By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

The boys basketball district tournaments begin next week with Osceola County teams in action at five sites.

Starting at the top, in Class 6A District 6, No. 3-seeded Gateway, 11-12, can win one game and reach the regional playoffs when it takes on No. 2 St. Lucie Treasure Coast Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Treasure Coast gym. Vero Beach is the No. 1 seed.

It will play the winner of the St. Lucie Centennial-Palm Bay quarterfinal at 6 p.m. Friday. The winners Friday play for the championship next Saturday at 7 p.m.

At the 5A-5 tournament at Davenport Ridge Community High Tuesday, No. 2 Osceola, 19-5, and No. 7 Liberty, 6-13, meet in the first round at 8 p.m. That winner plays the No. 3 Haines City-No. 6 Winter Haven winner Friday at 8 p.m. Lake Wales is the No. 1 seed. The championship game is next Saturday at 7 p.m.

Should Osceola move past Liberty Tuesday, Coach Steve Mason’s team likely will face Haines City, a team that it has beaten twice in close games.

“It’s a tough district,” Mason said.

The 4A-6 tournament at St. Cloud may be the most competitive local tournament.

Eustis is the No. 1 seed, but No. 2 Poinciana, No. 3 Oak Ridge, No. 4 Harmony, No. 5 St. Cloud and No. 6 Celebration all will be in the mix. Tavares is No. 7.

Eustis drew a first-round bye. First round games Wednesday feature Oak Ridge and Celebration at 4:30 p.m.; Poinciana against Tavares at 6 p.m. and rivals Harmony and St. Cloud (11-12) at 7:30 p.m.

Winners advance to the semifinal round Friday at 5:30 and 7 p.m. (Eustis vs. the Harmony-St. Cloud winner). The championship game is set for 7 p.m. next Saturday.

New Dimensions is the only local team that is guaranteed a berth in the regional tournament as the No. 1 seed of the three-team 2A District 9 tournament.

The Tigers will host the championship game next Saturday against the winner of the Lakeland Christian-Lakeland Santa Fe game.

The Life Christian Academy Lions are the No. 1 seed at the A-7 tournament at Winter Haven All Saints. The Lions play Tuesday at 7:30 p.m in the semifinals.

City of Life Academy, the No. 7 seed, plays No. 2 Victory Christian Monday at 7:30 p.m. The championship game is next Saturday at 7 p.m.