Greenfield-Central’s Dallas Freeman runs up the middle in a regular-season game against Pendleton Heights, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
HANCOCK COUNTY — With five of eight teams in Class 4A Sectional 22 coming from the Hoosier Heritage Conference, it was inevitable the IHSAA high school football pairings, released Sunday, would have rematches and potential rematches set up when the postseason gets underway Friday, Oct. 20.
Potential for familiarity existed for Eastern Hancock in Class 2A Sectional 38, too. The Royals played, or will be playing, three of the tournament teams in the regular season.
The IHSAA didn’t disappoint those that like to see repeat performances.
In the Sectional 22 tournament, which includes Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon and New Palestine, the top half of the eight-team bracket is 100 percent HHC.
What would appear to be the most interesting of the four quarterfinal games is the rematch between Pendleton Heights and Greenfield-Central, to be played in Greenfield this time.
The Cougars are ranked No. 5 in the Indiana Football Coaches Association poll and No. by the Associated Press. The Arabians are receiving votes in both polls.
Greenfield-Central is 7-1, with one of the victories a come-from-behind win in Pendleton. The Arabians were up 24-16 at halftime, before the Cougars rallied for a 43-38 win.
The top half of the bracket also includes New Castle (1-7) traveling to New Palestine (6-2). The Dragons are No. 3 in the IFCA and No. in the AP. New Palestine defeated the Trojans last week 35-7, also at New Palestine.
The Pendleton Heights/Greenfield-Central winner meets the New Castle/New Palestine winner in the semifinals.
Mt. Vernon (4-4) is the lone HHC team in the bottom half of the bracket. The Marauders will travel to Richmond (1-7) for an opening round game with the winner taking on the victor of Beech Grove (3-5) at Muncie Central (3-5) in the semis.
The last time Mt. Vernon played Richmond was in the 2020 sectional opener. The Marauders beat the Red Devils 49-7.
New Palestine is 4-0 against sectional opponents. Greenfield-Central is 2-1, with a matchup coming this Friday at New Castle. Mt. Vernon is 1-3. Pendleton Heights’ two losses this season are to HHC and sectional teams Greenfield-Central and New Palestine.
When Eastern Hancock (5-3) travels to Lapel (4-4) to finish its regular season Friday, it will be the first of back-to-back games with the Bulldogs. The IHSAA draw has the two teams meeting again on Oct. 20, in Charlottesville.
Last year, the Royals won the regular season meeting 29-22. They met again in the semifinal round of the sectional. Lapel won the second meeting, also at Eastern, 41-13.
The other matchup in the top half of the bracket has Cardinal Ritter (3-5) traveling to Union County (0-8).
The bottom half has two Royal regular-season opponents going head-to-head. Shenandoah (1-7), who the Royals beat 26-14 last week to claim the outright title in the Mid-Easter Conference, travels to Heritage Christian (5-3). In the other quarterfinal, Northeastern (7-1) visits Winchester (5-2).
Heritage Christian and Lapel are both receiving votes in the IFCA 2A poll. Northeastern is 3-0 against Sectional 38 teams, owning victories over Union County, Winchester and Shenandoah. Lapel is 2-0 with wins over Heritage Christian and Shenandoah.
The Royals are 1-1. Along with the win over the Raiders, they lost a 24-20 decision to Heritage Christian.
Sectional semifinal games are slated for Oct. 27. Sectional championship contests are Nov. 3. Regional (Nov. 10) and Semi-State (Nov. 17) games follow before the IHSAA Football State Finals at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 24-25).
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Hancock County IHSAA Football Sectionals
Friday, October 20
Class 4A Sectional 22
7 p.m. – Pendleton Heights (6-2) at Greenfield-Central (7-1)
7 p.m. – New Castle (1-7) at New Palestine (6-2)
7 p.m. – Beech Grove (3-5) at Muncie Central (3-5)
7 p.m. – Mt. Vernon (4-4) at Richmond (1-7)
Class 2A Sectional 38
7 p.m. – Lapel (4-4) at Eastern Hancock (5-3)
7 p.m. – Cardinal Ritter (3-5) at Union County (0-8)
7 p.m. – Shenandoah (1-7) at Heritage Christian (5-3)
7 p.m. – Northeastern (7-1) at Winchester (5-2)
