The discussion since Sunday’s sectional draw has been all about who lucked out with how the ping pong balls bounced and who took it on the chin.
Of course, the yearly call for the seeding of sectionals has made the rounds, but if there is anything to be said about a blind draw, it is that some teams find themselves in advantageous positions while others are facing a tough task.
We take a look at a few of those instances.
WINNER: LEO
Sectional 19 is an absolute meatgrinder, with any of six teams capable of knocking someone good off.
With that amount of solid squads, it was going to be impossible to avoid all of the potential pitfalls.
But if anything, Leo is set up well. It starts with a road game at South Side. Memories of 2016 not withstanding, this should be a comfortable win for the Lions if they play to their potential.
While Leo will then have to play East Noble or New Haven, it will get that game at home. So not only do the Lions only have to play one of the other top two teams in the NE8, it will get that game on campus at Leo.
Furthermore, the two SAC teams of note – Wayne and Bishop Dwenger – have to take on each other in the opening round, further assisting the Lions.
LOSER: NEW HAVEN
Speaking of the Bulldogs, they have it rough.
Coach Kyle Booher’s team will start the playoffs against the very team that dominated them in Week 8 – East Noble. The expectation is that Mylan Graham will be back for that game, but the missing five-star talent wasn’t exactly the catalyst that was responsible for last Friday’s defeat.
So New Haven has a short time to figure out what to do against East Noble the second time around. If the Bulldogs can even the score with the Knights and win, it will then likely have to hit the road at Leo in Round 2.
Yes, New Haven won the regular-season matchup at Leo in exciting fashion, but it’s not ideal to not only have the rematch, but have the rematch once again at Leo.
The Bulldogs have their work cut out for them in Sectional 19.
WINNER: HERITAGE
The chances of Heritage capturing its first sectional title in over a decade already looked pretty good prior to the sectional draw, but they improved on Sunday.
Heritage will have to start on the road against Woodlan, but will then likely get Garrett at home in Round 2. The two major threats to the Patriots in the field – Yorktown and Delta – will have to play each other in the semifinals, meaning Heritage will only have to play one of them.
LOSER: LAKELAND AND WEST NOBLE
At the very least, we hoped we would get a rematch between Lakeland and West Noble, and we still may, but both teams have their work cut out for them.
Lakeland will host undefeated Knox to open the playoffs, a team that is averaging close to 40 points per game. The Redskins have been dominant, albeit against inferior competition, but they did hand LaVille, one of the top teams in all of 2A, its lone loss of the season on the road.
Meanwhile, undefeated West Noble has to open with Mishawaka Marian. While only 4-4, think of Marian like the Bishop Luers of the Northern Indiana Conference, one of the smallest schools in its 12-team league that takes its lumps in the regular season before coming alive in the postseason.
Revenge will also be on Marian’s mind after West Noble dispatched of them in sectional play a season ago, ending a streak of seven consecutive seasons with a sectional title.
So yes, we could get Lakeland v. West Noble, Round 2, but it will take two wins over a pair of very good teams.
WINNER: BISHOP LUERS
No one was going to match up with Bishop Luers in this sectional anyway with the exception of perhaps Eastside, but the draw went the Knights’ way in which they will play the Blazers at home if that matchup comes to fruition in Round 2.
It’s only fitting, with Luers and Eastside on a streak of four consecutive years of facing off in sectional action. That said, playing at home is always beneficial, yes, even though the last game between the two at Luersfield was a 21-16 Blazers win in 2019.
The Knights open at Churubusco while Eastside will host Wabash, setting up in all likelihood Round 5 between the squads.
Home field advantage is key, and the jury is still out if this Eastside team can go on the road and beat a good team. Its four wins away from home have come against teams that are a combined 6-26.
LOSER: BLUFFTON
Two weeks ago, Bluffton was the No. 1 team in Class 2A, but it has been tough going since then.
Coming off consecutive losses, the Tigers have to go on the road to six-win Lakeland to close out the regular season. Sunday, Coach Brent Kunkel’s team found out that it will travel to one-loss Alexandria to begin Sectional 36.
The Alexandria Tigers have a sophomore QB that has thrown for 16 touchdowns, a running back who has rushed for 16 scores and a wide receiver who averaged 16 yards per catch to go with nine TDs.
That’s not to say Bluffton cannot repeat as sectional champions. But it will not be easy with Alexandria and a potential rematch with Eastbrook looming in the semifinals.
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