Two local teams hold the No. 1 seed in their respective classes for the Section IV boys basketball sectionals, with Dryden and Moravia hosting games in the quarterfinals after earning first-round byes.
Dryden (16-3) enters as the top team in Class B. It will host the winner of No. 5 Chenango Forks (8-12) and No. 4 Walton/Downsville (13-6) at 6 p.m. on March 4. Dryden sports an impressive +393 point differential entering sectionals.
Neither team has squared off with Dryden this season.
“Coming in as the one seed, that was a goal of ours,” Dryden head coach Zach LeViere said. “I like how the guys are playing. I like their attitude, their level of focus and energy. We just need to fine tune a couple of things with our defense and keep trusting the process. I feel like we can put points up on anybody.”
Moravia (16-1) is the top overall seed in Class C. It will host the winner of No. 9 Deposit/Hancock (12-7) and No. 8 Southern Cayuga (12-6) at 6 p.m. on Feb. 28. Moravia is coming off a win in the IAC championship game over Candor and has a +313 point differential, similar to Dryden’s dominant mark. The Blue Devils have rattled off 16 straight wins since losing their season opener.
Southern Cayuga gave Moravia its only loss this season, 72-63 back in December. Deposit/Hancock did not play Moravia this year.
Marathon (8-12) also qualified for sectionals as the 13th seed in Class C. It will travel to Newfield (13-3), the No. 4 seed, for a first-round matchup at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The winner will take on the winner of No. 12 Unatego/Franklin (11-8) and No. 5 Elmira Notre Dame (10-8).
The two teams squared off in December, with Newfield taking the win in Marathon, 55-50.
Moravia and Marathon could square off in the quarterfinals if both teams advance.
