Small-class playoffs to begin tonight

Area high school basketball teams begin their quest tonight for berths in next week’s state tournaments.

Three of the state’s top Class 4A girls basketball teams  Ottawa (19-1), Santa Fe Trail (19-1) and Baldwin (17-3)  are in the Lawrence area.

Ottawa, a state qualifier last season and ranked second in the 4A coaches’ poll, is the No. 1 seed in the Anderson County sub-state. The Cyclones will play host to Louisburg (2-17) at 7 tonight.

Santa Fe Trail, ranked No. 3 in 4A, has won eight in a row since suffering its lone loss, a 50-41 setback to Spring Hill in the championship of the Louisburg tournament. SFT, the No. 1 seed in the Abilene sub-state, will play host to Wamego (3-16) at 7 tonight.

Baldwin, the No. 2 seed in the Mill Valley sub-state, will play host to Eudora (6-14) at 7 tonight.