“I know there are going to be some growing pains with this, but it seems like they are going off last year more than this year,” Little Miami girls coach Geoff Kasulones said.
Some coaches had to call timeouts during games Monday in order to pick a line on the bracket, and the rankings used did not match with how teams are currently ranked in the region.
Coaches had to submit results to LaxPower by 9 a.m. last Sunday with the OHSAA using the Reg In ranking to determine the seed. The Reg In ranking is a computer-based ranking that takes into account the margin of victory, record, correction for winning or losing against a higher- or lower-rated team and winning the state or league title.
The Mason boys enter the tournament 9-5 but grabbed the second seed in Division I, Region 4 behind St. Xavier.
“The boys ended up seeded exactly where I felt we deserved to be at number two, which affords us a home-field advantage up until the regional finals, which are held at a neutral location,” Mason coach Paul Limpert said. “We started out with a very tough schedule, tested our skills and character, learned and grew, and now we are starting to believe.”
Mason opens with a bye before facing the winner of the Lebanon-Anderson contest May 17. Anderson and Lebanon play May 13.
Kings opens with Lakota East on May 17 with a quarterfinal at Mason a possibility. Third-seeded Springboro is also in Mason’s half of the bracket.
“We are very excited about the possibilities on this side of the bracket because although it is competitive we feel the teams are teams we match up well with and we have a good chance of making it to the regional finals,” Limpert said. “Our plan for the season has been working well to date and I expect that to continue. It’s all part of a process and it is working well. We have some tough games ahead but I feel as though we are ready for them all and we will continue to improve throughout.”
The Mason girls (8-6) enter as the fifth seed in Division I, Region 4 with Sycamore taking the top spot.
The Comets open May 15 at home against 14th seed Lebanon. Fourth-seeded Springboro should await in the second round May 19 with a showdown with top-seeded Sycamore on the horizon May 23.
Sixth-seeded Kings opens May 16 against St. Ursula Academy and could face third-seeded Loveland in the second round and second seed Mount Notre Dame in the semis.
Little Miami’s boys team was seeded fifth in Division II, Region 8 and opens May 16 against No. 12 seed McNicholas.
The Panthers could face fourth seed Seven Hills in the second round May 19 and top seed Mariemont in the semis.
“Our team has continued to progress through the season and we have found our identify on both offense and defense,” Little Miami coach Matt Traister said. “We are excited for the playoffs to begin and look forward to a rematch with McNick.”
The Panthers defeated McNicholas 18-11 on April 21.
The big snub in seeding came in the girls bracket of Division II, Region 8.
Little Miami, 13-2 and ranked fourth in the region, was the six seed.
The Panthers open May 18, hosting Mother of Mercy, but would be on the road until the semis after the first round.
The state finals are June 3 at Selby Stadium at Ohio Wesleyan University.
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