Calera High School looks to send both its girls and boys basketball teams to the AHSAA Final Four for the second straight season as the two squads enter area tournament play this week.

Calera High School will host both tournaments in Class 2A, Area 8 after each team finished the season with the No. 1 seed.

In boys play, the Eagles (23-5) entered the week ranked No. 3 in 2A, a notch above Altamont (22-7) in the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s last regular season poll.

To claim the area title, Calera would likely have to defeat Altamont in Monday’s finals. But first they’ll have to take care of the Vincent-Shades Mountain winner Friday night.

Led by junior center Shanavia Dowdell, Calera’s girls team also holds a No. 3 ranking in the ASWA poll.

The Lady Eagles (19-1) will have to contend with 2A No. 4 Shades Mountain Christian (25-3) should they make a run for the Area 8 crown. Both teams would have to win their first round games tomorrow night to set up a meeting in Monday’s finals.

Admission to all area tournaments is $5 per day. The single elimination tournaments will determine which teams advance to the sub-regional games held Feb. 17-18. Area winners host the sub-regionals.

The top four finishers advance to the sub-regionals in Class 6A competition. But only tournament winners and runners up advance to sub-regional play in Class 1A-5A.

Teams emerging from sub-regional play advance to the regional tournaments Feb. 22-26. Those tournaments will be held in Mobile, Troy, Jacksonville and Hanceville.

The AHSAA Final Four will be held March 1-5 at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex