Warren’s boys basketball team will begin its defense of last year’s District 10 4A championship at 7:30 tonight at Mercyhurst University against familiar Region 5 opponent Oil City.

Only this Warren team looks quite a bit different than last year’s team, and this Warren team even looks different from last week.

“It’s going to be a work in progress,” said Warren coach Jeff Berdine. “We have some guys that are going to be playing extended minutes due to the eligibility issues, which we knew about at the beginning of the year, and then injuries to both Jacob (McMeans) and Landon (Wood) that are going to cause them to miss this game.”

The cupboard’s not bare for the Region 5 champions at 13-1 who finished the regular season at 17-4 overall after winning 16 of their last 18 games. After winning their first district championship in 40 years last season, the Dragons won their first region or conference title in 41 years this season.

Junior Logan Crissey averaged 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game, and senior Chase Sitler just under 13 points with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Junior Lucas Thrift also averaged double-digits with nearly 11 points per game and 7 rebounds.

Warren will be without senior point guard Leihden Wotorson and junior Allen Eaton, who both transferred from Sheffield and are ineligible for the playoffs. Warren’s third and fourth seniors are starting center Grady Corey and David Huffman.

“In essence, throw everything out the window from our previous meetings,” said Berdine of Warren’s two wins over Oil City in the regular season. “We will focus our efforts on continuing to be better defensively and rebounding-wise as we have done all year. Us being able to limit our turnovers will be a gigantic factor in this one.”

Warren topped a 12-team 4A field a season ago, and this year’s jam-packed bracket has 14 teams.

Warren held junior Nevin Stinson (15.6 points per game) to a season-low 5 points in its 48-45 win over Oil City a month ago, but Stinson scored 17 in the Oilers’ 60-50 loss on Feb. 7. Senior Will McMahon averages 14.1 points per game with a season-high 22 points three times. Senior Chase Melat averages 12 per game for the Oilers (14-8).

The Warren-Oil City game will follow the Eisenhower boys’ first-round 2A game against Wilmington at 6 p.m. at Mercyhurst.

District 10 boys basketball playoffs

Class 1A

Semifinal

Feb. 25

2 Youngsville vs. 3 West Middlesex

Bye: 1 Erie First Christian

Championship

Feb. 28

Erie First Christian vs. Youngsville-West Middlesex winner

Class 2A

First round

Tuesday

At Mercyhurst University

5 Eisenhower vs. 12 Wilmington, 6 p.m.

At Meadville High School

6 Cochranton vs. 11 Maplewood, 7:30 p.m.

At Farrell High School

7 Greenville vs. 10 Cambridge Springs, 6 p.m.

At Sharon High School

8 Sharpsville vs. 9 Union City, 6 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Friday

1 Rocky Grove vs. Sharpsville-Union City winner

2 Mercyhurst Prep vs. Greenville-Cambridge Springs winner

3 Lakeview vs. Cochranton-Maplewood winner

4 Saegertown vs. Eisenhower-Wilmington winner

Semifinals

Feb. 25

Third-place game and championship

Feb. 28

Class 3A

Semifinal

Thursday

At HFEC

2 Corry vs. 3 Iroquois, 6 p.m.

Bye: 1 Mercer

Championship

Feb. 25

Mercer vs. Corry-Iroquois winner

Note: The D-10 Class 3A champion has to play a PIAA subregional

Class 4A

First round

Tuesday

At Farrell High School

3 Sharon vs. 14 Conneaut, 7:30 p.m.

At HFEC

7 Fairview vs. 10 Slippery Rock, 6 p.m.

4 Girard vs. 13 Harbor Creek, 7:30 p.m.

At Sharon High School

5 Grove City vs. 12 Franklin, 7:30 p.m.

At Mercyhurst University

6 Warren vs. 11 Oil City, 7:30 p.m.

At Meadville High School

8 Fort LeBoeuf vs. 9 Farrell, 6 p.m.

Byes: 1 Cathedral Prep, 2 Hickory

Quarterfinals

Friday

Cathedral Prep vs. Fort LeBoeuf-Farrell winner

Hickory vs. Fairview-Slippery Rock winner

Sharon-Conneaut winner vs. Warren-Oil City winner

Girard-Harbor Creek winner vs. Grove City-Franklin winner

Semifinals

Feb. 25

Third-place game and championship

Feb. 28

Class 6A championship

Thursday

At HFEC

1 McDowell vs. 2 Erie High, 7:30 p.m.

PIAA subregionals

Class 5A

Feb. 25

Meadville at District 9 champoion

Class 6A

Feb. 28

McDowell-Erie winner at District 6 champion

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District 10 girls basketball playoffs

Class 1A

Championship

March 1

1 Commodore Perry vs. 2 Farrell

Class 2A

First round

Wednesday

At Grove City High School

6 Sharpsville vs. 11 Union City, 6 p.m.

7 Cochranton vs. 10 Mercer, 7:30 p.m.

At General McLane High School

8 Cambridge Springs vs. 9 Saegertown, 6 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Saturday

1 Kennedy Catholic vs. Cambridge Springs-Saegertown winner

2 Wilmington vs. Cochranton-Mercer winner

3 Lakeview vs. Sharpsville-Union City winner

4 Maplewood vs. 5 Eisenhower

Semifinals

Feb. 26

Third-place game and Championship

March 1

Class 3A

Quarterfinal

Saturday

4 Mercyhurst Prep vs. 5 North East

Semifinals

Feb. 26

1 Northwestern vs. Mercyhurst Prep-North East winner

2 Seneca vs. 3 Greenville

Championship

March 1

Class 4A

First round

Wednesday

At Farrell High School

8 Grove City vs. 9 Corry, 6 p.m.

7 Hickory vs. 10 Sharon, 7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals

1 Fairview vs. Grove City-Corry winner

2 Harbor Creek vs. Hickory-Sharon winner

3 General McLane vs. 6 Slippery Rock

4 Conneaut vs. 5 Franklin

Semifinals

Feb. 26

Third-place game and Championship

March 1

Class 6A championship

Wednesday

At General McLane High School

1 Erie High vs. 2 Warren, 7:30 p.m.

PIAA suburegionals

Class 5A

March 1

Cathedral Prep at District 8 or 9 champion

Class 6A

March 1

Allderdice at Erie-Warren winner