The Wellsville High boys basketball team caught many people by surprise last winter when, after just a 1-11 showing in Frontier League play, the Eagles suddenly turned the corner and won their Class 3A sub-state tourney to earn a state berth.

Coach Dirk Over’s squad is off to a 4-0 start this season and will look to match last year’s victory total when it plays host to Osage City at 8 tonight.

The Indians (3-2) come into the contest with revenge on their minds. They were the last of Wellsville’s victims in 2004-05, falling to the Eagles in the sub-state title game.

¢ Ratings game: A quartet of local teams found homes in this week’s Kansas Basketball Coaches Assn. polls.

The Free State girls are listed ninth in Class 6A, while the Tonganoxie girls are third in 4A.

The Lawrence High boys are seventh in 6A, and the Ottawa boys are eighth in 5A.

¢ Holiday break: Because of the light schedule of athletic events during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the Journal-World’s Preps Plus page will not be published the next two weeks.

It will return in the Jan. 10 edition of the Journal-World.