Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Several of the local high school football teams definitely got favorable draws for the 25th Indiana High School Athletic Association football tournament today.
Warsaw was not one of them.
It is well documented that Warsaw (5-2) has never won a sectional game, and it won't be easy to break that 0-12 streak this year despite having one of their best seasons in recent years. Warsaw may have the toughest draw in the state with an opening round game against No. 5 Homestead. The Spartans are an undefeated 7-0 so far this season.
If Warsaw pulls off the upset, it only gets tougher. The Tigers would then play the winner of the Marion-Fort Wayne Snider game. Marion and Fort Wayne Snider are both 7-0.
Marion is ranked No. 8 and Fort Wayne Snider is ranked No. 3. The championship would then take place between the winner of that game and the winner of the Fort Wayne South/Fort Wayne Northrop vs. Huntington North/Fort Wayne North match-up.
The most favorable draw may have been for Tippecanoe Valley.
The Vikings (3-4) will be at West Noble (1-6) on Oct. 24. If Valley wins that game, the Vikings will then play at Northridge, another team with just one win for the right to go to the sectional title game. On the other side of sectional 19 looms a pair of big games. NorthWood (5-2) plays Lakeland in the first round. Although the Lakers are just 3-4 on the season, they may be playing for more this year. The Panthers knocked off Lakeland 43-12 in last year's sectional championship. Also, Whitko (4-3) will meet No. 9 Angola. The Hornets lost their first game this past weekend in a 22-20 overtime loss to Eastside.
Wawasee (3-4) also has a good draw in Class 4A. The Warriors will play South Bend LaSalle, a team that is 1-6 at this point. Then, Wawasee will play the winner of the South Bend Clay/South Bend Washington match-up. Clay is 1-6 on the season and Washington is 3-4. Wawasee would then play in the sectional championship against the winner of the South Bend Adams/Goshen vs. Concord/Elkhart Memorial game.
Triton (4-3) was also handed a favorable draw with first round opponent River Forest. The Ingots have won just once this year. If the Trojans pick up the victory, though, they would then have to face South Central (LaPorte) who was awarded the bye. South Central is 5-2 this year. The championship would then pit the winner of that game against the winner of the LaVille/Whiting vs. West Central/Culver game.
On the other side of the favorable draws are the teams with rough match-ups. Manchester (1-5) will open up with No. 7 Madison-Grant, who sits at 6-1 on the season. If the Squires pull off the upset, they would then face the winner of Bluffton vs. Eastbrook. The winner of that game will play in the sectional championship against the winner of the Southwood/Wabash vs. Heritage/Oak Hill game.
The first round will be played on Oct. 24 and the second round will follow on Oct. 31.
