Players on the Suttons Bay and Glen Lake boys' basketball teams will get to know more of each other in the next week, but they won't have to learn to respect each other.

Respect is already in place.

“Glen Lake is going to be a tough game,” said Norsemen senior Nick Loberg, who was looking ahead to the District Tournament Monday at St. Francis.

“(Ryan) Dyksterhouse is a great player.”

Glen Lake and Suttons Bay will play tonight to finish their regular seasons, and Monday at 6 p.m. in the opening game of the Class C District Tournament.

Mancelona and St. Francis, one of two District favorites at least partly because of a home-court advantage, will tangle in the second game that night.

Either St. Francis or Mancelona will take on Mesick in the first game of the second round, set to start at 6 p.m. next Wednesday, Feb. 27. The Glen Lake/Suttons Bay survivor will tangle with Charlevoix, which has consistently been ranked as one of the top 10 Class C teams in the state.

But St. Francis beat Charlevoix by 14 points in the teams’ last meeting, Glen Lake coach Todd Hazelton interjects.

“(Charlevoix) definitely is the favorite, but that’s the fun of these District tournaments. This is definitely a year that if you play well, you can beat any team,” said Hazelton.

Suttons Bay and Glen Lake have been playing well of late, with the Lakers taking out Leland, Kingsley and Mesick in their last three outings. Having the teams play in their last regular season game, then meet four days later, will eliminate any chance of surprising an opponent, Hazelton said. Glen Lake won at Suttons Bay on Jan. 19, 66-60.

“Anytime you play a team three times, it’s tough. I don’t know if it’s good for either team — you get to know each other so well,” said Hazelton.

He added: “The difference will come down to execution and doing all the little things that make a difference.”

Hazelton agrees with Loberg on one front. The difference could come down to Dyksterhouse, the leading scorer in Leelanau County.

Dyksterhouse, like Loberg an inside threat, had 25 points and 13 rebounds Saturday in the Kingsley win to break out of a mid-season slump.

“He’s realizing his senior year is coming down to the wire, and he’s been great,” said Hazelton.

Both teams entered last night’s game with 10-9 records that included recent home upsets over highly regarded Leland.

The Norsemen’s 72-58 win over the Comets Tuesday came before a packed gym that offered the excitement of a tournament game. Loberg said the outcome was important for Suttons Bay, which had been unable to finish strong in many of its losses.

“This is great,” said Loberg, who scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

“We’re working harder in practice. It’s gotten much more intense. We feel we’re in a great spot for the Districts.”

So does that mean Suttons Bay can win a Class C District title?

“Charlevoix is a tough team, also. But I think tonight we proved we can beat anyone,” said Loberg.