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Fair format will keep teams busy

This season's Pinellas County Athletic Conference tournament has a more favorable format, but a more hectic schedule.

When districts were realigned before last season, coaches had to find a fair way to determine a PCAC champion since all North and South division schools didn't play each other during the regular season. Previously, the regular season determined a North and South division champion, and those teams played for the conference championship.

The solution was a week-long tournament.

Last year, teams were seeded before the season, which meant some of the tougher games came in the first and second rounds. This season, teams were seeded by their overall record as of Jan. 10.

The new format is more fair, but the schedule calls for the champions of each division to play four games in four days. Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and no games can be scheduled.

"It was a little difficult to put together," Lakewood athletic director Tom Scott said.

"This is the way the coaches wanted it because they didn't want to be seeded before the tournament and then have good teams play good teams right off the bat. It's tough when you don't play everyone during the regular season."

So the sprint for a PCAC championship begins Tuesday. District tournaments start the following Monday.

On the boys side, Palm Harbor University and Clearwater from the North, and Northeast and St. Petersburg from the South should hang around for at least the first two days.

For the girls, Seminole and Countryside, despite its No. 4 seed, should be the teams to beat in the North. The South is wide open, with Osceola, St. Petersburg and Lakewood being contenders.

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