Time is ripe for JHS boys to end drought

~ Indians carry top seed into Class 5 District 1 tournament.

The Jackson boys basketball team has gone eight seasons since its last district title, suffering district-championship defeats in two of the previous three seasons.

With the five-time defending district champion Poplar Bluff Mules weakened by graduation and only one other team with a winning record in the new six-team district, the time seems right for the top-seeded Indians to strike.

Jackson (19-7) will receive a first-round bye in the Class 5 District 1 tournament, which begins today at Fox High School in Arnold.

Central, seeded third, will face Fox in an opening-round game today. Jackson will play the winner of today's game between No. 4 Poplar Bluff and No. 5 Seckman at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Part of Jackson coach Darrin Scott's job heading into the tournament will be to make sure his players don't look too far ahead, as the Indians will be heavily favored to win the district.

"We'll just try to come in and play fundamental basketball," Scott said. "The key is to respect every opponent and fear none of them. If we can do that, we'll be all right."

Second-seeded Hillsboro sports an impressive 16-8 mark. How good Hillsboro really is will be hard for the three Southeast Missouri teams to determine with few common opponents. Hillsboro plays mainly smaller schools in the Jefferson County Conference.

"That's something we talked about at the seed meeting, the need for us to play each other," Scott said. "We went into the seed meeting and you have us, Central and Bluff, and they [Hillsboro, Fox and Seckman] could have been in a different state who they played."

Jackson has lost just twice in its last 12 games, to state-ranked opponents Notre Dame and Charleston. During that time, 6-foot-6 junior Spencer Goodman has begun to find his rhythm offensively. Goodman missed much of the first half of the season after suffering an injury in the season-opening Farmington Tournament.

"He's been real aggressive on offense," Scott said. "The good thing is the last few games we've had different people scoring, different people leading us in scoring. It's good we've had different people step up and lead us in scoring. That's only going to help make you harder to guard."

With Goodman, leading scorer Jake Leet and post players Hunter Grantham and Antonio Garritano, the Indians have four legitimate scoring threats on the floor.

Garritano and Grantham each stand 6-5, Leet is 6-3, and 6-4 senior Steve Spradlin comes off the bench, giving the Indians size all around the floor.

"I still think our key is defensively how well we guard, how well we rebound and how well we play as a team," Scott said.

Despite its share of struggles in coach Drew Church's first season, Central claimed the third seed and could make a run at a second straight district championship appearance. The Tigers (11-4) returned one starter from last year and that player is no longer on the team.

Class 4

In Class 4 District 1, Notre Dame is searching for a little revenge after falling to Sikeston in the district finals last year. The Bulldogs have the top seed and will begin play in the semifinals Thursday.

First-round action begins Tuesday at Sikeston. Sikeston has the No. 2 seed, followed by Fredericktown, Perryville, Dexter and Ste. Genevieve.

"We've had a good year, but it's another year, starting district time," Notre Dame coach Paul Hale said. "Sikeston's still the defending champion from last year, so they still have to be dethroned."

Notre Dame completed its second straight 20-win regular season, and will bring a 22-4 record into the district tournament. Three of Notre Dame's losses have come to state-ranked Charleston, with the other to Jackson.

The Bulldogs returned just one starter from last year in junior Ryan Willen, a 6-7 junior who leads the team in scoring at 22 points per game, and they start just one senior.

"I'm sure we've exceeded what everyone expected us to be, but we're not satisfied yet," Hale said. "It's just a different type of team. We're not as good in some areas, and we're better in others. We like our team."

Sikeston, state runner-up in Class 4 last season, headed into the season as the favorite to reclaim the district crown. Sikeston lost just one starter and returned all-state sophomore Michael Porter and senior Julian Beard.

After claiming the SEMO Conference tournament title over Charleston in early December, Sikeston had its share of struggles midway through the season. Among Sikeston's losses were upset defeats at the hands of Class 3 schools Scott City and Portageville.

Sikeston finished its season with six straight wins, though, and will have the home-court advantage.

"I'm sure from what I've seen from scores and stuff, Sikeston's rounding into form," Hale said. "If we're lucky enough to get there and they're lucky enough to get there, it will be a heck of a game."

Class 4 District 1

• Host -- Sikeston
• Teams -- No. 1 Notre Dame (22-4), No. 2 Sikeston (16-8), No. 3 Fredericktown (14-8), No. 4 Perryville (16-9), No. 5 Dexter, No. 6 Ste. Genevieve
• Schedule -- Tuesday, Perryville vs. Dexter, 6 p.m.; Fredericktown vs. Ste. Genevieve, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Notre Dame vs. Perryville or Dexter, 6 p.m.; Sikeston vs. Fredericktown or Ste. Genevieve, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, championship, 7:30 p.m.
• Notes -- The previous two district winners, Sikeston and Notre Dame, each made it to the state final four. Sikeston carries a six-game winning streak into the district tournament. Notre Dame has won 11 of its last 12 games entering the tournament.

Class 5 District 1

• Host -- Fox
• Teams -- No. 1 Jackson (19-7), No. 2 Hillsboro (16-8), No. 3 Central (11-14), No. 4 Poplar Bluff, No. 5 Seckman (8-15), No. 6 Fox (4-19)
• Schedule -- Monday, Poplar Bluff vs. Seckman, 6 p.m.; Central vs. Fox, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Jackson vs. Poplar Bluff or Seckman, 6 p.m.; Hillsboro vs. Central or Fox, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, championship, 7:30 p.m.
• Notes -- Poplar Bluff has won the last five district titles and won state titles in 2004 and 2005. Jackson last won a district title in 1998, and Central's last district title was in 1997.