The Archbold DIV District Division draw will be on Sunday Feb 4. The District has 12 teams so 4 teams will be vying for a sectional semifinal bye. In a field flavored with Buckeye Border and Green Meadows Conference teams, BBC leader Stryker and GMC co-leader Wayne Trace appear to have the inside track to the first two seeds. With Holgate, Pettisville, and Antwerp being the only other teams with a winning record and Edgerton playing even, it will be interesting to see where teams place themselves in the attempt to make it to Archbold. Continental is the only non BBC or GMC team in the field. Sectional games are held the week of Feb 19 with newer schools Bryan and Defiance being Sectional hosts. Districts will be held at Archbold the week of Feb 27.
Last year Hicksville won the Archbold Girls Districts. This year they have moved up to the Elida Division III District along with Fairview and Montpelier. Continental and Wayne Trace are new to the Archbold District, last year they were in the Ottawa Glandorf District.
The Archbold District feeds into the Elida Regional and will meet the Liberty Benton District winner. Putnam County League foe Leipsic is in the Liberty Benton District that features 7 other Blanchard Valley Conference foes. Last year this spot in the Elida Regional was taken by the Seneca East District winner Buckeye Central. Seneca East does not have a District this year, most of those teams moved to the Willard District and are part of the 2018 Massillon Perry Regional. So there will be at least two new teams in the Elida Regionals as none of the Liberty Benton District team made the regionals last year.
The other half of the Elida Regional are the Ottawa Glandorf and Fostoria District winners. Most of the PCL make up the Ottawa Glandorf field as Columbus Grove, Fort Jennings, Kalida, Miller City, Ottoville, and Pandora –Gilboa were placed there. Last year Ottoville advanced out of the Ottawa-Glandorf District and also out of the Elida Regional on their way to the State Semifinals. Old Fort was the other team to make it to the Elida Regional in 2017 and they return to the Fostoria District.
The Elida Regional has only one state ranked team in the field as Ottoville was #2 in the latest Division IV AP poll.
Arcbhold Division IV District Field:
Antwerp 9-8
Ayersville 7-11
Continental 3-13
Edgerton 4-13
Edon 9-9
Fayette 3-14
Hilltop 0-17
Holgate 11-8
North Central 6-12
Pettisville 10-8
Stryker 16-3
Wayne Trace 15-2
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
