Nashua South's Zach Castonguay gets his shot up just out of reach of Nashua North's Jayden Montgomery earlier in the season. The two teams, if both win their prelims, could meet in the Division I quarters. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

Fasten your seat belts, high school boys and girls basketball fans.

Your annual tourney journey is about to begin. Yes, a month earlier than in past years.

And as we know, always expect the unexpected.

“It just feels that way, you get that sense,” Nashua South boys coach Nate Mazerolle said. “Nobody is unbeatable. That’s been proven.”

It all starts tonight with the Division I girls and Divison II boys basketball prelims.

Then things continue on Wednesday with the Division I boys prelims and Division II girls preliminary round.

The Souhegan boys are the No. 1 seed, as expected, at 17-1 in Division II. Nashua North is No. 2 in Division I boys at 15-3, and if North and South win their prelims, they may face each other in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

But that’s looking too far ahead.

The Sabers’ record has earned them a first-round bye, and they will start their postseason on Friday night at 7 p.m. vs. the winner of tonight’s preliminary round game between No. 9 Coe Brown and No. 8 Laconia, scheduled for this past Tuesday.

The top local Division I girls team is Bishop Guertin (15-3), seeded fifth, while Hollis Brookline (12-4) is the top local Division II girls team, seeded sixth at 13-4..

TONIGHT

DIVISION I GIRLS

Bishop Guertin (No. 5, 15-3) will host No. 11 Manchester Memorial (8-10) at 7 p.m., while two other locals will also be in action: No. 8 Merrimack (10-8) hosts No. 9 Dover (10-8) while No. 10 Alvirne (10-8) is at No. 7 Goffstown.

Merrimack beat Dover 42-29 earlier this season while the Broncos and Grizzlies did not play. The Cards handled the Crusaders easily, 54-24, back on Jan. 14.

If Guertin wins, it will play the winner of tonight’s game between No. 4 Concord and No. 13 Londonderry.

Guertin will have to travel if Concord wins. The Cards were tied with the Tide, but got fewer points for a win over Mercy of Connecticut, as it was ruled Mercy was a small school despite the fact it had petitioned up to Connecticut’s Division I. BG and Concord did not play each other during the regular season.

The winner of Goffstown-Alvirne gets Bedford in Friday’s quarterfinals. The Broncos-Grizzlies matchup is a rematch of Alvirne coach Frank Girginis and Goffstown’s Steve Largy who matched wits several times when Girginis coached Hudson Middle School and Largy was the coach at Nashua’s Elm Street. Also, Goffstown was Girginis’ first varsity job back in 2009.

“Kind of cool,” Girginis said. “Things always come full circle, the way it should sometimes.”

Merrimack, meanwhile, won its last two games vs. Nashua South and Trinity to grab home court. If the ‘Hawks win tonight, their “reward” is a trip to Derry Friday to take on No. 1 Pinkerton.

And, if you want to look ahead, Guertin and Pinkerton could meet in the semis barring upsets. The semis are next Tuesday at Exeter.

DIVISON II BOYS

Milford, No. 12 after a competitive 8-10 regular season, is at at Pembroke (13-5) in this past Tuesday’s prelims. Milford was beaten by the Spartans 55-43 back on Dec. 18 in Milford. If the Spartans pulled the upset, they would be facing either Lebanon or No. 13 Oyster River in Friday’s quarterfinals, the latter at home and the former on the road.

Meanwhile the Sabers routed Coe-Brown 69-37 back on Jan. 10 but rallied to beat 10-8 Laconia 66-61 last Thursday. Souehgan’s only loss was at home to 15-3 Lebanon, and if they win Friday they could possibly see the No. 4 Raiders, or No. 5 Pembroke, in the semifinals Tuesday, Feb. 15 at Oyster River High School. Or even Milford, if the Spartans can pull off two big upsets.

WEDNESDAY

DIVISON I BOYS

Nashua North will host Timberlane (7-11) at 6:30 p.m. The Titans bested the Owls 57-40 back on Dec. 17.

Note to fans: North’s game is at 6:30 p.m., and tournament game fan attendance in Nashua is upped to four tickets per roster player for the visiting team as well as the home team, rather the two for visiting teams during the regular season.

That could provide an atmosphere if North and South both advance. South, No. 10 at 10-8, will visit No. 7 Exeter (12-6) in their prelim. The Panthers lost in Exeter in December 57-49.

One of the main things for both the Titans and Panthers is to not look past these games to a potential quarterfinal matchup.

“We talked about it,” Mazerolle said. “You know what the potential (is). If that’s your motivation, great – but you’ve to get their first.”

A couple of weeks ago Bishop Guertin coach John Fisher said a team he wanted no part of in the tournament was Manchester Central after his Cardinals beat the Little Green 74-71 at the Colligadome.

He didn’t get his wish, as his No. 6, 13-5 Cards, who have lost two straight, do it all over again with former Campbell coach Sudi Lett’s tough Little Green (No. 11, 9-9). The winner will face either No. 3 Goffstown (15-3) or Salem on Saturday in the quarters.

Trinity (17-1) is the Division I top seed and gets a bye. All the locals are in the same bracket so it’s a good chance at least one will still be alive for next Wednesday’s semis at a site yet to be determined.

DIVISION II GIRLS

In the Division II girls tournament, the Cavaliers will host No. 11 ConVal (9-9), a team they beat 52-33 in December. Something’s got to give, though, as both teams have won five straight. The winner either visits No. 3 Bow or hosts No. 14 Manchester West on Saturday in the quarters. HB is in the bracket with No. 2 Pembroke, while unbeaten Hanover is the top seed.

Meanwhile, the story of the winter is with the No. 12 Milford Spartans. They finished 9-9 after entering the season with a 38-game losing streak and will visit No. 5 Laconia on Wednesday night. Laconia (10-8) beat Milford 60-38 back on Dec. 22.

If the Spartans can pull off the upset win, they would face the winner of No. 4 Merrimack Valley vs. No. 13 Coe-Brown on Saturday – the former on the road or the latter at home in the quarterfinals.

CO-ED UNIFIED TOURNEY

Nashua North finished as the sixth seed at 4-3 and will visit No. 3, 5-1 Oyster River on Friday at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals. The semis are 5 p.m. next Tuesday, Feb. 15 at the home of the higher seeds and the finals are at Bow High School on Thurday, Feb. 17 at 5 p.m.