Eastern District – Division IV Sectional Preview

The Eastern District’s Division IV tournament features a lot of youth, coupled with a few teams that could make some noise at the regional level. Top-seed Shadyside is likely out for redemption. Two seasons ago, led by then sophomores Tory Hendershot (5-6) and [player_tooltip player_id="212634" first="Baylee" last="Wach"] (5-6), the Tigers reached the Division IV state semifinals before falling to Ottoville, 50-43. Last season, a potential showdown with Fort Frye in the District Final was derailed when Bishop Rosecrans upset the LTs 43-38 in double overtime. One year later, Wach and Hendershot are some of the top 21s in the Eastern District and are looking to lead their team on a deep postseason run. Monroe Central took care of Rosecrans the following round before falling to Fort Frye in the district finale, 39-24. The Seminoles earned a No. 2 seed with an 11-4 record, with all four losses coming to either Shadyside or Division III power Union Local. Monroe has a veteran roster with seven letter winners returning from last season’s team and four starters. A strong junior class is led by dynamic point guard [player_tooltip player_id="159361" first="Kalista" last="Friday"] (5-3), backed by Trista Morris (5-5), Kynzi Bishop (5-7), and 3-point specialist Haylyn Hiles (5-11) Those two are the early favorites to meet in the February 27 district final, but given it is tournament time, anything is possible. <h5>Section Semifinals (All Games start at 7 p.m.)</h5> Upper Bracket No. 15 Bridgeport at No. 1 Shadyside No. 13 Newcomerstown at No. 10 Beallsville No. 9 River at No. 4 Malvern No. 11 Steubenville Catholic at No. 6 Frontier Lower Bracket No. 14 Toronto at No. 7 Caldwell No. 16 Conotton Valley at No. 2 Monroe Central No. 12 Bishop Rosecrans at No. 3 Tuscarawas Central Catholic No. 8 Strasburg at No. 5 Shenandoah <h5>Seeding</h5> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 144px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 18px;"> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">1. Shadyside</td> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">9. River</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 18px;"> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">2. Monroe Central</td> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">10. Beallsville</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 18px;"> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">3. Tuscarawas Central Catholic</td> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">11. Catholic Central</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 18px;"> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">4. Malvern</td> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">12. Bishop Rosecrans</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 18px;"> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">5. Shenandoah</td> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">13. Newcomerstown</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 18px;"> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">6. Frontier</td> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">14. Toronto</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 18px;"> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">7. Caldwell</td> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">15. Bridgeport</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 18px;"> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">8. Strasburg</td> <td style="width: 50%; height: 18px;">16. Conotton Valley</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> &nbsp; <h5>Intriguing First-Round Matchup</h5> River drew the No.9 seed with a deceptive 4-8 record that wasn’t helped but a mid-season COVID layoff. The Pilots do own a win against Division III Martins Ferry, along with a lot of competitive losses to the likes of Fort Frye, Shadyside, and Marietta. The Pilots are led by the 1-2 combination of sophomore Hannah Raper (5-7) and freshman point guard [player_tooltip player_id="217364" first="Kelsey" last="Harlan"] (5-5). They are facing No. 4 Malvern, led by sophomore forward Maggie Powers (5-9) and her 17.1 points per game average. She’s aided by 5-3 junior guard Lanie Bower. The Hornets are 9-7 but River has faced a much-tougher scale. Another key is Harlan, despite being a freshman, is extremely difficult to rattle in a full-court press. River’s main question mark is depth and experience as its roster only has one senior and junior, apiece. The Hornets do own a nice win against No. 3 seed Tuscarawas Central Catholic. <h5>Predicted First Round Winners</h5> Shadyside, Beallsville, River, Frontier, Caldwell, Monroe Central, Tuscarawas Central Catholic, and Shenandoah <h5>Other Players of Note</h5> Tuscarawas Central Catholic: Saints have multiple options on the perimeter, including seniors Sage Debois Winnie (5-4), and Sophia Knight (5-8) backed by a talented sophomore class. Point guard Reese Triplett (5-8) and forward Maddie Ferrell (5-9) highlight a strong 10^th-grade unit. Both can hit from range while Ferrell is a strong post and perimeter defender. Shenandoah: Zeps are led by senior-point guard Ashleigh Wheeler (5-5) who has deep range and can beat defenders off the dribble. She leads a host of talented underclassmen who’ve managed to come together despite two 14-day COVID layoffs. Mya Leach (5-8, 2024) and Brylee May (5-10) are already showing serious promise. Caldwell: Redskins have a nice compliment of younger players led by an all-Ohio senior guard in [player_tooltip player_id="212632" first="Cayton" last="Secrest"] (5-7) and 6-2 junior post, Sheridan Archer. Secrest is a do-all guard while Sheridan does her damage primarily on the boards and as a post defender. Steubenville Catholic: Crusaders are led by junior Katie Zatta, who has come into her own this season. The 5-6 guard shows the ability to hit from the outside along with attack and finish with both hands.