Boys district tournaments underway this week

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

Boys district basketball tournaments are underway, with four county schools seeing action this week and round three of an in-county rivalry tipping off next week.

At the Class 4, District 12 tournament in Nevada, Cassville (10-14) landed the No. 5 seed and will take on the No. 4 seed — Barry County rival Monett (9-16) — on March 3 at 5:30 p.m. The squads split contests in the regular season, with the Cubs winning, 62-51, on Jan. 12 at the Crane tournament and the Wildcats recording a 63-45 victory at Monett on Feb. 3.

The winner will face No. 1 seed and host Nevada (20-3) in the semifinals on March 5 at 5:30 p.m.

In the bottom half of the bracket, No. 3 Mt. Vernon (13-10) faces No. 6 Seneca (1-21) on March 3 at 7 p.m., with the winner facing No. 2 East Newton (17-6) on March 5 at 7 p.m.

The championship is slated for March 7 at 1 p.m.

The Wildcats hold two wins over Seneca this season, and they have losses against East Newton, 49-45, at home, and Mt. Vernon, 54-35, on the road. Cassville hosted Nevada on Friday, falling by a score of 50-32.

In Class 3, District 11, with games being played at New Heights Christian in Joplin, Southwest (8-16) also took the No. 5 seed and will opened against No. 4 Marionville (10-15) on Tuesday, with the result not available at presstime. The winner takes on No. 1 New Heights (20-6) on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Also on Tuesday were the matchups between No. 2 Pierce City (15-10) and No. 7 New Covenant (7-19), as well as No. 3 Diamond (12-12) and No. 6 Sarcoxie (9-16). Winners of those bouts face off in a semifinal on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The championship is Saturday at 6 p.m.

The Trojans hold a win over Sarcoxie and split a pair of contests with Diamond. Losses came to Pierce City and Marionville, and they have not faced New Heights or New Covenant this season.

Three local teams are among the seven in the Class 2, District 12 tournament, which is being played in Purdy. Wheaton earned the best seed of the trio, taking the No. 2 spot and opening against No. 7 Exeter on Tuesday, with the result not available at presstime. No. 5 Purdy also played No. 4 Jasper on Tuesday, and No. 3 Thomas Jefferson played No. 6 Verona. 

The Purdy-Jasper winner will face No. 1 Lockwood at 6 p.m. Thursday, and the Wheaton-Exeter and Thomas Jefferson-Verona winners will play at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The championship is slated for 6 p.m. on Saturday.