More fans permitted at girls hoops sectional

NEW CASTLE — Fans of the Patriots, Tigers, Huskies and Trojans will get more of an opportunity to see their teams play.

New Castle High School announced Wednesday that general admission tickets will be available for the semifinal and championship games of the girls Class 3A Sectional 24 tournament on Friday and Saturday at New Castle Fieldhouse.

“The status for New Castle Athletics has now been upgraded,” the athletics department said via its website — newcastleathletics.com — on Wednesday. “Effective today, spectators up to 25% capacity can return … This means general admission and all sports passes are now being recognized at the doors.”

New Castle Fieldhouse, dubbed “The Largest and Finest High School Fieldhouse in the World,” has a seating capacity of 7,829. According to a March 2019 article in the Indianapolis Star, the fieldhouse is the third largest high school gym in the country, having been dethroned by Seymour’s Lloyd E. Scott Gymnasium after more than 60 years as America’s biggest.

The New Castle athletics department said a total of 2,300 fans will be permitted for Friday’s semifinal games and Saturday’s championship.

The Yorktown Tigers (15-5) and Jay County Patriots (18-3), who finished 11th in the final Class 3A poll voting of the season, meet in the 6 p.m. semifinal on Friday, with the No. 7 Hamilton Heights Huskies (16-1) and New Castle Trojans (2-16) squaring off approximately 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The semifinal games will be rematches of contests earlier this season. Jay County picked up a 54-44 road win over Yorktown on Dec. 29. Hamilton Heights topped New Castle 73-31 Jan. 19.

In Wednesday’s sectional quarterfinal games, Hamilton Heights defeated Winchester, which had won four straight sectional titles across Class 2A and Class 3A, 64-42. The host Trojans topped the Burris Owls 58-45.

The sectional final is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday.