CAMBRIDGE — For the Cambridge Bobcats and John Glenn Muskies, the path to the Division IV regional tournament is paved with giants. Despite a sparkling 20-2 record and fresh off a second consecutive OVAC 4A trophy sitting in their case, Cambridge was awarded the No. 2 seed in Sunday's OHSAA tournament drawings.
They sit just ahead of 19-1 John Glenn, riding an impressive 18-game winning streak of its own that nabbed the No. 3 seed.
While the Bobcats and Muskies appear destined for a high-level rematch of their early season clash at Gene Ford Gymnasium — a game the Muskies won 70-59 — the ultimate prize sits behind a formidable roadblock.
The winner of that titanic struggle will likely have to find a way to dethrone the No. 1 seed and defending OHSAA state champion Maysville (20-1) just to get out of the district and advance to the regionals.
Division VI: Local rivals collide
The drama isn't limited to the big schools. In the Division VI brackets, another pair of local squads are gearing up for deep OHSAA postseason runs after highly successful regular seasons.
Caldwell (15-4) earned the No. 4 seed, positioning itself as a dangerous threat in the bracket. It is followed closely by the Buckeye Trail Warriors (17-3), who secured the No. 5 seed. While those top-five seeds prepare for a battle of attrition, a struggling Shenandoah (2-19) will look to wipe the slate clean in the postseason, entering the bracket with a No. 8 seed.
Division V: Searching for a spark
The "clean slate" theme continues into the Division V East 1 bracket, where a pair of local teams are hoping the postseason offers a fresh start after a grueling regular season.
The Meadowbrook Colts (6-14), enter the tournament as the No. 9 seed, while the Barnesville Shamrocks (6-14) find themselves in the No. 10 slot. Both squads have faced an uphill climb this year, but as the saying goes in February, everyone is 0-0 once the OHSAA tournament clock starts ticking:
2026 boys basketball tournament bracket recap
DIVISION IV – EAST 1
- Sectional Final: Friday, Feb. 27, 7:00 pm – (#14) West Holmes at (#1) Maysville
DIVISION IV – EAST 2
- Sectional Final: Friday, Feb. 27, 7:00 pm – (#12) Indian Creek at (#2) Cambridge
- Sectional Final: Friday, Feb. 27, 7:00 pm – (#13) Morgan at (#3) John Glenn
- Sectional Final: Friday, Feb. 27, 7:00 pm –(#10) Philo at (#7) Claymont
DIVISION V – EAST 1
- Sectional Semifinal: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7:00 pm – (#17) Fairless at (#2) West Muskingum
- Sectional Final: Saturday, Feb. 28, 7:00 pm – (#8) Ridgewood at (#5) Union Local
- Sectional Final: Saturday, Feb. 28, 7:00 pm – (#9) Meadowbrook at (#4) Fort Frye
- Sectional Final: Saturday, Feb. 28, 7:00 pm − (#12) Harrison Central at (#10) Barnesville
DIVISION VI – EAST
- Sectional Semifinal: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 7:00 pm – (#9) Crooksville at (#8) Shenandoah
- Sectional Final: Friday, Feb. 27, 7:00 pm – (#7) Newcomerstown at (#4) Caldwell
- Sectional Final: Friday, Feb. 27, 7:00 pm – (#5) Buckeye Trail at (#2) Toronto
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This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: How Sunday's tournament drawing impacted local boys basketball squads