CLEVELAND, Ohio — District champions will be crowned Friday night in Divisions III and IV.
Saturday brings the bigger schools and a loaded schedule with the Division I and D-II title games.
Win and advance to the Sweet 16 — or regional semifinals — in this year's OHSAA boys basketball tournaments. There are 13 district title games this weekend involving area teams.
Here is a look at each of them.
Mentor (22-2) vs. Brush (21-3)
What: Euclid District championship
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
About the matchup: Two of the area's top teams are the last ones standing in a brutal Euclid District. Mentor coach Bob Krizancic knows the difficulty well, having led his program to 11 titles games in 12 years. This is different than their last three, which came against Solon. Mentor beat them a round earlier this year in Wednesday's semifinals, 60-58. Brush, meanwhile, survived Cleveland Heights' push for another narrow win, 68-67, on Thursday night. The winner will face Green or Massillon Jackson on Wednesday in the first regional semifinal at Cleveland State.
Massillon Jackson (19-5) vs. Green (20-4)
What: Canton District championship at the Civic Center
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
About the matchup: This district held to chalk with top-seeded Jackson meeting Green for the title. They split during the regular season, but the Polar Bears took the Federal League crown. Senior guard Kaleb Martin led Green with 25 points in their 61-47 win vs. Boardman. Jackson pulled away from Massillon rival Perry, 55-44, as Anthony Mazzeo scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half Wednesday.
Shaker Heights (15-9) vs. Euclid (17-7)
What: Solon District championship
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
About the matchup: Greater Cleveland Conference rivals and the top two seeds in Solon, these teams split their two previous matchups. Euclid won the recent game, 79-74, at Shaker. Junior point guard Garvin Clarke scored more than half of Euclid's points Thursday in a 49-46 overtime win vs. Garfield Heights. Clarke had 25 points. He had 29 the last time the Panthers faced Shaker, which won this district last season to reach Cleveland State. The winner heads back there again Wednesday against St. Edward or Brecksville.
St. Edward (16-8) vs. Brecksville (19-5)
What: Lakewood District championship
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
About the matchup: Brecksville took down St. Ignatius after four overtimes Thursday in an 84-79 win. The Wildcats beat the Bees three straight years in the postseason, making this a monumental performance for a senior class that includes Kenny Ganley with a 27-point performance. St. Edward has won two straight district titles (this district moved from Strongsville). The winner faces Shaker Heights or Euclid on Wednesday night at Cleveland State.
St. Vincent-St. Mary (20-3) vs. Copley (19-5)
What: Barberton District championship
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
About the matchup: St. Vincent-St. Mary's move up to Division I continues with defending district champ Copley, entering this final as the third seed. Big 6-6 senior Sam Emich led the Indians with 24 points in their 59-46 semifinal win vs. Walsh Jesuit. STVM got 16 points from Lunden McDay and 15 from sophomore Malaki Branham in a 30-point blowout of Ellet. While Mentor has an impressive district final run, so does STVM. Up from D-II, the Fighting Irish are looking for their 12 straight district crown (a run that includes some titles in Division III). The winner heads to the University of Akron's James Rhodes Arena. It will face Lorain or Olmsted Falls.
Lorain (23-1) vs. Olmsted Falls (22-2)
What: Elyria Catholic District championship
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
About the matchup: Olmsted Falls and Copley are what stand in the way of a potential Lorain-STVM rematch at the JAR. West-side league champions, Lorain finished undefeated in the Lake Erie League. Olmsted Falls won the Southwestern Conference, which produced three of the four semifinalists. That includes Avon, which Lorain tore through with 32 points from senior point guard Devon Grant. Meanwhile, Eric Hanna scored 19 points and Braden Galaska added 17 to lead Olmsted Falls' 55-54 semifinal win in overtime Thursday vs. Lakewood.
Revere (20-4) vs. Benedictine (14-9)
What: Stow District championship
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
About the matchup: Both teams played their semifinals Thursday as part of a doubleheader at Stow. Both also won in convincing fashion. Chris Richardson scored 18 points and led a balanced-effort in the top-seeded Minutemen's 67-51 victory vs. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Benedictine followed dominating Aurora from the tipoff. The Bengals beat the Greenmen, 94-54, after jumping out to a 36-11 lead in the first quarter. Davin Zeigler led Benedictine with 20 points, while Andy Barba added 17. Revere is trying to defend its district crown, while the Bengals are trying for their first regional appearance since 2016. Whoever makes that appearance will head to Canton on Thursday for a matchup with Villa Angela-St. Joseph or Geneva.
Villa Angela-St. Joseph (16-8) vs. Geneva (16-8)
What: Lakeside District championship in Ashtabula
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
About the matchup: Geneva shocked No. 2-seeded Lake Catholic on Thursday, 79-68, behind senior guard Nick Stoltz's 18 points. VASJ won this district a year ago and will lean on a mix of youth and leadership at guard, plus the inside threat of North Coast League MVP Khalil Mitcham and Latrace Jackson. VASJ is the favorite, but Geneva is riding momentum as a sixth seed that also took down Harvey in the sectional finals.
Buchtel (17-7) vs. Tallmadge (14-11)
What: Canton District championship at the Fieldhouse
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
About the matchup: Seventh-seeded Tallmadge upset No. 2 Louisville in a sectional final, then took down third-seeded Canal Fulton Northwest. Both wins were by double digits. Next up: No. 1 Buchtel, which dominated the Akron City Series and blew by its first two tournament opponents. Led by freshman guard Chris Livingston, the Northeast Inland District Player of the Year for Division II, Buchtel plans to be playing next week at the Canton Civic Center for regionals. Three area teams are slated to be there, and the winner of this game will draw the one out-of-area matchup Thursday night against Poland Seminary or Youngstown Chaney.
Cleveland Central Catholic (15-9) vs. Bay (18-6)
What: North Ridgeville District championship
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
About the matchup: Top-seeded Central Catholic shut down Fairview and standout junior guard Luke Howes in the semifinals. Led by 6-6 senior forward Taryl Davis inside, the Ironmen present a daunting task with their defense. Bay will try to beat them to the punch with their outside shooting, led by senior guard and all-time leading scorer Erik Painter. He scored 18 points in a 69-63 overtime win Thursday vs. Holy Name, which beat the Rockets twice in the regular season. Max Showalter added 19 points, while Cade Gergye's double-double sparked Bay. Unlike the other area district finals, the winner of this one heads west to Bowling Green. The regional semifinals there are set for Thursday night against Lima Shawnee or Van Wert.
Lutheran East (16-8) vs. Elyria Catholic (15-9)
What: Garfield Heights District championship
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the matchup: Third-seeded Elyria Catholic won at Garfield Heights in the district semifinals for the first time in this group's time together. Senior Jarred Logan and junior guard Jack Griffin led Tuesday's 69-66 win vs. Warrensville Heights. Meanwhile, Lutheran East is the defending district champ and looking to make its third straight run to Columbus. Sophomore guard E.J. Farmer leads the way with fellow guards Collin Albert and Sirr Hughes. Along with 6-7 Jay Billingsley, what do these four have in common? They are all sophomores. Add in 6-6 Nehemiah Benson and Lutheran East has the muscle fitting of a top seed. The winner advances to the Canton Fieldhouse regional semifinals Wednesday against the Wooster District, which will be Orrville or Massillon Tuslaw.
Mogadore (18-6) vs. Canton Central Catholic (16-8)
What: Salem District championship
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the matchup: Russ Swartz's Wildcats are back in a district final for a fifth time. Senior guard Kyle Coffman gave them 21 points in a semifinal upset of top-seeded Waterloo. The winner advances to the Canton Fieldhouse regional Wednesday vs. Ashtabula Edgewood or Leavittsburg LaBrae of the Warren District.
Richmond Heights (18-6) vs. Open Door (20-4)
What: Norton District championship
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the matchup: Led by senior point guard Curtis Houston, Richmond Heights seeks redemption a year after a sectional final exit. This talented squad, equipped with junior guard Gbolahan Adio and shot-blocking extraordinaire Anthony Maxie, stands in the way of an Open Door program looking to make its deepest tournament run since a 2003 state final four appearance. Both teams are capable of making it that far, with the Patriots leaning on a long and experienced group. Senior Trey Brooks is the school's all-time leading scorer, while guard Jared Bublinec is equally a tough matchup and also 6-5. The winner advances to the Canton Fieldhouse for Tuesday's regional semifinals against the Orwell Grand Valley District champion, Badger or Bristol.
(Note, the home teams are on the lower portion of each bracket.)
Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email ([email protected]). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section.
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