Bracket set for Legion state tourney

ANCHORAGE — It took a few makeup games and a couple of tiebreakers, but the 2011 Alaska American Legion State Championships bracket is finally set.

The weeklong tourney begins today at 9 a.m. when seventh-seeded Kenai meets 10th-seeded Bartlett at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

The top five seeds of the 10-team tourney was set on Monday, but it took extra time to sort out seeds six through 10. The Wasilla-based Alaska Road Warriors enter tourney play as the No. 5 seed and open with fourth-seeded South Anchorage today at 6:45 p.m. The Wolverines are a tough draw, including many players who helped South Anchorage High win the state high school baseball title in June. But Road Warriors head coach Myrl Thompson knows his players can battle with anyone.

“We’re competitive with all of the teams,” Thompson said recently.

The Warriors are no slouch either. The Wasilla squad played to a runner-up finish in the 2010 state tourney.

In other first-day action, eighth-seeded Chugiak plays ninth-seeded West today at noon. Third-seeded Service meets sixth-seed Eagle River at 3:15.

Top-seeded Dimond and second-seeded Fairbanks both earned first-round byes.

With a win today, the Road Warriors would play Sunday at 6:30 p.m. A loss would put the Warriors into the losers’ bracket, and they would play either Kenai or Bartlett at noon on Saturday.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.