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Indian Creek to host Weir High in OVAC girls tourney; CCHS, Madonna, Oak Glen also in

BELLAIRE — The path to an Ohio Valley Athletic Conference girls basketball championship is set.

The basketball committee met Tuesday morning to finalize the standings and pairings for next week’s Wheeling Hospital OVAC Girls Basketball Championship.

The tournament opens Monday with the higher seed in each class hosting a semifinal. The winners of those games will then play in the championship game on Feb. 8 at Ohio University Eastern.

The order of the championship games is Class 4A, 5A, 1A, 2A and 3A. The games begin at 10 a.m. and will start every two hours from there.

Class 1A

Beallsville garnered the top seed on the strength of a 17-3 record. The Blue Devils, who are the defending champions, will play host to first-time entrant Hundred, which is currently 8-6.

In the other semifinal, Cameron will be on its home court, taking on Madonna. The Dragons are currently 10-5, while the Blue Dons check in at 8-8.

Class 2A

A new champion is guaranteed, as River — the two-time defending champ — didn’t qualify for the top four.

However, the top seed is one familiar with the Top 4 and OUE. Shadyside is the top seed with a solid 15-5 campaign. The Tigers were defeated by River in each of the last two seasons in the title games.

Standing in the way for Shadyside is fourth-seeded Wheeling Central. The injury-riddled Maroon Knights are 9-9.

In the other half of the bracket, Catholic Central is the second seed and will host Shenandoah. The Crusaders are 10-7, while the Zeps punched a ticket at 11-7.

Class 3A

The lone undefeated team in the conference — Union Local — was the runaway winner for the top seed in this class.

The Jets, who won back-to-back titles in Class 4A in 2016 and 2017, will begin chase of the 3A crown with their 19-0 record against a solid Monroe Central combine. The Seminoles are 15-4, but half of those losses came to the Jets.

A rematch of the 2019 OVAC title game is on tap for the other semifinal. Defending champion Bellaire, in the field for the fourth straight season, will make the trek to Fort Frye, which is 16-2. The Big Reds have been one of the area’s most improved teams, winning 10 of their last 12.

Class 4A

Martins Ferry garnered the top seed and is currently 12-6 on the season. The Purple Riders are in the Top 4 for the first time in several years. Ferry, which won its last conference title in 2009, will play host to fourth-seeded Oak Glen, which overtook East Liverpool for the final bid. The Golden Bears are 8-7 on the season.

A rematch of the 2019 title game is on tap for the other half of the bracket when second-seeded Beaver Local welcomes St. Clairsville. Behind a sterling performance from West Liberty-bound Jenna Riccardo, the Beavers knocked off the Red Devils last winter.

Beaver is currently 9-7 on the season, while the Red Devils are 10-8.

Class 5A

Indian Creek has sat atop the big-school standings all season and is now officially the top seed. The Redskins are an impressive 17-1 on the season, with their only loss coming to Union Local last weekend.

The Redskins will take on fourth-seeded Weir High, which qualified with a 10-6 record. The Red Riders haven’t won an OVAC title since 1996, while Creek last hoisted the trophy in 2010.

The Red Riders earned the final spot after defeating CCHS in overtime on Monday, coupled with a Big Red loss to Ferry.

Wheeling Park, which won the 2017 title and was defeated by University a season ago, is back in the mix as the second seed. The Patriots come in at 15-2 on the season.

Park will welcome 9-5 University High from Morgantown. The Hawks are the defending 5A champions and, ironically, were the fourth seed a season ago when they began the tourney. This, too, is a rematch of last winter’s title game.

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