Mike Ridaught
The boys’ basketball regular season is officially finished, giving way to district tournaments starting this week.
Trenton, which hosted the girls district tournament, will host the boys Class 1A-District 6 tournament beginning today. The No. 3-seeded Tigers (10-14) face sixth-seeded Branford (4-13) at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the district quarterfinals.
Fort White (6-8), which is seeded fourth, will face No. 5-seed Hilliard (8-12) in the first quarterfinal at 5 p.m.
The top seed in the tournament is Union County. The Tigers (12-6) will face the winner of the Trenton-Branford game at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
That will be followed by top seed Bell (16-7) against the winner of the Fort White-Hilliard game on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.
The district championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday night.
In order to qualify for the FHSAA Regional playoffs, which start on Thursday, Feb. 18, teams must make it to their respective district championship games. The winner of the district championship game hosts a first-round playoff game, while the loser, or district runner-up, will travel.
Gainesville (9-11) and Buchholz (8-9) will play an elimination game in the Class 6A-District 2 quarterfinals on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
Buchholz snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Hurricanes on Friday, Jan. 29. The Bobcats won the game on the road, 65-61, after GHS had won the previous meeting, 64-56 in overtime, at Buchholz on Friday, Jan. 8.
That makes this the rubber match between the fourth-seeded Hurricanes and fifth-seeded Bobcats with the season on the line for both teams. The winner will play top seed Columbia (Lake City) in the district semifinals at Lincoln (Tallahassee).
The Class 6A-District 2 championship game is Friday night at 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball District Tournament Schedules:
Class 6A-District 2 at various sites
Tuesday, February 9
(5) Buchholz (Gainesville) at (4) Gainesville, 7 p.m.
(6) Leon (Tallahassee) at (3) Chiles (Tallahassee), 7 p.m.
Wednesday, February 10
Buchholz/Gainesville winner vs. (1) Columbia, 5:30 p.m.
Leon/Chiles winner at (2) Lincoln (Tallahassee), 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 12
Championship Game – Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
Class 4A-District 2 (at higher seeds)
(4) Gadsden County (Havana) vs. (5) Baker County (Glen St. Mary), TBD
Wednesday, February 10
(2) Godby (Tallahassee) vs. (3) Suwannee (Live Oak), 5:30 p.m.
(1) Marianna vs. Gadsden/Baker County winner, TBD
Championship Game – Semifinal winners, TBD
Class 4A-District 5 at Santa Fe (Alachua)
Tuesday, February 9
(4) North Marion (Citra) vs. (5) Keystone Heights, 6 p.m.
(3) Bradford (Starke) vs. (6) Dunnellon, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 10
(1) Eastside (Gainesville) vs. NM/Keystone winner, 6 p.m.
(2) Santa Fe (Alachua) vs. Bradford/Dunnellon winner, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 12
Championship Game – Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
Class 3A-District 3 (at higher seeds)
Tuesday, February 9
(4) Trinity Catholic (Ocala) vs. (5) Father Lopez (Daytona Beach), 7 p.m.
(3) Interlachen vs. (6) Oak Hall (Gainesville), 7 p.m.
Wednesday, February 10
(1) St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine) vs. Trinity/Lopez winner, TBD
(2) P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) vs. Interlachen/Oak Hall winner, TBD
Friday, February 12
Championship Game – Semifinal winners, TBD
Class 2A-District 2 at Saint Francis Catholic (Gainesville)
Tuesday, February 9
(4) St. John Lutheran (Ocala) vs. (5) Cornerstone Christian (Gainesville), 7 p.m.
(3) Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) vs. (6) Meadowbrook Academy (Ocala), 7 p.m.
Wednesday, February 10
(1) Saint Francis Catholic (Gainesville) vs. St. John Lutheran/Cornerstone winner, TBD
(2) Redeemer Christian (Ocala) vs. Seven Rivers/Meadowbrook winner, TBD
Friday, February 12
Championship Game – Semifinal winners, TBD
Class 1A-District 5 at Jefferson County (Monticello)
Tuesday, February 9
(4) Dixie County (Cross City) vs. (5) Jefferson County (Monticello), 7 p.m.
(3) Hamilton County (Jasper) vs. (6) Lafayette (Mayo), TBD
Wednesday, February 10
(1) Madison County vs. Dixie/Jefferson winner, TBD
(2) Taylor Country (Perry) vs. Hamilton/Lafayette winner, TBD
Friday, February 12
Championship Game – Semifinal winners, TBD
Class 1A-District 6 at Trenton
Monday, February 8
(4) Fort White vs. (5) Hilliard, 5 p.m.
(3) Trenton vs. (6) Branford, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 9
(2) Union County (Lake Butler) vs. Trenton/Branford winner, 5 p.m.
(1) Bell vs. Fort White/Hilliard winner, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, February 12
Championship Game – Semifinal winners, TBD
Class 1A-District 7 at Williston
(4) Bronson vs. (5) Chiefland, TBD
(3) Newberry vs. (6) Cedar Key, TBD
(1) Williston vs. Bronson/Chiefland winner, TBD
(2) Hawthorne vs. Newberry/Cedar Key winner, TBD
Championship Game – TBD