BOBTAYLORPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

The Hudson Explorers (15-2) girls basketball team celebrated a win earlier this season at Wadsworth. To capture a district title, the Explorers will likely have to beat defending state champion Twinsburg.

COPLEY TWP., Ohio – Tournament director Joe Yost has hosted a girls basketball sectional-district tournament at Ellet High School for the last 22 years.

It traditionally has been among the toughest districts in the state to win.

Four times in the last nine years the Ellet District winner has won the Canton Regional and advanced to the Division I state semifinals.

But with three of last year’s four district semifinal teams being shipped out of Ellet, you might think this year’s tournament is going to be less than past years.

In fact, quite the opposite is true.

Wadsworth has been replaced by defending state champion Twinsburg.

Firestone has been replaced by Division II powerhouse Walsh Jesuit stepping up to Division I.

Medina has been replaced by a 14-1 team in Warren Howland.

The only district semifinal squad returning from last year is Hudson. The Explorers have the best record (15-2) among the 12 schools assigned to the home of Orangemen and have been the Ellet district runner-up each of the last two seasons.

When Hudson coach Dennis Lawler called Ellet a “meat grinder” tournament, he wasn’t kidding.

The combined record of the 12 teams as of Sunday’s seed meeting at Copley High School is 124-76. That translates to 62 percent.  Few, if any, districts in Ohio are going to top that number. Nine of the 12 teams already have at least 10 wins.

Twinsburg, with a win over Hudson and led by the dynamite trio of 6-foot-4 senior Malina Howard, junior guard Ashley Morrissette, and steady senior swing player Leah Fechko, is the unanimous No. 1 seed. The Tigers (14-3) have not lost to an Ohio high school opponent since Canton McKinley in the 2010 regional final.  All three of Twinsburg’s losses this season have been to out-of-state opponents.

Hudson is the No. 2 seed, Howland is No. 3 and Walsh Jesuit (13-4) is No. 4. Warren Harding (11-5), Stow-Munroe Falls (11-6), Kent Roosevelt (12-5) and Austintown Fitch (10-6), in that order, are the next four seeds.

Twinsburg opted to play a first-round game and will meet No. 11 Youngstown Boardman (3-15) on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. With a win, the Tigers would next meet No. 12 seed Youngstown East (6-9).

None of the top four seeds elected to take a bye.

“I’ve always taken a bye,” said Twinsburg coach Julie Solis, having guided the Tigers to a 27-0 state championship last March. “This is my first year that I haven’t as a head coach – you know – that I’ve had that opportunity to do that – being seeded.

“My team doesn’t do well with a lot of days off.”

Last year, Twinsburg came out of the Warrensville Heights District, winning three games by an average margin of 36.7 points on its way to capturing the first team state championship in school history.

“We’re just trying to focus in on what’s best for us,” Solis said.

Maybe the most interesting first-round game has No. 3 Warren Howland facing No. 7 Kent Roosevelt on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 1 p.m.  The winner meets No. 5 Warren Harding in a sectional final.

The Rough Riders are a senior dominated club overshadowed somewhat by Ravenna’s great success of this season and last.

“I figured we would be the No. 2 or 3 seed and it kind of went along party lines,” Howland coach John Diehl said. “The teams from our area voted for us and the teams from this area voted for Hudson. So, it’s about what I expected.”

The Ellet semifinals are slated for Thursday, Mar. 1, at 5:45 and 8 p.m. The championship game is Saturday, Mar. 3, at 1 p.m.

AKRON ELLET DIVISION I

SECTIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Top seeds: #1- Twinsburg, #2- Hudson, #3- Warren Howland, #4-Walsh Jesuit

Saturday, Feb. 18

Kent Roosevelt vs. Warren Howland, 1 p.m.

Nordonia vs. Hudson, 2:45 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Youngstown Boardman vs. Twinsburg, 6 p.m.

Aurora vs. Walsh Jesuit, 7:45 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Warren G. Harding vs. Kent Roosevelt-Warren Howland winner, 6 p.m.

Stow-Munroe Falls vs. Nordonia-Hudson winner, 7:45 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Youngstown East vs. Youngstown Boardman-Twinsburg winner, 1 p.m.

Austintown Fitch vs. Aurora-Walsh Jesuit winner, 2:45 p.m.

Thursday, Mar. 1

District semifinals, 5:45 & 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 3

District championship game, 1 p.m.

MEDINA DIVISION I

SETIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Top seeds: #1- Wadsworth, #2- Firestone, #3- Kenmore, #4- Highland

Tuesday, Feb. 21

Copley vs. Wadsworth, 6 p.m.

Strongsville vs. Highland, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Cuyahoga Falls vs. Barberton, 6 p.m.

Kenmore vs. Akron Garfield, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Ellet vs. Copley-Wadsworth winner, 2:30 p.m.

Cloverleaf vs. Strongsville-Highland winner, 4 p.m.

Firestone vs. Cuyahoga Falls-Barberton winner, 6 p.m.

Brunswick vs. Kenmore-Akron Garfield, winner, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 29

District semifinals, 6:00 & 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 3

District championship game, 1:00 p.m.

NORTH CANTON/WALSH UNIVERSITY DIVISION I

SECTIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Saturday, Feb. 18

Massillon Perry vs. Uniontown Lake, 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Green vs. Massillon Perry-Uniontown Lake winner, 7:30 p.m.

PARMA/VALLEY FORGE DIVISION I

SECTIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Top seeds: #1- Midpark, #2, Medina, #3-North Royalton, #4- Cleveland St. Joseph Academy

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Bedford vs. Lakewood, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Medina vs. Bedford-Lakewood winner, 2:30 p.m.

UNIONTOWN LAKE DIVISION II

SECTIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Saturday, Feb. 18

Akron Manchester vs. Alliance, 1 p.m.

Canal Fulton Northwest vs. Mogadore Field, 2:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 20

Navarre Fairless vs. Canton South, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Wooster Triway vs. Coventry, 6 p.m.

Norton vs. Akron Springfield, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Akron East vs. Manchester-Alliance winner, 6 p.m.

Marlington vs. Northwest-Field winner, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Archbishop Hoban vs. Fairless-Canton South winner, 1 p.m.

Norton-Springfield winner vs. Triway-Coventry winner, 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 29

District semifinals, 6:00 & 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 3

District championship game, 1:30 p.m.

MACEDONIA DIVISION II

SECTIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Top seeds: #1- Hathaway Brown, #2- St. Vincent-St. Mary, #3- Woodridge, #4- CVCA

Saturday, Feb. 18

St. Martin DePorres vs. Buchtel, 1 p.m.

Warrensville Heights vs. CVCA, 2:30 p.m.

Horizon Science vs. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Beaumont vs. Tallmadge, 6 p.m.

Woodridge vs. Revere, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Hathaway Brown vs. St. Martin DePorres-Buchtel winner, 6 p.m.

Akron North vs. Warrensville Heights-CVCA winner, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Collinwood vs. Horizon Science-St. Vincent-St. Mary winner, 1 p.m.

Woodridge-Revere winner vs. Beaumont-Tallmadge winner, 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, Mar. 1

District semifinals, 6:00 & 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 3

District championship game, 2:30 p.m.

AUSTINTOWN FITCH DIVISION II

SECTIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Top seeds: #1- Ravenna, #2- West Branch, #3- Struthers, #4- Canfield

Monday, Feb. 20

Salem vs. Struthers, 6 p.m.

West Branch vs. Hubbard, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Streetsboro vs. Canfield, 6 p.m.

Niles McKinley vs. Ravenna, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Youngstown Liberty vs. Crestwood, 6 p.m.

Poland Seminary vs. Salem-Struthers winner, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Cardinal Mooney vs. West Branch-Hubbard winner, 1 p.m.

Southeast vs. Streetsboro-Canfield winner, 2:30 p.m.

Liberty-Crestwood winner vs. Niles McKinley-Ravenna winner, 4 p.m.

Thursday, Mar. 1

District semifinals, 6:00 & 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 3

District championship game, 1:00 p.m.

ELYRIA DIVISION II

SECTIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Monday, Feb. 20

Brookside vs. Rocky River, 5 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Buckeye vs. Brookside-Rocky River winner, 7:30 p.m.

BARBERTON DIVISION III

SECTIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Top seeds: #1- Elyria Catholic, #2- Berkshire, #3- Waterloo, #4- Rootstown

Saturday, Feb. 18

Black River vs. St. Thomas Aquinas, 11 a.m.

Mogadore vs. Berkshire, 12:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 20

Cardinal vs. Wellington, 6 p.m.

Columbia vs. Oberlin, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Waterloo vs. Black River-St. Thomas Aquinas winner, 6 p.m.

Garrettsville Garfield vs. Mogadore-Berkshire winner, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Rootstown vs. Cardinal-Wellington winner, Noon

Elyria Catholic vs. Columbia-Oberlin winner, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, Mar. 1

District semifinals, 6:00 & 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 3

District championship game, 2 p.m. at Barberton High School

CRESTON NORWAYNE DIVISION IV

Monday, Feb. 20

Beachwood Fuchs Mizrachi vs. Our Lady of the Elms, 5 p.m.

East Canton vs. Cleveland Heights Lutheran West, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Elyria Open Door Christian vs. Fuchs Mizrachi-Our Lady of the Elms winner, 6 p.m.

Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph vs. Lutheran West-East Canton winner, 7:45 p.m.

ROOTSTOWN DIVISION IV

SECTIONAL/DISTRICT PAIRINGS

Tuesday, Feb. 21

Fairport Harding vs. Vienna Mathews, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 25

Windham vs. Fairport Harding-Vienna Mathews winner, 11 a.m.