2 of 4 Cass County high school basketball teams remain alive in Districts
Editor’s Note : This story will be updated throughout the week, not just next week
By CHRISTIAN D ORR
Journal Editor
Post season action has begun for the Cass County High School basketball teams. Two teams remain alive with the ultimate goal of winning a state championship March 16 in Columbia.
As of Monday night, Cass County still had the Harrisonville boys and Ray-Pec boys still alive for a state championship.
The first step in that “state-championship goal” begins with a district championship, which is what Missouri high school teams began playing this past Saturday.
Two Cass County teams were paired up in play-in games for their respective district tournaments.
The Belton boys extended their season with a 56-50 victory over Smith-Cotton in the Class 5, District 9 play-in game, but the Ray-Pec girls saw their 2018-19 season come to an end this past Saturday night when they saw their season ended after a 56-41 defeat to Smith-Cotton in the girls side of the Class 5, District 9 tournament.
The Pirate boys improved to 4-19 on the season and snapped a two-game losing skid with the victory over Smith-Cotton. Belton advanced to the semifinals, where they met up with Rock Bridge, the District’s No. 1 seed with a 17-3 record going into the match-up, which was played Tuesday, Feb. 26.
Ray-Pec (10-13) and Hickman (7-15) met up in the other Class 5, District 9 semifinal Tuesday evening.
The Lady Panthers, meanwhile, saw their season come to an end after a 6-20 campaign with the 56-41 defeat by Smith-Cotton.
The Ray-Pec girls ended the 2018-19 season with eight straight losses. Smith-Cotton took a 4-18 record into its semifinal contest against Rock Bridge, but Rock Bridge held serve on its home court, earning a 65-46 win, pushing it to the District championship game against Belton.
Belton took a 12-12 record into its semifinal showdown with Hickman and came away with a 36-32 victory and berth in the District title match, scheduled for Friday, March 1.
Harrisonville did not get its District action started until Monday, Feb. 25, when its girls played Centre in their Class 4, District 13 play-in game. The Lady Wildcats, however, saw their season come to an end after falling to Center 62-50.
Harrisonville’s girls team finished the 2018-19 season with a 13-11 record. Center improved to 15-7 on the season with the victory.
The Wildcat boys played their District play-in game on Tuesday, Feb. 26 against Nevada. The Wildcats took a 5-14 record into the showdown with Nevada, which entered the contest with a 17-6 record. Bolivar (10-10) played Pleasant Hill (10-11) in the other Class 4, District 13 boys play-in game.
The Harrisonville-Nevada winner will play Kansas City Centre (12-7) in the semifinal round, while the Bolivar-Pleasant Hill winner will meet up with Grandview (20-2) in the other semifinal on Friday, Feb. 28.