Area teams find out playoff pairings

By BEN JOHNSON

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — If Sequoyah and Keys want to earn a berth into the Class 3A state tournament, they won’t have to travel far to do it.

Hulbert, however, might have a bit more of an adventure on its hands.

All three schools found out when and where they will playing playoff basketball games after the OSSAA (Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activity Association) announced district, regional and area assignments this week.

Sequoyah and Keys were assigned to Area IV and both could potentially meet in the first round of regional play.

Both Sequoyah teams will be in District 5 where they will take on Colcord on Feb. 20.

Following district play, Sequoyah will play one home game in the regional bracket against either Keys or Westville. From there, the rest of Sequoyah’s and Keys’ games will be played at the Muskogee Civic Center – whether it’s regional or area play.

“That’s a tough draw,” Sequoyah boys coach Larry Grigg said talking about the potential matchup with Keys. “Duane Jones does a good job with his team.”

But Grigg knows his team (ranked fourth in Class 3A) has the advantage with a home date in postseason play.

“Playing at home is an advantage,” he said.

Overall, Grigg and Bill Nobles, the Sequoyah girls coach, like the area draw they received.

In the 3A boys bracket, Sequoyah and Keys will have to compete with seventh-ranked Hugo (11-6), 13th-ranked Valliant (15-5) and No. 17 Heavener (9-8) to vie for a potential state-tournament berth.

“I like our draw altogether,” Grigg said. “We are as good as anybody in it. Hugo and Heavener other teams that pose a threat, though.”

In the girls’ bracket, Sequoyah could be considered the runnerup favorite behind 3A No. 1 Kansas, who is 17-1. Sequoyah lost to Kansas, 59-53, in the championship game of the Tri-State Classic in Jay on Jan. 23.

Other teams in the area include, No. 9 Heavener (17-2), No. 16 Hugo (12-5) and a Valliant team that is unranked, but has a record of 14-6.

“It’s certainly a better draw than last year,” Nobles said. “We still have to play tough teams, but you have to be happy because it could be a lot rougher.”

The Keys girls could be classified as a potential sleeper in the area. The Lady Cougars, coached by Leon Ashlock, have won seven of 10 games since returning from Christmas break.

In District 8, the Keys girls will take on a Westville team that knocked them off (62-57) in overtime in the first round of the Locust Grove tournament in early January.

“The draw is about what I expected,” Ashlock said. “We can’t expect to get a cake walk, but at the same time, can’t complain about the draw.

“If we get hot and play well, we can make it to the area tournament and see what happens from there.”

In Area III of Class 2A, Hulbert got a raw deal by not receiving any home games in district or regional play.

Instead, both Rider teams will be in District 7 at Ketchum on Feb. 19. And Ketchum is a place Hulbert better get familiar with – roughly 50 miles from Hulbert – because where it will play regional action, as well.

“I don’t like the fact that we’re not playing at home,” Hulbert coach Rhett Bynum said. “I don’t know what happened there.”

In the girls’ bracket, the Lady Riders, ranked 18th, will have to compete against the likes of fifth-ranked Oktaha (17-1), sixth-ranked Newkirk (14-3), No. 14 Preston (15-6) and No. 17 Oklahoma Union (12-5) to earn a trip to State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City.

As for the Hulbert boys, who are 17-2 and No. 8 in 2A, the Riders will have to tangle against the likes of No. 4 Preston (17-3), 11th-ranked Oktaha (16-4), No. 15 Yale (16-3) and 18th-ranked Lincoln Christian (9-8) to advance to the state tournament.

“I like our draw compared to last year,” Bynum said. “I’m just glad they didn’t send someone like Pawnee into our area, so I like that.”

And Bynum knows his team will just have to be road warriors come playoff time.

“We’ll have to take care of business on the road,” he said. “We did it in the Shriners’ tournament, so we’ll have to step up to the plate and do it again.”