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MANSFIELD — The road to the Division II district championship is wrought with land mines.
Mansfield Senior earned the top seed during Sunday’s girls tournament draw, but the Tygers are far from a shoo-in in a 16-team field that boasts a combined record of 159-130.
The Northwest District this year decided to follow the lead of other districts around the state and allow the higher seeded team to host sectional semifinal and championship games.
The tournament then shifts to Old Fort for the four-team district tournament.
Senior High (17-2) will host No. 14 Ontario (6-11) in a sectional semifinal game at 7 p.m. Feb. 22. On the same side of the bracket, No. 3 Shelby (15-4) will host No. 15 Rossford (4-13) at 7 p.m. Feb. 22.
The Tygers and Whippets would potentially meet in a district semifinal game at Old Fort on Feb 29. The teams played during the regular season, with the Tygers holding on for a 46-44 victory.
In the lower half of the Old Fort district bracket, Lexington earned the No. 9 seed and will open sectional play on the road. Lady Lex (10-10) will visit No. 7 Sandusky Perkins (10-8) at 7 p.m. Feb. 22.
Division I
Madison will open tournament play on the road, while Ashland will be home for its sectional opener.
The Rams (8-11) earned the No. 16 seed and will take on No. 15 Lima Senior (10-10) at 7 p.m. Feb. 21 in the sectional semifinals.
The 10th-seeded Arrows (9-11) took a first-round bye and will host either No. 12 Holland Springfield or No. 13 Wapakoneta at 4 p.m. Feb. 24. Springfield (7-12) visits Wapakoneta (7-11) at 7 p.m. Feb. 21.
Division III
The 12-team Shelby district field is top-heavy, with the top five seeds a combined 71-22 and the bottom seven 50 games below .500.
Colonel Crawford (16-3) earned the No. 2 seed and took an opening-round bye. The Eagles will host either No. 5 Wynford (12-6) or No. 7 Bucyrus (7-11) at 7 p.m. Feb. 24 in a sectional final. The Royals and Bucyrus meet at Wynford at 7 p.m. Feb. 22.
No. 3 seed Clear Fork (14-5) decided to play a first-round game and will host No. 10 Western Reserve (4-12) at 7 p.m. Feb. 22.
Top-seeded Margaretta (17-2) decided to play an opening-round game and will host No. 12 Galion (3-16) at 7 p.m. Feb. 22. The winner will take on No. 11 Crestview (3-17) at 7 p.m. Feb. 24.
Division IV
Mansfield Christian was the only area team to earn a top-four seed in the 12-team Willard district draw.
The Flames (9-6) are the No. 4 seed and took an opening-round bye. MCS will host either No. 5 Monroeville or No. 6 Plymouth in a sectional final at 7 p.m. Feb. 24. The Eagles (11-8) host the Big Red (10-8) at 7 p.m. Feb. 21.
Eighth-seeded Buckeye Central (5-12) has a first-round bye and awaits the winner of No. 12 Lucas (0-17) or top-seeded Danbury (15-2). Lucas visits Danbury at 7 p.m. Feb. 21.
Crestline (6-14) is the No. 9 seed and will visit No. 7 Seneca East (7-11) at 7 p.m. Feb. 21.
Loudonville (16-1) earned the top overall seed in the Northeast District and will open Division IV sectional play at home against No. 37 Youngstown Valley Christian at 7 p.m. Feb. 21.
The Northeast District seeds every school and then schools are divided among three district tournament host sites. Loudonville was the No. 1 seed among the 38 Division IV schools in the northeastern part of the state.
The higher seeded team hosts through the sectional tournament. If the Redbirds beat Youngstown Valley, they would host No. 38 Warren Lordstown at 1 p.m. Feb. 24 for a sectional title and a berth in the Norwayne district tournament.