The draw to next month's Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association's boys soccer tournament was announced yesterday, and only six area schools received top seeds in the state's 16 regions.

In the 1A classification, reserved for the state's smallest schools by population, Sparrows Point, the defending co-champion, got the No.1 seed in the North, while Joppatowne is the top seed in the South region, an unruly amalgam that stretches from the northeast corner of the state in Cecil County to rolling hills in Carroll County all the way to southern Prince George's County.

Poly was the only Baltimore-area team in the 2A class to earn a No.1 seed, topping the North region, with Overlea drawing the No. 2 seed. River Hill, the seventh-ranked team in the most recent Sun poll, received a No. 2 seed in the South. In 3A, Franklin was awarded a top seed in the North, with Towson drawing a No. 2 seed. Aberdeen got the top seed in the East, while No. 14 Bel Air received the second seed in the region.

No.9 Perry Hall is the top seed in the 4A North region, with 10th-ranked C. Milton Wright seeded second. Second-ranked Broadneck is the No.2 seed in the East behind the region's top seed, Leonardtown of St. Mary's County.

In case you're wondering (and I know that you are), the top four seeds in each region are determined by a complicated point system that assigns greater value to beating schools with larger enrollments. The rest of the region's draw is determined at random.

Regional tournament play opens with the first round Friday, followed by the quarterfinals next Tuesday. The regional semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 2, and the finals will be played on Nov. 6, with all games to be played on the site of the higher remaining seed.

The state semifinals will take place on Nov. 9-10 at Washington College and North Hagerstown High, with a quadruple-header of championship matches scheduled for Nov. 17 at South River.

We'll look at the girls draw later.