Almost mid-way in the season, the postseason intrigue seems to be heating up with the release of the Class 1A Division I and Division II sub-state tournament participants.
Following a run to the state tournament last season, the Crest Lady Lancers enter this year’s tournament with a bit more confidence at the Madison 1A Division I Sub-State Tournament while the 1A Division II Hartford Sub-State Tournament will be a battle of ranked opponents as well as local contestants Marmaton Valley and Southern Coffey County.
Following a 5-1 start to the season, the Lady Lancers remain the team to beat on paper but their road back to the state tournament may not be so easy. Little River, currently ranked No. 1 by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, will be a sub-state opponent and certainly on Crest’s radar after defeating them in the 2025 state tournament while enroute to the title game. As the host team, the Madison Bulldogs may also be a threat to Crest’s state aspirations.
As for the Lancers, like the Lady Lancers, much of the sub-state field is relatively unknown with a few notable exceptions. The Lancers are off to a 4-1 start and, just like the Lady Lancers, are still feeling the momentum from last month’s Emprise Bank Tournament title. However, no matter their momentum, they will have a tough time defeating Little River and Burden, who are ranked third and eighth respectively by the KBCA. Crest may view Little River as their primary target after ending their season with a playoff loss to the Redskins, who later fell to eventual state champion Olpe.
For the Southern Coffey County Titans and the Marmaton Valley Wildcats, the DII Hartford Sub-State Tournament will be a slugfest of Three Rivers League teams mixed in with a few of the area’s top ranked squads. The boys tournament will feature four of the state’s top 10 ranked 1A Division II teams in third-ranked Hartford, fourth-ranked Elyria Christian, fifth-ranked Lebo and sixth-ranked Central Christian. The Titans and Wildcats may be a bit more familiar with some of the TRL teams competing, including St. Paul, Waverly, Altoona-Midway and Chetopa.
In head-to-head action the Wildcats fell to Hartford in the season opener 55-38 but defeated potential sub-state foe Chetopa 50-7 before the Christmas break. Southern Coffey County remains winless at 0-6 with losses to potential opponents Hartford, Altoona-Midway and St. Paul. The Titans open 2026 Tuesday when they host Marmaton Valley.
As for the girls sub-state brackets, they are just as difficult with fourth state-ranked teams in the 1A Division II tournament. Fourth-ranked Marais des Cygnes Valley, sixth-ranked Central Christian, seventh-ranked Lebo and ninth-ranked host school Hartford will each make their case for the state tournament. So will TRL foes St. Paul, Waverly, Chetopa and Altoona-Midway.
Southern Coffey County already received a preview of the field with losses to St. Paul, Altoona-Midway, Marais des Cygnes Valley and Hartford while opening the season 0-6. Marmaton Valley, despite rebuilding after not fielding a team last season, may be a bit more confident.
After wrapping up the season with a win over Chetopa, the Wildcats could earn their first winning streak in more than two years and put themselves up a bit in the tournament seeding with a win over SCC Tuesday. Aside from Chetopa, their only experience with a sub-state tournament participant was a 38-13 loss to Harford to open the season last month.
