas will meet No. 5 Sycamore Mohawk at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Shelby. No. 12 Crestline plays No. 3 Lakeside Danbury in the late game Feb. 17 at Shelby.
