Ohio high school girls basketball playoffs: Top seeds, best potential matchups, star players, predicted district winners in Division 1

The tournament draw was released late Sunday, and we break down Division 1 region by region, district by district.

By Ryan Isley | Photo by Mike Cook

The tournament draw was released late Sunday for the Ohio high school girls basketball playoffs, and though the regular season isn't over yet, we'll break down the divisions region by region, district by district over the next few days.

The biggest division of the bunch is up first.

DIVISION 1

Region 1 - Medina

District – Northeast 1 Massillon Perry

Top Seeds: GlenOak (2), Massillon Jackson (5), New Philadelphia (8), Warren Howland (13)

Best potential matchup: GlenOak vs. Jackson in the district final. The teams have split two meetings this season, with Jackson winning the latest 46-37 last week.

Star Power: Emma Dretke, Lauren Pallotta, Leena Patibandla (Jackson); Brooke Haren (Louisville); Breezie Williams, Kylie Dyrland, Jordan Weir (GlenOak)

Predicted winner: GlenOak

Region 1 - Medina

District – Northeast 2 Perry

Top Seeds: Stow-Munroe Falls (3); Green (4), Brush (6), Solon (7)

Best potential matchup: Green vs. Brush in the district semifinal. Green is 15-4, while Brush is 14-2 and have not lost a game since mid-December.

Star Power: Asia Nicholson (Brush); Meredith Randulic (Massillon Perry); Kristin Chmielewski (Stow), Ava Ryncarz (Aurora); Emily Noerr (Chardon); Morgan Blackford, Chyanne Hatcher (Solon)

Predicted winner: Stow-Munroe Falls

Region 1 - Medina

District – Northeast 3 Ravenna

Top Seeds: Archbishop Hoban (1), North Canton Hoover (9), Walsh Jesuit (11), Eastlake North (12)

Best potential matchup: Walsh Jesuit vs. Hoover in the district semifinals. Walsh lost just two games after its season opener, while Hoover bounced back with five straight wins to end the season after a rough stretch that saw the Vikings lose five straight.

Star Power: Lanae Riley, Grace Schill, Adrena Gordon (Archbishop Hoban); Paris Stokes (Canton McKinley), Kailey Minch (Eastlake North)

Predicted winner: Archbishop Hoban

Region 1 - Medina

District – Northeast 5 Medina

Top Seeds: St. Joseph Academy (5), Medina (7), Wadsworth (9), Avon (10)

Best potential matchup: Medina vs. Wadsworth in the district semifinals. A rematch of a game from the beginning of the season won by Wadsworth 48-46 when Hailey Tripp hit a 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining.

Star Power: Abby Liber (Avon); Brooke Baughman (Wadsworth)

Predicted winner: Medina

Destiny Robinson photo by Jeff Harwell

Region 2 - Sandusky

District – Northwest Millbury Lake

Top Seeds: Fremont Ross (1), Toledo Start (4), Sylvania Northview (5), Perrysburg (8)

Best potential matchup: Fremont Ross vs. Toledo Start in the district final. Ross has just two losses on the season (Archbishop Hoban and Brush, both top-6 seeds in the Medina region), while Start has three losses this season but none by more than five points.

Star Power: Carly Maple (Sylvania Northview); Sinai Douglas (Toledo Start); Reagan Courter (Wapakoneta); Destiny Robinson (Fremont Ross)

Predicted winner: Fremont Ross

Region 2 - Sandusky

District – Northeast 4 Elyria Catholic

Top Seeds: Highland (2), Grafton Midview (3), North Ridgeville (4), Magnificat (6)

Best potential matchup: Highland vs. Midview in the district final. Highland will look to stay unbeaten against a Midview team that boasts one of the best players in the state in Mary Meng.

Star Power: Grace Kingrey (North Ridgeville); Olivia DiFranco, Mary Meng (Midview)

Predicted winner: Highland

Region 2 - Sandusky

District – Northwest 2 Central Catholic

Top Seeds: Anthony Wayne (2), Holland Springfield (3), Bowsher (6), Toledo Notre Dame Academy (7)

Best potential matchup: Anthony Wayne vs. Holland in the district final. The two teams have met twice this season, with each winning one.

Predicted winner: Anthony Wayne

Region 2 - Sandusky

District – Northeast 6 Valley Forge

Top Seeds: Olmsted Falls (1), Berea-Midpark (8), Strongsville (13), Wooster (14)

Best potential matchup: Olmsted Falls vs. Berea-Midpark in the district final. In a district without a lot of higher seeds, these two teams could be on a collision course to meet for a spot in the regionals. Olmsted Falls has lost just two games, both to top teams in the state in Archbishop Hoban and Mount Notre Dame.

Star Power: Paige Kohler (Olmsted Falls); Nora Levy (Wooster); Journey Hildebrand, Lea Holmes (Brunswick); Kendall Braaten (Berea-Midpark)

Predicted winner: Olmsted Falls

Maddie Vejsicky photo by Gabe Haferman

Region 3 - Westerville

District – Columbus 3

Top Seeds: Dublin Coffman (2), Westerville South (6), New Albany (11), Canal Winchester (15)

Best potential matchup: Dublin Coffman vs. Westerville South in the district final. The two best teams in the district with the best players could meet in a rematch of a November game won 58-45 by Dublin Coffman.

Star Power: Cassidy Lafler, Jenna Kopyar, Tessa Grady (Dublin Coffman); Leila Jones, Nella Guice, Zoe Guice (Westerville South)

Predicted winner: Dublin Coffman

Region 3 - Westerville

District – Columbus 4

Top Seeds: Pickerington Central (3), Marysville (7), Upper Arlington (13), Grove City (16)

Best potential matchup: Marysville vs. Upper Arlington in the district semifinals. While Upper Arlington has struggled down the stretch, a game between these two might be the best in the district.

Star Power: Berry Wallace, Madison Greene, Olivia Cooper (Pickerington Central); Justice Steinman-Ross (Marion Harding)

Predicted winner: Pickerington Central

Region 3 - Westerville

District – Columbus 1

Top Seeds: Newark (4), Gahanna Lincoln (5), Olentangy Liberty (8), Teays Valley (14)

Best potential matchup: Gahanna Lincoln vs Olentangy Liberty in the district semifinal. Two of the top seeds in the district could play in a rematch of a close November game that was won 42-39 by Liberty.

Star Power: Gwen Stare, Maddie Vejsicky (Newark); E’Moni Finch (Westerville South)

Predicted winner: Newark

Region 3 - Westerville

District – Columbus 2

Top Seeds: Reynoldsburg (1), Bishop Watterson (9), Delaware Hayes (10), Pataskala Watkins Memorial (12)

Best potential matchup: Bishop Watterson vs. Delaware Hayes in the district semifinal. While Reynoldsburg might be the top team in the state, these two teams have been on a roll as well. Watterson has lost only once since the start of December and Hayes has not lost since mid-December.

Star Power: Imarianah Russell, Mya Perry, Makiya Miller (Reynoldsburg), Kylie Graham (Bishop Watterson); Chloe Jeffers (Delaware Hayes)

Predicted winner: Reynoldsburg

Abby Wolterman photo by Ben Jackson

Region 4 - Cincinnati

District – Cincinnati 4

Top Seeds: Centerville (1), Vandalia Butler (4), Winton Woods (4), Ursuline Academy (5)

Best potential matchup: Winton Woods vs. Centerville in the district final. Centerville comes into the tournament as the top seed, but Winton Woods has just one loss on the season, which came Nov. 29.

Star Power: Chance Gray, Daysia Thompson (Winton Woods); Ma’Kaylia Lute (Huber Heights Wayne); Cotie McMahon, Kendal George (Centerville)

Predicted winner: Winton Woods

Region 4 - Cincinnati

District – Cincinnati 3

Top Seeds: Springboro (2), Mason (2), Kettering Fairmont (6), Miamisburg (6)

Best potential matchup: Springboro vs. Miamisburg in the district semifinals. Would be the third game between the two this season. Miamisburg won the first game, and the second is scheduled for Feb. 5 as the season finale.

Star Power: Kyla Oldacre (Mason); Anna Long (Miamisburg)

Predicted winner: Mason

Region 4 - Cincinnati

District – Cincinnati 2

Top Seeds: Princeton (3), Turpin (6), Lakota East (7), Milford (9)

Best potential matchup: Milford vs. Turpin in the district semifinals. Would be a rematch of the Jan. 31 game between the Eastern Cincinnati Conference foes who are second and third in the conference standings. That game was won 66-57 by Milford.

Star Power: Sole Williams (Princeton); Sophi Huffman (Wilmington)

Predicted winner: Princeton

Region 4 - Cincinnati

District – Cincinnati 1

Top Seeds: Mount Notre Dame (1), Bellbrook (3), Sidney (5), Beavercreek (7)

Best potential matchup: Sidney vs. Bellbrook in the district semifinals. Mount Notre Dame might be a heavy favorite to win the district, but the next two teams in the rankings should provide a good game to see who plays Mount Notre Dame for the district crown.

Star Power: KK Bransford, Abby Wolterman (Mount Notre Dame); Sadie Foster (Western Brown); Allie Stockton, Regan Clark (Sidney)

Predicted winner: Mount Notre Dame