The fact that there are no state ranked teams in the Class 2, District 16 boys bracket says that this tournament is probably up for grabs.
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The fact that there are no state ranked teams in the Class 2, District 16 boys bracket says that this tournament is probably up for grabs. Gallatin, 17-5, is the #1 seed and defending champ but the Bulldogs have split decisions in their last six games through last Friday. The Bulldogs will face challenges in every round of this year’s tournament.
South Holt, 18-3, comes in with a team vastly improved over last year’s squad that fell to Gallatin in the district semifinal round. The Knights won 12 straight games before suffering their first loss to East Buchanan on Jan. 20. South Holt went on to lose twice more, to Mid-Buchanan and North Andrew, both quality teams. Mid-Buchanan beat West Platte last Friday. North Andrew has been a top ten Class 1 team all season long.
Senior Brent Behler leads a group of four South Holt starters who start 6′ or taller. Behler, who averages nearly 18 points per game, has high games of 33 against West Nodaway and 31 against Nodaway-Holt. Senior Drew Schuman, 6’1″, and juniors Luke Buntz, 6’2″, and Alex Book, 6’3″, are consistent double figure scorers.
East Buchanan lost most of its games in the first half of the season, including a 63-61 decision to Gallatin in the season opener. The EB Bulldogs have fallen to some very good teams–among them West Platte, LeBlond, Lathrop, Lawson and South Harrison. Junior Andrew Mead has been a scoring machine for the Bulldogs. Averaging 23 points per game, Mead burned the net for 47 against North Platte back in January.
Rock Port, 18-5, is led by senior Kyle Rice and junior Micah Meyerkorth. The last act by the Blue Jays before jumping into district play will be to put their unbeaten Highway 275 Conference record up against South Holt this Friday night.
Fifth-seeded Albany, 15-8, brings plenty of upset potential into the top half of the bracket. The Warriors gave the Gallatin Bulldogs all they wanted on Gallatin’s floor.
The girls side of the District 16 bracket needs little fanfare. Defending district champion St. Joe Christian knocked off Tarkio last Tuesday night to stay unbeaten at 21-0. Tarkio, 22-1, will have the home court advantage this time. East Buchanan, 14-7, Maysville, 14-9, and Gallatin, 12-10, would have to play their best games of the year in order to upset either of the two favorites.
The boys winner from District 16 will likely face West Platte in the sectional held at Missouri Western State College. Top-ranked Lone Jack is the favorite to come out of District 14 and the sectional to be held at Warrensburg High School. Lone Jack is the only team to defeat Braymer this season, having done so twice. The NW Missouri rep from Class 2 will travel to Central Missouri State University for quarterfinal action.
Orrick’s girls are the top seeded team in District 15. Crest Ridge could be the team a NW Class 2 rep will have to beat to make it to Columbia.
*****
The long drought is over for Hamilton’s girls. With Friday night’s victory over South Harrison, the Lady Hornets notched the first Grand River Conference girls title since the 1978-79 season. Hamilton, led by all-stater Monica Booth, finished fourth in the 2A state tournament that season.
Maysville moves to the top of the list for most seasons without a GRC girls title. At 6-2, this year’s Lady Wolverines finished one game out of first place. Maysville’s last GRC title came in 1984-85 with an 8-0 record.
What GRC girls program has gone the longest without a losing conference record? Try Gallatin.
Gallatin’s win over Stanberry on Friday lifted the Lady Bulldogs to 4-4 in league play and averted what would have been the first sub .500 GRC record for a GHS girls team since 1988-89.
Likewise, Gallatin’s boys have more consecutive seasons at .500 or better in the GRC than any other program. The Bulldogs have not finished 3-5 since 1996-97 and have experienced only three losing campaigns in the GRC in the last 20 seasons.