With the tournament draw coming up in just a couple weeks i wanted to get everyone's opinion on possible seeds and interesting matchups. In my opinion the following 4 teams (in no order) seem to be the top 4 seeds:

Smithville
Orrville
Triway
Hillsdale

Right now i feel Orrville has to be the favorite, but Northwestern took them to overtime, so this thing is wide open right now.

This district is unbelievably wide open.

1. Orrville
2. Smithville
3. Triway
4. Loudonville/Hillsdale

Almost anybody can beat anybody else on a given night. The coaches really need to think about their draws. I am guessing you will see teams like Northwestern and Triway go at Orrville, while Norwayne and Hillsdale obviously should take the Smithies.

I can't disagree with those projected seedings. Northwestern could make a run at Sectionals, it seems like you just never know what team is going to show from game to game.

Great topic. Here is the DIII Wooster district tournament's "UNOFFICIAL" web site. (I have to say that so I don't get sued or something. Haha!) I keep track of all the teams in the district, including their schedules/scores as well as all the teams' league standings.

http://www.ohiobasketball.net/wooster

Here are my projected seeds:
1. Orrville
2. Smithville
3. Triway
4. Hillsdale
--- Remember, they seed all teams...
5. Northwestern
6. Wellington
7. Loudonville
8. Tuslaw
9. Columbia
10. Black River
11. Norwayne
12. Waynedale
13. Oberlin
14. Chippewa

If Orrville beats Triway this weekend, they're the unquestioned #1. Tougher sked, tougher league.

Still not sure about Triway, they lost to Hiland and Timken badly, got handled by Wooster and had a bad loss to Fairless. If they lose to Orrville, that's 5 losses....with Timken left. No shame in any of those 6 potential losses though...so it's a little deceiving.

Right now, IMO, Orrville is the 1, Smithville the 2 and Triway the 3.

Also, just for the record...Orrville has been in the last 6 district championship games when playing in the Wooster district, dating back to 1990. Our last loss in the Wooster district was to Norwayne in 1994.

Great site Pitman.

Also not a lot of blowouts in dist. finals. It's usually a close game. This year probably wont be any different.

Orrville is already the unquestioned #1, IMO. Smithville lost to Hillsdale twice, lost to Norwayne, and lost to Orrville head-to-head at a neutral site. Triway lost to Fairless when they didn't have 2 Senior starters in the lineup. Outside of that game, they lost to Timken, Hiland, and Orrville, all of which have been state ranked at one time or another this season. Hillsdale has lost to Rittman, Heath, and Dalton twice. Compare all these teams' losses to Orrville's - Lexington, and Mansfield Sr (x2). No comparison. Orrville will be the #1 seed, even if they lose to Triway, IMO. (Triway would just be the #2 instead of Smithville)

thePITman wrote: they lost to Timken, Hiland, and Orrville, all of which have been state ranked at one time or another this season.

You havent lost to Orrville yet. Maybe a bit of foreshadowing....or sandbagging.

I meant Wooster. Oops! But I guess they haven't been ranked yet this year, so that discounts part of my post. Haha. But I don't mind sandbagging!

How do most have smithville at #2 when they have been beaten twice by hillsdale and once by a bad norwayne team?

If Smithville gets a piece of the county they will get the two seed, because they have more quality wins than Hillsdale, and the loses were all close. Plus Frizzell is back.

Just my opinion.

good point russell...but with the coaches from teams like black river, columbia, wellington, and tuslaw voting will they see that or will they see that both smithville and hillsdale have (possibly) 4 losses each and see that hillsdale has beat them twice?

totally agree with orrville at the one and triway should be the two but again will some of the coaches look at quality or quantity?

The winner of the Orrville Triway game will get the 1 seed. Triway has been (somehow) state ranked most of the year and Orrville has a good record in a tough conference...therefore i think its a huge win (as far as seeding goes) for either team in a WCAL loaded district.

The riders play a schedule that is the most difficult. Playing Triway at Triway is always a huge challenge. A win at Triway will leave little doubt that the riders will be the #1 seed and if the riders lose in a close game the remaining games will be the deciding factor. The Smithville game at Northwestern on Friday will also make the seedings interesting. Northwestern has played the games against the riders and smithvillle close. They may not make the top 4 seeding but they could be the team that upsets somebodys season come tournament time.

The WCAL will stick together too obviously, just like the NBC schools did at Canton.

^^Exactly. We're still the outsiders.

I guess in the end you need to win 3 or 4 games. And I'll put the Riders against any team in this district....doesn't matter where the seeding falls.

Been far too long since we've raised a district title (1996).

Orrville will be the #1 seed, or should be. I think everyone, even the WCAL folks, knows that. If Triway beats Orrville, Triway should get the #2. If Triway loses to Orrville, they should be the #3 unless they beat Timken, then they should be #2. It's all about the "body of work", IMO; and as everyone has said, Orrville's is by far the most impressive.

Man, I hate it when we get sandbagged. I'm hoping we lose to Triway and get the 3rd seed and come in with a chip on our shoulder, if that would get us the farthest in tournaments. Who cares about second place in the OCC. I'd rather beat Wooster that's more important.

I think it should be
#1 Orrville
#2 Triway
#3 Hillsdale
#4 Smithville

For some reason my gut is telling me that triway wins this or my sleeper pick Northwestern wins it. I have a feeling Smithville will get a higher seed and hillsdale will jump on their end or Norwayne will. I think when push comes to shove and Smithville is challenged, they will lose this year. it was easy to throw it down to Kornowski the last couple years when things got tough, this year Orr seems to favor playing outside more than on the inside and I think that hurts Smithville. Hillsdale is streaky, but I just don't think they have the outside shooting to pull this tournament out, and also the refs seem to be a little better when tourney time rolls around and when Hillsdales big guys try and swat every shot, they will get some fouls called on them. Orrville is the team that should win this, they are the biggest school there, they have a lot of talent. I just think that they will somehow not get over the hump in this tourney. I could see this group walking into the gym with a big head and get it deflated by a Northwestern or Triway. Triway I believe is the team to beat whether they win or lose at orrville. When Tourney time comes they just know how to win.

I wouldn't mind losing to Orrville this Saturday if we can duplicate what happened in '05...

Orrville is the team that should win this, they are the biggest school there, they have a lot of talent.
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Actually looking at the numbers, it's Triway the biggest!
Per OHSAA figures this district is ( Div III 129 TO 223 boys)
1 Triway 220 boys ( 4 from DII )
2 Tuslaw 216 boys
3 Black River 212 boys
4 Orrville 211 boys
5 Wellington 209
6 Chippewa 177
7 Loudonville 175
8 Northwestern 173
9 Norwayne 172
10 Oberlin 165
11 Waynedale 164
12 Columbia 153
13 Hillsdale 149
14 Smithville 138 surprisingly the smallest, only 10 over DIV

Yea, Triway's the biggest they should win!

That is a great post Riders1. Having lived in Wayne County my entire life I would have thought some of those enrollment numbers would have been little different. (not the Orrville ones though). I didn't realize some of the county schools were that close in size.

Can any combo in the county stop Bolyard and Wasson on offense? A team may stop 1, but I dont think both. I think those 2 will carry the Riders.

I think the best shot at them is Caldwell and Orr