Comment: Hoops madness hits early out east

The tournament seeds have been announced, and the brackets are set.

March Madness may not start for another month, but playoff basketball is already alive and well in the East County.

This week, the Braden River, Lakewood Ranch and The Out-of-Door Academy boys basketball teams will begin their district tournaments runs, hoping for district championships and regional playoff appearances.
It’s the final push of a long and eventful winter season. So, without further ado, let the madness begin.

The fourth-seeded Mustangs got the ball rolling Feb. 6, defeating fifth-seeded Dixie Hollins 58-41 in the Class 6A-District 12 quarterfinals. Lakewood could be the most surprising team of the tournament — a possible Cinderella story?

Following its district quarterfinal, Lakewood declared it expects district champion. And with the return of 6-foot-6 senior Brian Cobb, who missed the first 22 games of the season after tearing his ACL last summer, the Mustangs may just have the added boost of confidence they need heading into their semifinal game against top-seeded Seminole Osceola Feb. 8.

After finishing the regular season 20-4 and setting a school record for wins in a season, Braden River has the potential for a deep postseason run. The Pirates won their first district championship last season and expect nothing less this season.

The top-seeded Pirates, who will have home-court advantage throughout the tournament, play host to fifth-seeded Charlotte in a Class 7A-District 11 semifinal Feb. 8.

Braden River defeated Charlotte in its two prior meetings this season, including a 20-point victory at home, where the Pirates won eight of nine games this season. If the Pirates focus on playing their game, they should easily cruise into the district championship game Feb. 10 and earn an automatic playoff berth.

Finally, second-seeded ODA could be the sleeper of this year’s Class 3A-District 10 tournament. The Thunder only won five games during the regular season, but in a three-team district, anything is possible.

ODA opened its tournament Feb. 7, at Cardinal Mooney. The Cougars defeated the Thunder by double-digit margins twice during the regular season. Cardinal Mooney would have been the top-seed, but the FHSAA recently declared leading scorer Antonio Blakeney ineligible and forced the Cougars to forfeit nearly all of their wins.

If the Thunder can make it past the Cougars, they’ll face top-seed Bradenton Christian in the district championship Feb. 10.

With three East County schools all in the mix for district championships and regional playoff appearances, it’s safe to say winter may linger around for at least another week.