The Warsaw boys basketball team will not have to wait long to jump right into postseason play next week.

The Tigers will face host Elkhart Central in the first game of the Central Sectional on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. in North Side Gym.

Pairings for the 103rd annual boys basketball state tournament were drawn by the IHSAA this evening in Indianapolis. A total of 403 teams will compete in the four classes of the tournament this year.

Sectional play begins Feb. 26 with title games scheduled for Saturday, March 2 at the 64 sites statewide. Regionals are March 9, one-game semi states March 16 and the State Finals March 23.

Warsaw, 10-9, faces the Blue Blazers (5-14) in a field where Concord is the heavy favorite. The No. 10 Minutemen, who are 17-1 overall and 5-0 versus the sectional field, drew the bye and will face the winner of the Warsaw-Central game in a semifinal matchup March 1 at 6 p.m.

The Tigers defeated Central 47-45 in North Side Gym on Jan. 8. Warsaw is 1-3 versus the rest of the field with a win over Northridge and losses to Concord, Elkhart Memorial and Goshen.

Tippecanoe Valley and Triton, who both have had strong seasons, received favorable draws.

The No. 9 Vikings, who just lost 65-59 at Triton Friday night, faces host Wawasee in a first-round game of the Class 3-A sectional in Syracuse on Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The two teams are scheduled to meet this Friday in the regular-season finale in Akron.  Valley is 16-3 on the year, while Wawasee is 5-14.

NorthWood, the defending champion in the field at Wawasee, meets West Noble in the sectional opener Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. The Panthers, who have lost five of their last seven games while dealing with a rash of illnesses, are 13-5, while the Chargers are 15-4. West Noble, however, recently lost top scorer Drew Schermerhorn for the season due to an ankle injury and have lost two of their last three games since he was sidelined.

Triton, sporting a 14-5 mark, shoots for its sixth straight sectional crown in the Class 1-A Culver Sectional. The Trojans, who are led by Indiana All-Star candidate Clay Yeo, received a first-round bye in the seven-tream field at Culver. Triton will play the winner of the Culver-Argos game in a semifinal matchup on March 1 at 6:30 p.m.  Triton defeated Argos twice, 50-28 and 60-32, and lost to Culver 46-42 during the regular season. Argos is 5-14 and Culver sits at 12-7.

Michigan City Marquette, ranked No. 8 in Class 1-A, is a team to watch at Culver. The Blazers are 15-5 on the season.

Whitko will play Bellmont in a first-round contest in the Class 3-A Norwell Sectional on Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. The Wildcats, who are 5-14 on the year,  lost at Bellmont 32-19 back on Dec. 1. Bellmont is 4-14.

Lakeland Christian Academy will make its first-ever state tournament appearance in the Class 1-A Hamilton Sectional. The Cougars, who are 6-14, face Bethany Christian (3-15) in a first-round game in the eight-team field on Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m.  LCA did not play the Bruins during the regular season.

In addition to Triton’s sectional title streak of five in a row, both Warsaw and Wawasee last won sectional championships in 2010. Whitko’s last title came in 2009 and Valley last captured the trophy in 2007.

Defending sectional champions include Elkhart Memorial (at Central), NorthWood (at Wawasee), Norwell (at Norwell), Triton (at Culver) and Fort Wayne Canterbury (at Hamilton).

Area sectional winners would play in regional games at Michigan City (4-A), Blackford (3-A) and Triton (1-A). Semistate hosts for the north are Huntington North and Lafayette Jeff. The State Finals will be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers, in Indianapolis.

Area Sectional Pairings

Class 4-A
At Elkhart Central (at North Side Gym)
Feb. 26: 6 p.m.: Elkhart Central (5-14) vs. Warsaw (10-9); 7:30: Elkhart Memorial (8-10) vs. Goshen (12-6)
March 1: 6 p.m.: Concord (17-1) vs. Central-Warsaw winner; 7:30: Northridge (9-10) vs. Memorial-Goshen winner
March 2: 7:30 p.m.: Championship Game

Class 3-A
At Wawasee
Feb. 26: 6 p.m.: NorthWood (13-6) vs. West Noble (15-4); 7:30: Wawasee (5-14) vs. Tippecanoe Valley (16-3)
March 1: 6 p.m.: Fairfield (10-10) vs. NorthWood-West Noble winner; 7:30: Lakeland (6-13) vs. Wawasee-Valley winner
March 2: 7:30 p.m. Championship Game

At Norwell
Feb. 26: 6 p.m.: Eastbrook (7-11) vs. Norwell (13-5); 7:30: Bellmont (4-14) vs. Whitko (5-14)
March 1: 6 p.m.: Mississenewa (8-12) vs. Eastbrook-Norwell winner; 7:30: Heritage (8-12) vs. Bellmont-Whitko winner
March 2: 7:30 p.m. Championship Game

Class 1-A
At Culver
Feb. 26: 6:30 p.m.: Culver (12-7) vs. Argos (5-14)
Feb. 27: 6:30 p.m.: South Central (3-15) vs. Westville (9-9); 8:00: Michigan City Marquette (15-5) vs. Oregon-Davis (4-14)
March 1: 6:30 p.m.: Triton (14-5) vs. Culver-Argos winner; 8:00: S. Central-Westville winner vs. Marquette-Oregon-Davis winner
March 2: 6:30 p.m.: Championship Game

At Hamilton
Feb. 26: 6 p.m.: Howe (1-16) vs. Lakewood Park (13-5); 7:30: Elkhart Christian (13-5) vs. Hamilton (5-14)
Feb. 27: 6 p.m.: Fort Wayne Canterbury (11-7) vs. Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (6-14); 7:30: Bethany Christian (3-15) vs. Lakeland Christian Academy (6-14)
March 1: 6 p.m.: Howe-Lakewood Park winner vs. Elkhart Christian-Hamilton winner; 7:30: Canterbury-Blackhawk winner vs. Bethany-LCA winner
March 2: 7:30 p.m.: Championship Game