Matisi expects wide-open district

February 15, 2013 at 12:00a.m.

At this time last year, Lowellville High girls basketball coach Tony Matisi was asking himself two questions:

Is my team good enough to beat Berlin Hiland in the regional semifinals?

Will I need to call a timeout in any game before then?

“My assistants tried to get me to call some,” said Matisi, whose team fell to eventual state runner-up Hiland by 10. “I think we had to call a couple in the [district] final.”

He’s got a few more questions about this year’s team.

After losing three 1,000-point scorers to graduation, Matisi enters next week’s Division IV tournament at South Range as the district’s top seed. But despite owning two victories over second-seeded Columbiana, the Rockets are plenty vulnerable.

“Heck, I’m really worried about Sebring,” Matisi said, referring to Lowellville’s first-round opponent. “I wouldn’t be shocked if anybody pulled an upset. I think there’s gonna be at least two or three in our district.

“It’s not like it’s been. It’s wide open.”

Lowellville (19-3) has won six of the last nine district titles and went unbeaten in Tier Two of the Inter Tri-County League but it hasn’t always been easy. Matisi said the Rockets haven’t put together four good quarters in weeks and, unlike last year, they’ve played a half-dozen close games.

“Honest to God, it’s been a blast this year,” said Matisi, whose losses were to Lordstown, United and Canfield. “It’s a lot of fun. I forgot what it’s like.”

Maplewood (17-4) has the top seed in the Rootstown district after winning the Stars Division of the Northeastern Athletic Conference. Fifth-seeded Windham won last year’s district before falling to Smithville in the regional final.

Division II

Top-seeded Canfield (20-1) enters the Division II Austintown district as the defending champions but should get strong tests from second-seeded West Branch (which beat the Cardinals in their third game) and third-seeded Struthers (which won back-to-back district titles in 2010-11).

“I think we have a good team, but I honestly think this year’s district is very good,” Cardinals coach Pat Pavlansky said. “Nobody believed me when I said that last year. I think more people believe me this year.

“We’ve got a big target on our back and we’re going to get everyone’s best effort, but I don’t want it any other way.”

For Pavlansky, the key to a district title has been the division. Canfield has won four straight titles in Division II: 2001, 2008, 2009 and 2012. The Cardinals’ last Division II tournament loss came against Salem in the district semifinals in 2000. (They competed in Division I the other eight years, failing to make the district final in any of those years.)

“It makes a difference when you’re not Division I,” said Pavlansky, whose team is actually 8-0 against Division I teams this winter. “It’s a brand new season and our main goal every year is to play as hard and as well as we can in February and March.

“If you could guarantee me we would win seven straight games in the tournament and we would go 0-20 in the regular season, that would be fine with me.”

Lakeview is seeded fourth in the area’s other Division II district, at Pymatuning Valley. Geneva earned the top seed while defending district champion Mentor Lake Catholic is fourth.

Division III

Top-seeded United (20-2) will try to defend its title in the Division III district at Mineral Ridge. The Eagles, whose losses came against Carrollton and West Branch, have won 12 straight.

Division I

Two-time defending state champion Twinsburg and 2010 state champion Canton McKinley highlight a deep district at Akron Ellet. Both teams won district titles last year.