County girls hoops teams prepare for postseason

By Chris Miles

Sports Editor

Coaches everywhere talk about the importance of taking it one game at a time, especially when referring to the postseason.

Shekinah Christian girls basketball coach Rod Yoder acknowledges his team can’t afford to look past any opponents in the upcoming Division IV girls district tournament, but he’s also well aware of his squad’s major goal this season.

“It’s one game at a time,” Yoder said. “But we have our sight on making the state’s this year. We know we have to play very well to do it, but that’s the goal.”

The Flames (14-4) were tabbed the No. 3 seed in the D-IV Central District tournament and will open the postseason Feb. 16 (1 p.m.) against Groveport Madison Christian in a contest to be played at Jonathan Alder High School.

If the Flames win, they’ll advance to play Northside Christian Feb. 19 also at Alder.

“I think the bracket turned out well for us,” Yoder said. “If we continue winning we’ll get three home games which will all be played at Jonathan Alder.”

The home contests will be played at Alder because the gym at Shekinah isn’t regulation size.

The top seed in D-IV is Newark Catholic, with Worthington Christian, a squad that topped Shekinah earlier this season as the No. 2.

“The tournament draw turned out about how we expected,” Yoder said.

“We’ve got very even scoring and a lot of different girls are stepping up on a nightly basis.”

Division III

If Madison-Plains (16-5) can get past its first round foe Heath on Feb. 16 (7 p.m.), it will get a chance to tangle with county foe West Jefferson (11-7) in the second round Feb. 21.

The two teams met earlier this season with the Golden Eagles walking away with a hard-fought 38-28 victory.

Division II

Jonathan Alder (5-13) will open the postseason Feb. 16 (1 p.m.) at D-II No. 7 seed Granville. The winner of the first-round tilt will advance to face Whitehall Feb. 20.

London (4-17), Madison County’s other D-II girls team, will have its hands full when it travels to play at No. 3 seed Bishop Hartley also Feb. 16 (1 p.m.). An upset victory would mean a second round date with either No. 9 Licking Valley or Beechcroft Feb. 20.