Here are five takeaways from the brackets that were released earlier this week:
1. Eight local teams got No. 1 seeds.
In Division I, Region 4, Fairmont got one of the No. 1 seeds while Stebbins received a top seed in Division II, Region 8.
Carroll is No. 1 in Division IV, Region 12, and Patriots’ conference foe Alter is No. 1 in Division 4, Region 16.
Waynesville is a No. 1 in Division V, Region 20, Anna is No. 1 in Division VI, Region 24 and Middletown Christian and Fort Loramie are both No. 1s in Division VII, Region 28.
2. Four GWOC games set for the first round.
No. 3 seed Centerville is scheduled to begin the tournament against No. 4 Springfield at 6 p.m. at Fairborn on Feb. 18. That game will be followed by No. 1 Fairmont against No. 8 Beavercreek.
One night later, No. 2 Springboro plays No. 5 Wayne at Fairborn at 7 p.m.
There is another conference tilt in Division II with No. 2 Miamisburg facing No. 4 Northmont at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 at Fairborn.
3. The field is smaller in the higher divisions.
The top two divisions include only 64 teams apiece, so most teams begin the tournament at the district semifinal stage.
That is not the case in the rest of the divisions, where some teams will have to win three games to reach the district final and five games to reach the regional final.
4. Division III has some potential GCL-Co-ed clashes.
Aside from Carroll being a No. 1 seed in the top of the bracket in Region 12, Badin is No. 2 so the Patriots and Rams could play in a regional semifinal at Lakota East on Feb. 25.
Chaminade Julienne is the No. 2 seed in the other half of the bracket, but the Eagles will have to go through No. 1 seed Purcell Marian, the Division II champion the last two seasons and the Division III champion in 2022.
The regional final is set for March 1, also at Lakota East.
5. Most regional finals are set for March 1.
Fairborn and Fairfield are set to host regional finals in Division I on March 1 and 2, respectively.
Princeton will host a Division II regional final March 2 while Butler will hast a Division IV regional and a Division VII final on March 1.
Along with the Division III regional final, Lakota East will host a Division V final March 1 while Springfield will host a Division VI regional final that day as well.
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