District tournament this week

Throw out regular season records as postseason play opened Monday for Class 3A and 4A basketball teams from northwest Arkansas.

Because of combined districts, several of the teams that will battle in the conference tournaments did not play during the regular season. Seeds were determined by league coaches last Wednesday, so Friday’s district games were not factored in.

The 4A-1 Conference tournament in Berryville opened Monday with Huntsville’s top-seeded girls playing eighth-seeded Lincoln at 4 p.m., followed by No. 2 Berryville vs. No. 7 Shiloh Christian at 7 p.m.

The 4A-1 boys opener mirrors the girls bracket with No. 1 Huntsville taking on No. 8 Lincoln at 5:30 p.m. Secondseeded Pea Ridge then wraps up Monday’s slate against No. 7 Berryville at 8:30 p.m.

The Blackhawks (24-2) won 16 straight Class 3A/4A, District 1 games before losing 59-56 at Prairie Grove last Tuesday. They’re led by four senior starters, including Joey Hall and Matt Thomas, and get a lift off the bench from Westin Church, who started the previous two seasons before needing offseason knee surgery.

Huntsville, under long-time coach Jim Stafford, moved ahead of Pea Ridge to No. 2 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Class 4A rankings. The Eagles (242) were 10-0 in their district and are led by seniors Ty Bohannon, Jack Eaton and Alex Pemberton.

Other first round games will be played Wednesday. In the girls’ bracket, No. 3 Gravette plays Prairie Grove at 4 p.m. and No. 4 Pea Ridge plays fifth-seeded Gentry. Boys games are No. 3 Gravette vs. No. 6 Shiloh Christian at 5:30 p.m. and No. 4 Prairie Grove against No. 5 Gentry at 8:30 p.m.

The top four teams from the 4A-1 will meet the top four teams from the 4A-4 Conference tourney at next week’s 4A-North Regional in West Fork.