IHSAA releases sectional fields

INDIANAPOLIS — Some Patriot squads will have new sectional rivals.

Others remain the same.

A handful of Starfire teams saw their sectionals change as well.

The IHSAA Executive Committee on Monday approved sectional assignments for six sports for the next two school years.

The Jay County High School girls basketball team, which is dropping to Class 3A, will now be in Sectional 24 with the Blackford Bruins, Delta Eagles, Hamilton Heights Huskies, Burris Owls, New Castle Trojans and Yorktown Tigers. The last time the Patriots won a sectional title was in 2006 as a Class 3A school. It has been in class 4A since the 2007-08 school year.

Jay County’s volleyball team also dips to Class 3A, and it will be in Sectional 24 with Blackford, Delta, Hamilton Heights, Burris, New Castle and the Wapahani Raiders. Burris will host the sectional tournament this fall.

Wapahani was the Class 2A state champion last year and moved up a class because of the tournament success factor. The Raiders were state finalists in 2015.

Boys and girls soccer is now split into three classes, up from the previous two, and the JCHS squads are both in Class 2A. Both Patriot teams will still have Delta and Yorktown as sectional rivals, while New Castle and Hamilton Heights are added to Sectional 24 to make a five-team tournament.

Jay County’s football team remained Class 4A, but saw its sectional lineup change. The Patriots are in Sectional 20 with the Columbia City Eagles, Bishop Dwenger Saints, South Side Archers, Wayne Generals, Leo Lions, Logansport Berries and New Haven Bulldogs.

The Patriot boys basketball team also stood pat in Class 4A. Columbia City was added to the sectional field, which includes the Homestead Spartans, Huntington North Vikings, Muncie Central Bearcats, South Side and host Wayne.

The South Adams football team, which has won three sectional titles in the last four years and upset Class 2A No. 1 Woodlan in the sectional semifinal last year, dropped back to Class 1A for the next two seasons.

The Starfires will be in Sectional 43 with Allen County Athletic Conference rivals Adams Central and Southern Wells, as well as the Churubusco Eagles, Eastside Blazers, Fremont Eagles, Northfield Norsemen and Southwood Knights.

South Adams’ boys and girls soccer teams will be in Class 1A. The SAHS boys will be in sectional 37 with the Blackhawk Christian Braves, Canterbury Cavaliers, Manchester Squires, Wabash Apaches and Whitko Wildcats.

The SAHS girls are grouped in Sectional 40 with Blackhawk Christian, Canterbury, Manchester, Whiko and the Woodlan Warriors.

The Sectional alignments for the South Adams girls basketball, boys basketball and volleyball teams did not change.

Baseball and softball realignments will be determined during the summer after the conclusion of each sports’ respective state tournament.

Host schools for boys and girls soccer and girls basketball will be announced at a later date.