Tri-Village’s Trey Sagester is the #1 scorer (25.2 ppg) in the WOAC. The Patriots put their undefeated season on the line Friday against Preble Shawnee (Press Pros Feature Photos)
With the boys tournament draw this weekend, here’s four weekend games involving five area teams that take on additional meaning on Friday night – games we’d all like to see.
The boys tournament draw comes with this weekend, and regardless of what you think of the new RPI system of determining seeds and the order of things it is what it is.
Coaches have complained for weeks now that they play a good team and win…and actually see their RPI number go down. Other teams don’t play at all…and theirs’ increase. The best example I can share with you is David Briggs’ excellent post recently in the Toledo Blade. For edification and education give it a read (https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/high-school/2026/02/04/briggs-ohsaa-s-lazy-rpi-formula-leaves-toledo-catholic-schools-at-disadvantage/stories/20260204125).
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My view? Eventually, if you’re going to get to where you really want to be in the tournament you have to beat everyone. And the politics of this has gotten beyond the control of the people for whom the tournament was meant to benefit the most – coaches and players. And it’s not going to change, like seven divisions of far-flung basketball.
So just play. Take your chances, and just play, because in their hearts those same coaches and players are in it for pride and that one shining moment. And league titles and undefeated seasons will be remembered long after the argument of why someone thought that RPI was a better way of seeding the tournament.
That said, there are four area games this weekend that I’m going to note, games that I believe really matter, whether they impact Sunday’s draw or not. And in two significant cases, undefeated seasons are at stake, as well and the state rankings by Max Preps.
Beginning with, of course, Friday’s matchup between #1 Delphos St. John and Fort Recovery, at Fort Recovery. Delphos is unbeaten, but not unthreatened, and the pressure tightens on unbeaten teams at this time of year, regardless of who they play. St. John will be a decided favorite to win, but it’s never automatic. Recovery has always been a tough place to win on the road, and I would imagine that the beat-Delphos atmosphere will be in full throat for this one. And I won’t be surprised if this isn’t closer than what people expect against the 12-7 Indians. That said, there’ll be pressure on Recovery, as well, because no one plays the game more purely, and shoots as well, as the Blue Jays. It will be interesting.
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The second game involves the other significant undefeated…the Tri-Village Patriots hosting 17-3 Preble Shawnee. Same scenario, as these are the two most physically dominant teams in the WOAC, but Preble’s three losses have come with some head-scratching. 6-14 Carlisle beat them recently by five points in a low-scoring game. But Tri-Village won’t be playing for a low score, and no one has gone to the lengths of the Patriots this year to prove that they’re as good as their record. They’ve beaten Division I Kettering, Troy, Indiana Hill, and Jonathan Alder – literally anyone that’s willing to challenge them. This is a team that’s built to compete in Division VI for the state title. On paper they’re better than Preble Shawnee, but games are played on maple, and not paper. Should be very emotional, and a tough ticket to come by in New Madison.
#3-ranked Minster’s Cole McClurg (Div. VII) will have his chance to knock of Division VI #1-ranked Marion Local.
A third game of note is going to be the MAC matchup between Versailles at St. Henry. Both teams are 13-5, and within a game of each other in the conference standings. But that’s not the issue. Neither is going to win the league at this point, so what matters is how the respective teams show up to play, not only in this game, but for the confidence factor in those all important tourney games to come. St. Henry is Division VI, and Versailles is Division V, but that won’t matter. Pride is what matters, and the security of knowing that each is playing as dependably as possible come the tournament.
Finally, Minster plays at once-beaten and #1-ranked Marion Local on Friday night, a matchup of 13-6 (Minster) and 16-1. Marion’s lone loss came at the hands of Delphos St. John, so the Flyers are still in the running for a share of the title if someone (Fort Recovery, for instance) could do the deed on the Blue Jays. Minster, has won seven games in a row and is actually ranked #3 in the state in Division VII by Max Preps, behind Botkins (#2) and Delphos St. John. Minster is as healthy as they’ve been all year, and have a golden opportunity to play spoiler in this game, as well as elevate their own respect. Marion will rest on its defense and reputation for being one of the toughest home-court challenges in area basketball. But it can be done. Delphos St. John beat them on their home court…by thirty!
There are others, of course. But these five teams will have people checking their phones.
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