The Mid-Continent League (MCL) has officially released the brackets for the 2026 Basketball Tournament, setting the stage for a week of high-stakes high school hoops action.
Trego Leads the Charge in Boys’ Bracket
The Trego boys’ basketball team secured the No. 1 seed for the tournament, entering the competition with a 7-3 record. They are followed by Phillipsburg (5-4) at No. 2 and TMP (5-4) at No. 3.
The boys’ opening round features several matchups across different locations:
- Play-in Games (January 17): Oakley (No. 8) faces Hill City (No. 9) at Norton East Campus, while Russell (No. 7) takes on Hoxie (No. 10) at Norton Stull Gym.
- Quarterfinals (January 20): Top-seeded Trego will host the winner of the Oakley/Hill City matchup at 7:30 p.m.5. Other key matchups include No. 4 Plainville vs. No. 5 Ellis and No. 3 TMP vs. No. 6 Norton.
Undefeated Hoxie Girls Secure Top Seed
On the girls’ side, Hoxie dominates the bracket as the No. 1 seed with a perfect 10-0 record. Oakley (7-2) and Phillipsburg (6-3) round out the top three seeds.
The girls’ tournament schedule includes:
- Play-in Games (January 17): No. 8 Norton vs. No. 9 Ellis and No. 7 Hill City vs. No. 10 Plainville will kick off the action in Norton.
- Quarterfinals (January 19): No. 1 Hoxie will host the Norton/Ellis winner at 7:30 p.m., while No. 2 Oakley takes on the Hill City/Plainville winner.
Championship Saturday
The tournament will culminate on Saturday, January 24, at Plainville, where the first-place, third-place, fifth-place, and seventh-place games for both boys and girls will be held throughout the day. Fans can expect a full day of competition at the Plainville HS and Cardinal gyms to crown this year’s MCL champions.
Broadcast Coverage
Norton girls and boys basketball games will be broadcast on SuperStar Country 102.5 FM & 1530 AM KQNK, streaming in the free KQNK App.
