Mt. Vernon Ellery Minch (12) puts up a shot against Anderson during the 2022 Class 4A Sectional 9 tournamnet at Mt. Vernon. Due to flood damage to the court at Pendleton Heights High School, Mt. Vernon will host the tournmaent again this year.
The Daily Reporter File Photo
FORTVILLE — For the second straight year, the Class 4A Sectional 9 girls’ basketball tournament will be played at Mt. Vernon High School.
The tournament slated to get underway in less than two weeks, was originally scheduled to be played at Pendleton Heights High School.
A broken pipe, caused by cold Christmas-time temperatures, flooded an area underneath the court on one side of the Arabians’ gymnasium.
The Madison County school had been hopeful to still host the event that kicks off the girls basketball postseason, but Arabians athletic director Chad Smith told the Indiana High School Athletic Association Friday they were not going to be able to be the site of this year’s opening round.
On a two-year cycle, Pendleton Heights was scheduled to host the 2023 tournament and Mt. Vernon in 2024. Due to the issues at PHHS, they have switched with Mt. Vernon hosting this year’s seven-team tournament, which typically is scheduled for four days, Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday of tournament week.
The four-week IHSAA girls basketball state tournament is scheduled to begin the week of Jan. 30.
The seven teams in the tournament include Mt. Vernon, Pendleton Heights, Greenfield-Central, New Palestine, Anderson, Muncie Central and Richmond.
“You’re always happy to host,” Pendleton Heights athletic director Chad Smith said. “It’s a lot of work, but you enjoy doing it because it’s an opportunity to put a spotlight on your program and your school. It’s always fun to represent your community in that way. But, even when you want a homecourt advantage for a tournament, the bottom line is, you have to host a fair tournament. I just didn’t feel comfortable based with what (Four Star Floor Care Inc, of Lapel was) telling me.”
Smith said the group working on the floor said they felt confident they could play games, but couldn’t guarantee the court would not have flaws.
“There’s a difference between playable and having flaws,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t want something to happen on that side of the court in the middle of a sectional game that would have an effect on the outcome.”
The group of sectional athletic directors agreed, with the two-year cycle, that Mt. Vernon would host this year and Pendleton Heights in 2024.
“I have enough good help around Mt. Vernon, I think we’ll be able to do it just fine. Usually we start planning a little sooner, but with two weeks we still have time to get things organized in a fairly efficient manner,” Mt. Vernon athletic director Brandon Ecker said.
Smith said on Christmas Day a sprinkler head froze and burst out by the gym’s main entrance. He said the water didn’t run on top of the floor, only underneath it. He initially thought, with the court dry on top, they might have caught a break, but a couple of days later the floor began to buckle and come apart.
“The goal is to just be able to get it playable so we can finish our (boys) basketball season on it,” Smith said. “After the season, we’ll look at the next steps if it needs further repair, replaced. Our goal is to be able to play some basketball games.”
Smith added that the school still plans to host the upcoming wrestling regional, scheduled for Feb. 4, which would include wrestlers from Mt. Vernon. They were unable to host last week’s Hoosier Heritage Conference wrestling tournament, which took place at New Castle.
Home basketball games last week were moved to Pendleton Heights Middle School.
“We agreed to take it on and the rest of (the sectional) group was good with it,” Ecker added on hosting this year’s tourney.
He said there will be a lot of work to do, including moving practices for dance teams and winter percussion groups, along with getting everything in place for teams, media, security, concessions, and other necessities for a week-long tournament.
It’s nothing new to Mt. Vernon. It hosted last year’s girls basketball sectional and has hosted a number of post season tournaments over the years.
“It’s not too big of a deal to too many people,” Ecker said of taking over hosting duties. “It’s one of those things, we’re proud of our facilities and think we do a pretty good job of hosting events. We may not be perfect but we think we do a pretty respectable job and we try to treat people fairly.”
“It’s an opportunity for us to bring people into our community and I think that’s always a good thing.”
