GIRLS

Platte County vs. Benton

Story line: Benton beat Platte County 46-43 in last Thursday's MEC matchup to hand the Pirates just their third loss of the season. The Pirates want revenge plus their third playoff appearance in school history, first since 2003. Benton wants to continue recent dominance and earn its fifth postseason appearance since 2003.

Stars: Platte County --- 6-foot-4 Morgan Johnson is the heart and soul of this team and must avoid foul trouble that plagued her in previous meeting. Benton --- Junior Holly Switzer is the unquestioned leader of this team and needs a solid defensive effort, which usually parlays into strong outside shooting.

Interesting to note: Platte County fans noted that the Pirates have done a good job this year, as long as it’s not in a championship-game-type setting. Well, it will be hard to ignore that tonight.

But it is a reality that Platte County's three losses came in those situations. The Pirates lost to Basehor-Linwood in Basehor's Bobcat Invitational final, North Kansas City in the NKC Tournament title game, and to Benton in a game that would've wrapped up the MEC crown.

Advantage: Platte County seems to have the edge in talent, but coach Brett Goodwin always provides the X-factor for the Cardinals. He's big-game tested and knows what it takes to win in these situations. Like he said after Wednesday's semifinal victory against Smithville, "We've got girls that have played in much bigger games than the one they'll play in Friday night."

BOYS

Lafayette vs. Smithville

Story line: Lafayette hopes to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1985. It's been a long, long drought that included just two district title game appearances under long-time coach Russell Book, who stepped down after last season. The Fighting Irish have home court and a vicious surge of momentum after beating Benton in the semifinals.

Stars: Lafayette -- Junior Bryston Williams makes this team go when its at its best. Even in Thursday's win, he made a huge impact without scoring, handling the pressure and providing a calming influence. Smithville -- Division I football recruit Andrew Jones must play big, but he's been bothered with a bad ankle that limited his play during a 52-47 loss to Lafayette last week.

Interesting to note: Smithville reached the playoffs in 2005 and 2006, nearly advancing to the semifinals in '05. But that was in Class 3. The Warriors moved up to Class 4 last season and lost to Benton in the district title game.

Advantage: It's hard to say. Lafayette must avoid the so-called trap game after such an emotional win against Benton. But Jones looked tired at certain points against Platte County. If Lafayette runs like it did against Benton, the Warriors could find themselves struggling to keep up. Jones' recent lack of practice time could be the biggest factor as he tries to rejuvenate for games on back-to-back nights.