Girls basketball: Medina gets top seed among county schools in tournament draw

The MaxPreps RPI computer rankings to determine tournament seedings has been a controversial topic among girls basketball coaches, but the results appear to be highly favorable for Medina County's four Division I teams after the draw took place Sunday afternoon. Winner of nine straight games, Medina (17-3) is the highest-ranked area team in eighth out of 74 teams and followed by Wadsworth (15th, 16-5) Highland (19th, 15-6) and Brunswick (22nd, 12-7). All four have logical paths the district championship round and will each play at least one sectional game at home. The Greater Cleveland Conference-leading Bees chose the Northeast 3 District, whose semifinals and final will be hosted by Ravenna. Coach Karen Kasen's team opens at home against 72nd-seeded Akron North (4-15) on Feb. 17 ahead of another potential night at Richard H. Clevidence Gymnasium against No. 68 Wooster (4-15) on Feb. 22. Only 18th-seeded Madison (16-3) is higher than 25th on Medina's side of the bracket. The other side features top-seeded Archbishop Hoban (15-2), with the title game slated for March 1. The Grizzlies, who have won 6-of-7 and play Hoban in the regular-season finale Feb. 14, chose the Northeast 6 District hosted by Elyria Catholic. They will open at home Feb. 17 against 67th-seeded Eastlake North (4-13) ahead of No. 59 Cuyahoga Falls (6-13), a former Suburban League National Conference member. No. 21 Brecksville (13-6) is the only top-25 seed on Wadsworth's side of the bracket and split with the Grizzlies in SL National Conference play. The other half boasts third-seeded Olmsted Falls (17-3), the defending state runner-up that could face Brunswick in the district semifinals. The Blue Devils elected a bye and were jumped on by No. 35 Mayfield (9-8) and No. 38 Midview (7-10). The winner of that game will travel to Brunswick on Feb. 22. The Hornets took an aggressive approach and jumped into the same side of the Northeast 2 bracket as Federal League leader Uniontown Lake (16-2), the second seed. Highland opens at home against No. 64 Euclid (6-13) on Feb. 17 and will host the winner of No. 29 Amherst (10-9) and No. 40 GlenOak (8-11) on Feb. 22. The district semifinals and final will be held at Massillon Perry. In D-II, Cloverleaf (8-10) was the 38th seed and chose to play at No. 20 Chagrin Falls (12-7) in a Feb. 21 Northeast 2 Sectional semifinal. The winner will play No. 26 Lutheran West (10-8) three days later, with the Colts being the road team as the lower seed should they advance. Buckeye (1-19) was 63rd out of 65 schools and will travel to second-seeded Copley (19-2) for a Feb. 21 Northeast 4 Sectional semifinal. In D-III, Black River (8-10) was 32nd out of 46 schools and will travel to Lorain County League rival Wellington (19th, 12-6), which beat the Pirates 42-41 and 48-41 in Lorain County League play, for a Feb. 21 Northeast 3 Sectional semifinal. The winner will travel to eighth-seeded Cuyahoga Heights (14-2) three days later. In D-IV, Medina Christian Academy (7-7) will make its OHSAA debut. The Knights, whose four games against non-OHSAA schools didn't count toward their ranking, will head to No. 9 Mogadore (9-10) for a Northeast 3 Sectional final on Feb. 21. The winner will play Kidron Central Christian (9-10), the 18th seed that beat Medina Christian Academy 41-32 on Jan. 23. Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com. Schedules Division I Northeast 2 District Feb. 17 (7 p.m.) — Akron Garfield at Uniontown Lake, Euclid at Highland, GlenOak at Amherst, Astabula Lakeside at Stow, Canton McKinley at St. Joseph Academy. Feb. 22 (7 p.m.) — Garfield/Lake winner vs. Hathaway Brown, Euclid/Highland winner vs. GlenOak/Amherst winner, Lakeside/Stow winner vs. Elyria, McKinley/St. Joseph Academy winner at Fitch. Feb. 27 (6/7:30 p.m.) — District semifinals at Massillon Perry. March 1 (7 p.m.) — District final at Massillon Perry. Northeast 3 District Feb. 17 (1 p.m.) — Barberton at Archbishop Hoban, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin at Avon, Hudson at Paineseville Riverside, Akron North at Medina. Feb. 22 (7 p.m.) — Valley Forge at Barberton/Archbishop Hoban winner, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin winner at Ellet, Hudson/Riverside winner at Madison, Akron North/Medina winner vs. Wooster. Feb. 27 (6/7:30 p.m.) — District semifinals at Ravenna. March 1 (7 p.m.) — District final at Ravenna. Northeast 6 District Feb. 17 (1 p.m.) — Shaker Heights at Roosevelt, Midview at Mayfield, Chardon at John Hay, Eastlake North at Wadsworth. Feb. 22 (7 p.m.) — Shaker Heights/Roosevelt at Olmsted Falls, Midview/Mayfield winner at Brunswick, Chardon/John Hay winner at Brecksville, Eastlake North/Wadsworth winner vs. Cuyahoga Falls. Feb. 27 (6/7:30 p.m.) — District semifinals at Elyria Catholic. March 1 (7 p.m.) — District final at Elyria Catholic. Division II Northeast 2 District Feb. 21 (7 p.m.) — Bedford at Laurel, Buchtel at Field, West Geauga at Canton South, Cloverleaf at Chagrin Falls, Coventry at West Branch. Feb. 24 (1 p.m.) — Laurel/Bedford winner vs. Bard Early College, Field/Buchtel winner vs. Canton South/West Geauga winner, Cloverleaf/Chagrin Falls winner vs. Lutheran West, Coventry/West Branch winner vs. Hubbard. Feb. 28 (6/7:30 p.m.) — District semifinals at Nordonia. March 2 (7 p.m.) — District final at Nordonia. Northeast 4 District Feb. 21 (7 p.m.) — Burton Berkshire at Conneaut, Max Hayes at Tallmadge, Ravenna at Warren Howland, Bay at Firelands, Buckeye at Copley. Feb. 24 (1 p.m.) — Conneaut/Berkshire winner at Geneva, Max Hayes/Tallmadge winner vs. Ravenna/Howland winner, Firelands/Bay winner vs. Woodridge, Akron East at Buckeye/Copley winner. Feb. 28 (6/7:30 p.m.) — District semifinals at Elyria. March 2 — District final at Elyria. Division III Northeast 3 District Feb. 21 (7 p.m.) — Northwestern at Mapleton, Black River at Wellington, Norwayne at Leavittsburg LaBrae. Feb. 24 (1 p.m.) — Mapleton/Northwestern winner at Warrensville Heights, Poland Seminary at Andover Pymatuning Valley, Wellington/Black River winner at Cuyahoga Heights, Kirtland at LaBrae/Norwayne winner. Feb. 28 (6/7:30 p.m.) — District semifinals at North Ridgeville. March 2 (7 p.m.) — District final at North Ridgeville. Division IV Northeast 3 District Feb. 21 (7 p.m.) — Youngstown Valley Christian at Loudonville, McDonald at Lowellville, Medina Christian Academy at Mogadore, Sebring McKinley at Salinesville Southern. Feb. 24 (1 p.m.) — Warren Lordstown at Valley Christian/Loudonville winner, McDonald/Lowellville winner vs. Bristolville Bristol, Kidron Central Christian vs. Medina Christian Academy/Mogadore winner, McKinley/Southern winner vs. Dalton. Feb. 28 (6/7:30 p.m.) — District semifinals at Norwayne. March 2 (7 p.m.) — District final at Norwayne.