Staff photo / Brad Emerine Zach Rasille and his McDonald teammates would love a Division IV regional final matchup against John F. Kennedy, but both teams have to win their regional semifinals tonight at Canton Fieldhouse.

Boys basketball fans in the area might be thinking about a regional tournament rematch in Division IV, but alot has to happen before that scenario takes place.

The rematch many have in mind is between McDonald and John F. Kennedy which would happen on Friday in the Canton Regional title game — but only if both win their semifinal contests tonight.

The pair kick off regional week for boys basketball, a week which also includes Chaney in Division II and LaBrae in Division III.

In the D-IV regional semifinals tonight at the Canton Fieldhouse, Kennedy (12-13) meets Richmond Heights (21-4) at 6:15. McDonald (22-3) goes against Lucas (25-1) in the nightcap, scheduled at 8 p.m. The district final is scheduled Friday night.

Both JFK and McDonald are considered underdogs as Richmond Heights (7th) and Lucas (5th) both were listed in the final Associated Press Division IV statewide poll.

The Eagles flourished in that role in the district tournament as the third seed in the Grand Valley District. JFK beat second-seeded Andrews Osborne, 67-58, and then top-seeded Bristol, 61-47.

McDonald was the No. 1 seed in the district at Struthers, beating No. 5 Lowellville, 73-60, and second-seeded Southern Local, 72-59, to reach the regional.

The 2017 Kennedy-McDonald matchup came in a regional semifinal and the game was moved from Canton to Warren G. Harding High School.

The Eagles won, 72-60, but then were beaten in the regional final, 67-64, by Lutheran East.

LaBrae also is in the regional after winning the Harding District as the No. 2 seed. The Vikings (19-6) beat top-seeded Garfield, 55-47, in the district final and now face another bunch of Vikings, from Waterloo High School at the Canton Fieldhouse on Wednesday at 8 p.m.

Waterloo (23-2) won the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference and then took the Salem District as the No. 1 seed.

The other semifinal on Wednesday pits Creston Norwayne (20-5) against Warrensville Heights (14-12). The title game is Saturday night at 7.

Chaney (19-6) faces Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (20-4) in the Division II regional at the Canton Civic Center. The Cowboys and Irish meet at 6:15 p.m. Thursday. The other semifinal is Lutheran East (20-3) against Wooster Triway (21-3). The title game is Saturday at noon.

SVSM finished ranked fourth in the state according to the Associated Press poll. Lutheran East was ranked fifth.

Chaney won the Boardman District as the top seed, beating Canfield, 69-35, and Struthers, 53-50, to advance.