When the IHSAA recently released enrollment numbers to be used for school classifications for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school year it was apparent — with New Palestine moving from Class 4A to Class 3A in the IHSAA’s four-class sports — there would be major changes in sectional assignments from the past two school years.
But when the IHSAA released the executive committee’s approved sectional assignments for boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, football and girls volleyball last week, a couple of the biggest changes had nothing to do with New Palestine’s teams moving down from Class 4A to Class 3A.
In boys and girls soccer, both three-class sports, the county’s three soccer-playing schools are no longer in the same sectional.
All are still in Class 3A, but Mt. Vernon, for at least the next two years, will not play in the same sectional with Greenfield-Central and New Palestine when the regular season comes to an end.
The Marauders have been moved from Sectional 12 to Sectional 8 and will play, on the boys side, with Anderson, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Muncie Central, Pendleton Heights and Richmond. On the girls side, it’s the same group except Noblesville is in instead of Richmond.
Noblesville won both the boys and girls soccer Class 3A state titles last year.
For the boys, Fishers finished last season ranked No. 6 and Hamilton Southeastern was No. 18. On the girls side, Hamilton Southeastern was No. 2, Noblesville was ranked No. 3 and the Marauders finished No. 17. In a head-to-head matchup last year, Mt. Vernon battled HSE to a 0-0 tie.
On the boys side, Greenfield-Central and New Palestine are the only two teams remaining from the old Sectional 12. They’ll be joined the next two years by Franklin Central, Greenwood, Perry Meridian, Roncalli and Southport.
Along with seeing rival Mt. Vernon moved, the Cougars and Dragons bid farewell to four-time defending sectional champion East Central.
On the girls side, Sectional 12 is now a five-team sectional, minus only Mt. Vernon from the last two years. It includes three-time defending sectional champion East Central, Greenfield-Central, New Palestine, Richmond and Shelbyville.
The only change in Class 4A Sectional 9 for boys and girls basketball is the loss of New Palestine to Class 3A. It will still include county schools Greenfield-Central and Mt. Vernon, along with Anderson, Muncie Central, Pendleton Heights and Richmond.
New Palestine is now in Class 3A Sectional 28 with Beech Grove, Greenwood, Indian Creek, Roncalli, Rushville and Shelbyville. Those are also the same schools and sectional number for New Palestine’s volleyball sectional.
Class 4A Sectional 9 in volleyball remains the same, but goes from eight teams to seven teams with the departure of the Dragons. It’s the same six teams from the basketball sectionals with the addition of traditional volleyball power Yorktown.
In the six-class football system, Class 4A Sectional 21 looks a lot like last year’s Class 4A Sectional 22. It will include seven of the eight teams from Sectional 21, the county’s three largest schools, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon and New Palestine, along with Pendleton Heights, New Castle, Richmond and Beech Grove. Yorktown is now in and Muncie Central is out. Six of the eight schools are from the Hoosier Heritage Conference.
Eastern Hancock will deal with new opponents in all of its approved sectional assignments.
The Royals are still in Class 2A Sectional 38 for football. The sectional added Centerville and Triton Central to replace Cardinal Ritter and Heritage Christian.
Eastern Hancock lost by one point at Centerville in a regular-season game last year. Triton Central, like Eastern Hancock, was a sectional champion last season.
The boys and girls basketball and volleyball sectionals have gone from five-team tournaments to six-team tournaments and instead of Sectional 42 it is now Sectional 43. Scecina, Triton Central, Irvington Prep and Eastern Hancock return to the same tournament with the addition of Heritage Christian and Christel House, they replace Riverside.
Heritage Christian beat Eastern Hancock for the sectional title in girls basketball in 2022.
The Executive Committee unanimously accepted the recommendations of the respective realignment committees which determined the sectional groups in meetings in April for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. Three committees consisting of school administrators representing each IHSAA district and class were constructed to realign the sports. The football committee totaled 18 administrators, the basketball and volleyball committee was made up of 12 members and the soccer committee consisted of nine individuals. The baseball and softball sectional realignment committee will meet later this summer and their recommendations will be presented to the executive committee for approval at its August 27 meeting. Host sites for the next two years will be determined by athletic administrators in each sectional this summer.
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Hancock County teams sectional assignments for 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years:
Boys Basketball Sectionals
4A 9. (6): Anderson, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), Muncie Central, Pendleton Heights, Richmond
3A 28. (7): Beech Grove, Greenwood Community, Indian Creek, New Palestine, Roncalli, Rushville Consolidated, Shelbyville
2A 43. (6): Christel House, Eastern Hancock, Heritage Christian, Indianapolis Scecina Memorial, Irvington Preparatory Academy, Triton Central
Girls Basketball Sectionals
4A 9. (6): Anderson, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), Muncie Central, Pendleton Heights, Richmond
3A 28. (7): Beech Grove, Greenwood Community, Indian Creek, New Palestine, Roncalli, Rushville Consolidated, Shelbyville
2A 43. (6): Christel House, Eastern Hancock, Heritage Christian, Indianapolis Scecina Memorial, Irvington Preparatory Academy, Triton Central
Football Sectionals
4A 21. (8): Beech Grove, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), New Castle, New Palestine, Pendleton Heights, Richmond, Yorktown
2A 38. (8): Centerville, Eastern Hancock, Lapel, Northeastern, Shenandoah, Triton Central, Union County, Winchester Community
Boys Soccer Sectionals
3A 8. (7): Anderson, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), Muncie Central, Pendleton Heights, Richmond
3A 12. (7): Franklin Central, Greenfield-Central, Greenwood Community, New Palestine, Perry Meridian, Roncalli, Southport
Girls Soccer Sectionals
3A 8. (7): Anderson, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), Muncie Central, Noblesville, Pendleton Heights
3A 12. (5): East Central, Greenfield-Central, New Palestine, Richmond, Shelbyville
Girls Volleyball Sectionals
4A 9. (7): Anderson, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon (Fortville), Muncie Central, Pendleton Heights, Richmond, Yorktown
3A 28. (7): Beech Grove, Greenwood Community, Indian Creek, New Palestine, Roncalli, Rushville Consolidated, Shelbyville
2A 43. (6): Christel House, Eastern Hancock, Heritage Christian, Indianapolis Scecina Memorial, Irvington Preparatory Academy, Triton Central
