16. (16) Shades Valley (Birmingham, Ala.) 29-1The Mounties open the playoffs against 21-loss Hewitt-Trussville, but there are four teams in the sub-regional that have won more than 20, so it won't be that easy a ride.
17. (18) Columbus North (Columbus, Ind.) 25-0Exhibit A for seeding state tournaments by achievement rather than geography is Indiana: There are two unbeaten teams in 4A, Columbus North and Bedford North Lawrence, and they play in the first round Saturday.
18. (24) New Hope Christian Academy (Thomasville, N.C.) 25-1The Phoenix will travel to Washington D.C. over the President's Day weekend, but unfortunately won't play any of the DMV heavyweights. Quest Preperatory out of Las Vegas isn't bad, though.
19. (25) Mead (Spokane, Wash.) 20-1The Panthers had to play Spokane power Gonzaga Prep twice in three days — but after winning by four the first time, they rolled to a 13-point victory the next time out.
20. (NR) Twinsburg (Ohio) 21-0Despite not having a particularly adventurous schedule, Twinsburg moves into the Xcellent 25 on the basis of wins over two strong Ohio teams — Reynoldsburg and Hathaway Brown — and high regard from in-state sources. If the Tigers win the state title, that low-key preseason won't count against them any more.
