MSHSAA

MSHSAA

Super Tuesday, March Madness, any superlative you wish to use for today would be fitting.  It is the crossover from winter to springs sports as both seasons intersect at the beginning of this month.

Not only was Monday the first day of spring season practices for sports such as tennis, golf, baseball, track and field, but it is also the start of sectionals for Class 1 boys and girls basketball.  Mercer, the only undefeated girls team in Class 1 will face Community who rolled through their three district games on their way to bracket play.

Last year’s champ and runner-up Walnut Grove and Naylor are making return trips and are two wins away from facing each other in the Final Four.

On the boys’ side in Class 1, you have teams in sectionals from both ends of the spectrum.  Playing tonight are teams like Eminence, who entered district play at 12-13 and won three straight games to advance including a 61-60 win over Zalma in the District 3 semifinals.  At 15-13, the RedWings face School of the Ozarks.  There’s also Chamois who knocked off second seeded Jamestown in the District 9 semifinals and beat sub .500 St. Elizabeth who upset top-seeded Tuscumbia, to pit two teams with losing records in the district final.  The Pirates of Chamois won that district and now with a 12-14 record, take on Glasgow.  They are the only sub .500 team in Classes 1-3, boys or girls with a losing record heading into play tonight.

There are two undefeated teams.  Winston and Stanberry, both 27-0.  Winston plays Hardin Central and Stanberry takes on North Andrew.  If both school get to 28-0 they will meet each other in the quarterfinals.

Most Class 4 and 5 district semifinals take place tonight, and to take a strain off finding game officials, sectionals for Classes 2 and 3 are Wednesday.

Jason West from MSHSAA talks more basketball and spring sports, plus gives us an update on the search for a venue for 2016 football’s Show-Me Bowl.