The road to a district title is officially underway, and across West Michigan the field is already narrowing as teams punch their tickets to the semifinals. From dominant opening-round performances to gritty, down-to-the-wire battles, the first night of district play set the tone for what promises to be an intense week of high-stakes basketball. Now, with familiar rivals, conference champions, and redemption storylines all colliding in the second round, the spotlight shifts to the contenders still standing and the matchups that will decide who gets one step closer to cutting down the nets.
District 74 — Kent City
Where: Kent City High School (The Nest)
When: Starts Monday, Feb. 23 and runs through Friday, Feb. 27
- Ravenna
- Lakeview
- Morley Standwood
- White Cloud
- Blanchard Montabella
- Kent City
District 74 boys basketball opened February 23 at Kent City High School (The Nest) with Ravenna rolling past Lakeview 64-31 and Morley Stanwood edging White Cloud 59-52; Ravenna’s dominant, balanced performance sends them to a District Semifinal matchup with Blanchard Montabella, while Morley Stanwood, one of the early standouts in District 74, moves on to face Kent City after continuing to show poise in a tight game, and that semifinal comes with extra intrigue since Morley Stanwood picked up an early-season win over Blanchard Montabella at the Morley Stanwood Holiday Tournament and also beat Kent City a few weeks ago, though Kent City will look to adjust on its home floor, setting up two matchups that should reveal who’s ready to push through the bracket and contend for the District title.
District 73 — Mason County Central
Where: Mason County Central High School (Scottville)
When: Starts Monday, Feb. 23 and runs through Friday, Feb. 27
- Shelby
- Hesperia
- Mason County Central
- Holton
- North Muskegon
- Western Michigan Christian
District 73 boys basketball opened Feb. 23 at Mason County Central (Scottville) with Shelby powering past Hesperia 79-28 and Mason County Central handling Holton 74-29, setting up a pair of Feb. 25 district semifinals where Shelby will face North Muskegon at 5:30 PM and Mason County Central will take on Muskegon Western Michigan Christian at 7:00 PM, with the district championship scheduled for Feb. 27 at 7:00 PM; looking ahead, the North Muskegon vs. Western Michigan Christian matchup might not happen until the district final, but it’s shaping up to be a great one if it does. North Muskegon comes in with just one loss and is fresh off a conference championship, and the duo of Adam Dugener and Braylen Burrel will be a tough challenge for WMC, which dropped the earlier meeting and would be looking to flip the result if the rematch happens with a title on the line.
District 35 — Ludington
Where: Ludington High School (Hawley Gym)
When: Starts Monday, Feb. 23 and runs through Friday, Feb. 27
- Manistee
- Big Rapids
- Ludington
- Hart
- Reed City
District 35 tipped off Feb. 23 at Hawley Gym in Ludington with Big Rapids knocking off Manistee 59-52, advancing to the Feb. 25 semifinal round where Ludington will face Big Rapids at 5:30 PM and Hart will take on Reed City at 7:00 PM, with the district championship set for Feb. 27 at 7:00 PM; this district is loaded with contenders, as Ludington, the WMC Lakes Division champions, enters with just one loss on the season, though they have not faced Big Rapids yet, adding intrigue to that semifinal, while a potential district final showdown between Ludington and Hart is one to circle since Hart finished second in its division and would provide a strong late-round test, and with Hart and Reed City not having met this season either, several fresh matchups could bring plenty of drama as the bracket unfolds.
District 41 — Sparta
Where: Sparta High School
When: Starts Monday, Feb. 23 and runs through Friday, Feb. 27
- Howard City Tri County
- Newaygo
- Grant
- Fremont
- Sparta
District 41 opened Feb. 23 at Sparta High School with Howard City Tri County advancing past Newaygo 52-27, setting up the Feb. 25 semifinal slate where Grant will face Howard City Tri County at 5:30 PM and Fremont will meet Sparta at 7:00 PM, with the district championship scheduled for Feb. 27 at 7:00 PM; the team to watch is Grant, coming in off a conference championship and an undefeated regular season as the clear pace-setter in the bracket, while the other semifinal brings plenty of intrigue as Fremont, after a solid season, gets a rematch with Sparta, the team that beat them in the regular season, and with Sparta also having taken a loss to Grant later in the year, the Spartans would be eager for a chance to see Grant again if the bracket sets up a potential district final showdown.
District 42 — Montague
Where: Montague High School
When: Starts Monday, Feb. 23 and runs through Friday, Feb. 27
- Oakridge
- Orchard View
- Whitehall
- Montague
- Fruitport
- Spring Lake
District 42 tipped off Feb. 23 at Montague High School with Muskegon Orchard View rolling past Oakridge 72-40 and Whitehall defeating Montague 67-25, setting up the Feb. 25 semifinals with Orchard View facing Fruitport at 5:30 PM and Whitehall meeting Spring Lake at 7:00 PM, with the district championship slated for Feb. 27 at 7:00 PM. The bracket is full of familiar names and rivalry energy: Orchard View now gets Fruitport in a matchup we didn’t see during the regular season, while Whitehall’s side of the bracket brings a storyline everyone recognizes, Spring Lake.
Whitehall did drop its first game of the season to Spring Lake, and the Lakers have also had the upper hand in recent district meetings, edging Whitehall 46-44 last year and winning again the year before, 73-61 in overtime (2023-24). The last time Whitehall beat Spring Lake in the postseason was the 2021-22 season, a 62-57 win, so if that rematch happens, it comes with plenty of motivation. If the bracket plays out as projected, the district final could come down to Spring Lake vs. Fruitport, with Fruitport aiming to flip an earlier-season loss to Spring Lake with a title on the line.
District 4 — Muskegon
Where: Muskegon High School (Redmond-Potter Gym)
When: Starts Monday, Feb. 23 and runs through Friday, Feb. 27
- Mona Shores
- Reeths Puffer
- Greenville
- Cedar Springs
- Rockford
- Muskegon
District 4 opened Feb. 23 at Redmond-Potter Gymnasium in Muskegon with Muskegon Mona Shores surviving Reeths-Puffer 61-60 in overtime and Greenville taking down Cedar Springs 69-52, sending Mona Shores into a Feb. 25 semifinal against Rockford at 5:30 PM and Greenville into a 7:00 PM matchup with Muskegon, with the district championship set for Feb. 27 at 7:00 PM. This bracket has a strong group of teams and plenty of familiar conference history, Greenville got past Cedar Springs after winning both regular-season meetings, and Mona Shores advanced after another tight battle with Reeths-Puffer, a team they also beat twice in the regular season. Now the semifinals bring the intriguing cross-matchups: Rockford vs. Mona Shores on one side and Muskegon vs. Greenville on the other, with teams that may not have seen each other this season creating the kind of uncertainty that can lead to upsets and a highly competitive path to the district title.
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