The most exciting part of the high school basketball season gets started next week as Brighton, Covington and Munford begin district tournament play and Tipton-Rosemark heads to the region tournament.
Here are five things you need to know:
- The Covington Lady Chargers are looking dominant with the postseason approaching.
Assuming Covington beats Ripley Friday in the regular season finale (Covington beat them by 50 earlier this season), the Lady Chargers will finish off a second straight undefeated run through their district opponents. The last time Covington lost a regular season district game was Jan. 17, 2018 against Haywood.
None of Covington’s league games have been close. The Lady Chargers have won them be an average of 32.7 points per game. Just one league opponent (Fayette-Ware) has lost to Covington by less than 20.
The Lady Chargers will be the overwhelming favorite to win next week’s district tournament in Bolivar.
2. Despite first league loss, Covington’s boys are still the favorite.
From Dec. 29 to Feb. 4, the Chargers won 14 straight games. That streak ended on Senior Night last Friday in a 74-67 setback to Fayette-Ware. It was Covington’s first district loss of the season.
Nevertheless, if Covington can take care of business Friday at Ripley in the regular season finale, the Chargers will be the number one seed in the district tournament, which will be held at Bolivar High School.
A handful of Covington’s district games have been competitive, particularly against Fayette-Ware, Haywood and Bolivar, but Covington is more likely than not to win the district tournament for a second straight season.
Winning the tournament is crucial regarding the Chargers’ chances to advance through the region tournament. A number one seed would likely allow Covington to avoid Wooddale, the state’s second-ranked team, in a winner-goes-home region semifinal.
3. Brighton and Munford boys will collide in semifinals.
Although the Cardinals and Cougars each have one league game remaining, both teams know their district tournament bracket fate.
Brighton will be second in District 13-AAA and Munford will be third, meaning the two teams will play for a third time in four weeks in the semifinals next week at Dyer County High School.
It should be a good one.
Brighton won the first meeting by 10 and the second by seven, but both games were very competitive. The winner will probably play Dyer County in the district tournament title game. Munford beat the Choctaws in last year’s tourney title game.
4. Lady Cardinals will be third and Munford fourth.
Brighton and Munford both had chances to be seeded higher in next week’s District 13-AAA tournament in Newbern, but some tough losses ended those hopes.
Munford led Brighton late before falling late in overtime on Feb. 4. Three days later the Lady Cougars lost a heartbreaker to first-place Hardin County.
Brighton beat second-place Dyer County in Newbern in January, but the Lady Choctaws returned the favor last Friday in Brighton.
Munford will take on Liberty, which is winless in league play, in a play-in game and Brighton will play either Hardin County or Dyer County in a semifinal game.
5. Rosemark boys are looking to get back to state while the girls are shooting for history.
With one regular season game left Friday at Evangelical Christian School, the Lady Rebels’ postseason slot is set. They will finish second in DII-A West and host a second round region tournament game on Tuesday. The semfinals and finals move to Univeristy School of Jackson.
The Lady Rebels have come close to making state each of the last two seasons and will be looking to make it to Nashville for the first time in school history.
Rosemark’s boys, which made it all the way to the state title game last season, will likely be seeded third. If that seeds holds the Rebels will host a first round tournament game on Monday. If Rosemark wins that one it moves to round two for a road game.
