Warning to high school coaches: Do not read this.

Coaches hate to look ahead. Reading this will only make their blood boil.

After all, there aren't many more cliched coaches' quotes than this one: “We're taking it one game at a time.”

But people love to look ahead.

Everybody hears a coworker say, “Is it Friday yet?” at least once a week.

So, in that vein, as February and the high school basketball postseason approaches, let's look ahead.

The Covington boys' and girls' teams couldn't look much better than they do right now, having lost just one league game between them.

The boys are 20-3 overall, 13-0 in District 13-AA and ranked fourth in the latest Associated Press Class AA state poll.

Covington's girls are 22-2 overall, 12-1 in league play and ranked fifth in the state. The team's only league loss came against Westview, the state's second-ranked team.

Each team has five district games left.

As for the boys, with a two-game lead over Westview and Crockett County, it's hard to imagine them not earning a number one seed in the district tournament.

If the seeds hold in the district tournaments, look for Covington to have get through teams like Liberty, Jackson South Side, Bolivar and Fayette-Ware in the region tournament.

Fayette-Ware and South Side, both ranked in the state's top five, are the best of that bunch.

Covington will almost certainly have to beat one of them to get to the sectionals (sub-state for you old timers) and play a team from Memphis to earn a berth in the state tournament.

Sheffield, ranked sixth in the state, Trezevant and Mitchell are the favorites to emerge from Memphis.

Covington's last trip to the sectionals came in 2009 when they lost to Sheffield, which was led by current Memphis Tiger standout Chris Crawford.

The Lady Chargers will have a chance to tie Westview for first place Friday night.

Whatever happens there, the Lady Chargers will probably emerge from the district tournament as a one or two seed.

Likely opponents in the Region 7 tournament  include Bolivar, Chester County, McNairy Central and Lexington, the team's currently atop the standings in a mediocre District 14-AA.

Covington and Westview will be the clear favorites to finish in the top two and move on to the sectionals. Booker T. Washington and Manassas, the team that beat the Lady Chargers last year in the sectionals, will probably be Memphis' two representatives.

Both of Munford's teams are looking really good right now as well, but their paths to Murfreesboro will be considerably tougher in Class AAA.

New/old head coach Butch Hopkins (He's 66 but moves around on the sideline like a 25-year-old) has Munford on the way up in his first season on the job.

The Cougars beat perennial power Dyer County last Friday and at 11-9 overall and 3-2 in the league sit one game behind Dyer County and Hardin County in the District 13-AAA standings.

A win at North Side Friday night will all but lock up at least a third place finish in the district, thus avoiding the dreaded play-in game between the fourth and fifth place teams.

Assuming the Cougars finish in the top four of the district tournament and advance to the region tournament, Munford would likely face Craigmont, Bolton, Bartlett or Cordova.

Earlier this year Munford lost by 11 to Bolton and split two games with Bartlett. Craigmont is the top team in the league.

If the Cougars can finish in the top two of the region tournament, that's where things get really tough.

Southwind, a team who was ranked No. 1 in the state until this week, is a likely opponent. Ridgeway, White Station and Melrose, all ranked in the top 10, are other possibilities.

At 18-4 overall and 5-0 in the district, the Lady Cougars have quietly built one of the most impressive resumes in West Tennessee.

The team's four losses have come against Memphis Central, Covington, Arlington and Dyersburg, four very good teams.

Munford has all but clinched its second straight league title and will be a big favorite to win the district tournament.

Looking ahead to the region tournament, likely opponents out of District 14-AAA include Millington, Arlington, Craigmont and Bartlett.

The Lady Cougars are 5-1 against those teams this year, although a couple of the wins were close.

If Munford can finish in the top two of the region tournament and move on to the sectionals, which is a very realistic goal for this senior-heavy team, Central, Overton and Ridgeway are the most likely teams to be standing between the Lady Cougars and a state tournament berth.

Central is ranked seventh in the state, Ridgeway is 10^th and Overton is 11^th.

Munford played Central in the season opener and lost a competitive game, 46-34.

The last time a boys or girls basketball team from Tipton County advanced to the state tournament was 2002 when the Lady Chargers made it to Murfreesboro and lost in the quarterfinals to Austin East.

Will this be the year that drought ends?

Stay tuned.