Monica Wells knows what it’s like to coach a team that’s considered a heavy underdog to advance in the 3A-1 West District Tournament.
The Elkins girls basketball coach has gone into a postseason without having a spot in the regional tournament already secured. It can be an unsettling position for a coach and her players.
But Wells has more security this year.
The Lady Elks (16-10) enter this week’s district tournament as the No. 1 seed after they cruised through the 3A-1 West — aside from their lone blemish during the conference season to Green Forest.
Still, Wells has stressed to her players that now isn’t the time get complacent. To win the district tournament and improve their regional seeding, the Lady Elks must get past West Fork and the defending Class 3A state champions in Greenland.
“We’ve already talked about it as a team. We know that the regular conference season is over,” Wells said. “Yes, we played well enough to win the conference, but it’s anybody’s game now.
“This is like the second part of the season.”
Elkins, Greenland and West Fork have already locked up berths to the girls side of the Class 3A Region 1 Tournament, which begins Feb. 20 in Paris.
But the three conference rivals will be battling this week at the district tournament in West Fork’s Tiger Dome to improve their regional seedings. The district tournament begins Tuesday.
“Anything can happen,” Greenland coach Alan Barton said. “But after I watched my girls play (Friday), I think they have new life.”
Barton had reason to be optimistic after he watched Mackenzie Brown sink a halfcourt shot at the buzzer to force overtime against Mulberry on Friday night. He then saw his Lady Pirates (11-13) pick up their pace in overtime to shock Mulberry with a 55-52 win.
The win gave Greenland some momentum heading into the district tournament, where it will be the No. 2 seed and face No. 3 West Fork at 4 p.m. Wednesday. But it’s clear which team is the favorite.
“Elkins is the hot team right now,” Barton said.
On the boys side, West Fork coach David Ferrell made no secret that top-seeded Cedarville is the team to beat in the district tournament. But he got proof a few weeks ago that his No. 2-seeded Tigers could hang with the explosive, athletic Pirates.
West Fork (23-4) pushed Cedarville into overtime before suffering a 54-50 loss in the Tiger Dome. And with the district tournament being played at West Fork, Ferrell hopes his team will have the home-court advantage if the two teams meet in Friday’s championship game.
“We’ve had a couple of setbacks in conference to Cedarville, but so has everybody else,” Ferrell said. “You know, Cedarville is a very good team. They beat us in overtime at our place.
“It was one of those games where we played really well and got beat.”
Cedarville, West Fork and Elkins have already earned spots for the boys side of the regional tournament at Paris. Still, the next few days will help determine which team gets an easier path to competing for a state championship.
“I think our players know what’s at stake,” Ferrell said.
3A-1 West District Tournament
At West Fork
Girls
Tuesday’s Game
Game 1: No. 4 Green Forest vs. No. 5 Cedarville, 6 p.m.
Wednesday’s Games
Game 2: No. 2 Greenland vs. No. 3 West Fork, 4 p.m.
Game 3: No. 1 Elkins vs. Winner Game 1, 7 p.m.
Friday’s Game
Championship
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 6 p.m.
Boys
Tuesday’s Game
Game 1: No. 4 Green Forest vs. No. 5 Greenland, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s Games
Game 2: No. 2 West Fork vs. No. 3 Elkins, 5:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 1 Cedarville vs. Winner Game 1, 8:30 p.m.
Friday’s Game
Championship
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 7:30 p.m.