Previewing the D-IV playoffs - Far West and East half of the Bowling Green D-IV Region

Introduction - copied from yesterday''s post

This post will be better understood if you take aminute to glance at the Bowling Green Regional bracket.

Here’s how it works. There are four districts – each with two #1 and two #2 seeds – all playing for the chance of going to the Regional Final in Bowling Green. The four regional finalists battle for the golden ticket to Columbus.

Each District includes 12-14 teams, grouped into two 6-7 team Sections. Each section’s coaches meet to seed themselves, determining who plays who down the stretch.

This year, the D-IV tournament seeding was announced on February 12, 2012. As opposed to NCAA Selection Sunday, the tournament is selected prior to the regular season, so a late stumble does not impact the seeding. 

The opposite side of the Bowling Green Regional features teams from the far east (east of Sandusky approaching Norwalk) and west of the area (west of Toledo to the State line and down the Indiana/Ohio border to about Van Wert. 

In the Far West / Napoleon District, teams from the Green Meadows Confrence, Buckeye Border Conference and a wildcard or two from the Putnam County League play for a spot at BG.  This District includes the only undefeated team in the Region, the Edgerton Bulldogs.  Edgerton must get past a seasoned Kalida team from the PCL, Pettisville and Stryker from the BBC and conference foes Antwerp and Holgate among others.  

Edgerton is currently ranked #2 in the state, but has only played five teams (but Antwerp twice) with a winning record, the six games tying Ada for the lowest frequency of games against harder teams. 

The Far East includes mostly North Central and Firelands Conference teams, but is also the home of TAAC member Danbury.  North Robinson Colonel Crawford has to be the clear favorite here with some quality wins against larger schools.

Aside from these three teams, the other #1 and #2 seeds on this side of the bracket have no more than 13 wins total.  Additionally, the other contenders have not fared well against teams with records over .500.  Expect two of these three teams to show up in the Regional Semifinal game on March 13. 

Click on the grid for a larger view.

Previewing the D-IV playoffs - MV's half of the Bowling Green D-IV Region

This post will be better understood if you take aminute to glance at the Bowling Green Regional bracket.

Here’s how it works.  There are four districts – each with two #1 and two #2 seeds – all playing for the chance of going to the Regional Final in Bowling Green.  The four regional finalists battle for the golden ticket to Columbus. 

Each District includes 12-14 teams, grouped into two 6-7 team Sections.  Each section’s coaches meet to seed themselves, determining who plays who down the stretch. 

This year, the D-IV tournament seeding was announced on February 12, 2012.  As opposed to NCAA Selection Sunday, the tournament is selected prior to the regular season, so a late stumble does not impact the seeding. 

The table below shows one half of the NW Ohio playoff Bracket, with particular attention paid to MV’s bracket and the top half of the TAAC. 

MV’s Section includes six TAAC teams, MV, Gibsonburg, TC, OH, Cardinal Stritch and Northwood plus Fremont St. Joe’s from the Midland Athletic League.  Intertwined with this group is the Fostoria Section, mostly composed of teams from the MAL. 

The winner of this district plays in Bowling Green against the Findlay Liberty-Benton champion.  The Findlay District includes several tough teams from Hardin and Paulding counties pulled principally from the MAL, the Blanchard Valley Conference and the Northwest Conference.  It must have been a very difficult process to choose among the top seeds for Findlay - Vanlue, Columbus Grove, Arlington, Leipsig and Ada. 

Your HawkBlogger agrees with most observers that this half of the BG draw is loaded – much more so than tomorrow’s other side.

You may draw your own conclusions from the chart below, but the winner of the Bowling Green Region will certainly have earned the title Regional Champion.

Tomorrow, the preview will continue with the other side of the bracket, which includes teams from the far east and west of Northwest Ohio.

Click on the grid below for a larger view.

Tuesday pollin'

Headed into the last week of the regular season...

MV has a hammerlock on the Toledo Blade Divison IV poll, leading its closest competitor, Gibsonburg, by three full games.  Come by the Varsity Gym trophy case in a few weeks to view this hardware. - No link was available - the published version of the Blade shows:

1.  Maumee Valley
2.  Gibsonburg
3.  Pettisville
4.  Holgate
5.  Toledo Christian

Alas, MV never got traction in the State AP poll, despite the Toledo Blade's Steve Junga trying as hard as possible to promote the Hawks.  Scroll about 1/3 of the way down.  Mr. Junga voted the Hawks third in the state this past week. 

The final JJ Huddle poll was also released today and MV finished in the others to watch. JJHuddle predicts a strong tournament run for the Hawks, but that's a subject for a later post. 

PS - a Thursday night game with state implications will be held out west Thursday evening when 11-7 D-III Delta from the NWOAL travels to 19-0 Edgerton in a non-league contest.  MV defeated Delta twice in summer league play.

The Last Time MV won the TAAC...

...this is what three of your teammates looked like.

Maumee Valley 74 - Northwood 43 - Play of the Game

Maumee Valley 74 - Northwood 43 - Insightful Internet Commentary

A cast of thousands and some bad grammar on the questions by your HawkBlogger.  Such is the confusion that occurs during a championship celebration.

Maumee Valley 74 - Northwood 43 - quick summary

Maumee Valley earned its first TAAC championship in ten years Friday night at Northwood, defeating the Rangers 74-43.  It was a microcosm of the entire season, as MV conbined strong defense, three point shooting, a strong inside game and accurate free throw shooting to overwhelm the home team. 

Julius Turner was all over the floor during the evening and the line score showed it, 8 two pointers, 3 three pointers and 5-7 for the line - that's 30 for those of you keeping score at home.  Julius scored 9 of the Hawks 11 second quarter points. 

Rick Deichert had 6 three point plays - 5 from beyond the arc and an old fashioned basket plus foul for 18 points.  Jared Sturt scored 14 points including two big dunks down the road. 

In a statistical anomily, all other scorers for MV had 2 points each - Dave Brown, Dixon Stoddard, Jonathan Krueger, Solomon Collins and Lucas Isaza (the last two with their first varsity points).

Coach Jim Robinson now has won championships in five different leagues - Cincinnati, Lima, Toledo NLL, SLL and now the TAAC.

Northwood - the best video you never saw

Shouldn't you give the water to the people who need it?

Maumee Valley 70 - Danbury 41 Insightful Internet Commentary

It’s your low key trio of Rashard Woodley, Zain Bedi and Turner Booth. It is said that ‘a picture paints a thousand words. Let’s hope so, as these guys barely said 100 words in total. 

Big Blade article on the Hawks

Nicely done and thanks to the Blade.