It’s official.

My brain is running on fumes right about now.

I can smell the final weeks of basketball season, and I’m like a runner getting his last wind.

Right now it’s a competition between my body and my truck over which has racked up the most miles in the last 15 days.

Y’all, please pray for me.

But the good part is the best games are still ahead.

In case you’ve been under a rock, I’ll go ahead and tell you regional tournaments are beginning all around the state today.

Teams in this area are headed to the Joe L. Reed Acadome at Alabama State University in Montgomery in hopes of advancing closer to a state championship.

In case you all want to share with me in the neck-deep joy of playoff basketball, here’s a list of first-round games this week:

Monday, Feb. 19:

Wilcox-Central vs. John Carroll (Boys), 5 p.m.

Wilcox-Central vs. Ramsay (Girls), 6:30 p.m.

DCHS vs. Parker (Boys), 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 20:

Selma vs. Murphy (G), 9 a.m.

Keith vs. Shades Mountain (G), 3 p.m.

R.C. Hatch vs. Shades Mountain (B), 4:30 p.m.

R.C. Hatch vs. Reeltown (G), 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 21:

Southside vs. Central Tuscaloosa (B), 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 22:

Southside vs. Greene County (G), 6 p.m.

So there you go. If you have the time and the gas money, come out and support your teams because they need you right now.

There is nothing like the playoffs. This is the most special time of the year for an athlete.

Emotions run high, words like risk and reward take on new importance and losses hurt that much more.

It’s pretty hard for me to say who will do what because I haven’t seen the majority of these teams.

But just like in any tournament, you can’t count on records – or even talent for that matter – to determine the winner and loser in any given game.

One night, one team will have it. The next night, it won’t. That’s just the way it is.

But wouldn’t you like to say you were there when it happened?

George L. Jones is sports editor of The Selma Times-Journal. He can be reached at (334) 410-1744 or .