Large schools play final games before district tournaments

While today marks the beginning of the final week for Class 5 and Class 4 basketball teams, schools around the area still have plenty to play for.

Jackson's boys basketball team nailed down its 20th win on Friday and will look to match its highest win total since 1998 with win No. 21 on Tuesday. With two more wins, the Indians can match their highest total since 1993, when Jackson finished 22-4. Jackson, 8-0 at home, will host Kelly on Tuesday.

For the Central Tigers (17-6), despite recent struggles, the team has a chance to best last year's win total of 17 with a win in either of its final two regular-season games. The Tigers will play at Charleston on Tuesday and at De Soto on Friday. Both opponents are ranked in the state poll.

The Tigers also got some good news on Friday when junior Eli Harris returned to the lineup against Sikeston. Harris was injured in Central's Jan. 23 meeting with Mehlville and missed the Tigers' next five games.

While the Tigers and Indians are trying to match or have already matched recent season-high win totals, Notre Dame's boys team is mired in one of the worst seasons in school history. Notre Dame (4-19) will play its season finale at home on Friday against Perryville. Notre Dame needs three wins surpass its lowest total since 1950, when the Bulldogs were 6-8.

Notre Dame's girls and Jackson's girls have already secured No. 1 seeds for their district tournaments. Jackson will look for win No. 22 at home tonight against Farmington, while the Bulldogs have games against Doniphan tonight and Perryville on Wednesday.

Panthers suspend playerA wild Mississippi Valley Conference tournament title game between Meadow Heights and Saxony Lutheran, which featured two technical fouls and plenty of controversy, has led to the suspension of one of Meadow Heights' top players.

Brad Adams, a senior guard averaging double figures for the 10-9 Panthers, was suspended for two weeks after the loss.. Three other starters were limited to a half of play in the Panthers' loss to Marquand on Friday because of team disciplinary actions.

Saxony Lutheran is scheduled to travel to Meadow Heights on Feb. 26 for the season finale for both teams.

Perryville player signsPerryville's Kate Lowry has signed a letter of intent to play softball at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill.

The 5-foot-5 senior, who is also a member of the Pirates' basketball team, was named all-conference and all-region her senior season.