The girls basketball Sectional draw took place on Sunday and, as always, the draw wasn’t going to make everyone happy.
So who does Bounce think “won” or “lost” their draw? It could be a team, it could be for an entire Sectional field, it could be for the fans.
Check out the complete Sectional draw for area teams by clicking here.
LOSER: COLUMBIA CITY
The Eagles probably aren’t sweating much with their 17 wins (as of press time) and the fact that they are really only losing to state and regional powers this season. But c’mon, a draw against NorthWood for a Tuesday game? The two best teams matching up? This is why people cry for seeding, whether it would appease everyone or not.
The Eagles have seen this story before. First round games against the other best team in the Sectional happen and they happen to Columbia City. Just two years ago, the rolling Eagles drew Homestead in the first round leading to a disappointing loss. Now down in Class 3A, this is the chance for the Eagles to really push for postseason success but to have 16-win NorthWood staring at them next Tuesday isn’t ideal.
A Sectional title has evaded Columbia City during coach Amy Shearer’s historic run with the program. Can they overcome having to face the other top team on a Tuesday?
WINNER: THE CONCORDIA SECTIONAL
This Sectional always brings about some of the best games we see in the opening round of the postseason. That said, we don’t always get a real power team in this group which makes it even more interesting. Concordia is a unique spot for the Sectional and girls postseasons games here just feel different.
The bracket and the draw works again this season. The most wins of the bunch is with currently 13-7 DeKalb, with six of the seven teams between 8 and 13 wins. It is a pretty well matched up bracket no matter how things were drawn on Sunday but this is really set up for the four teams with double digit wins to match up on Friday in the semi finals, with a lot of eyes looking at a potential DeKalb/East Noble rematch, which was just an 8-point DeKalb win on January 18.
WINNER: THE BIGGEST NE8 RIVALRY
Mark down next Saturday night on your calendar. Sectional title game at Norwell, big night in The Castle and things in Class 3A just happened to draw out that we may see the host Knights in a finals game opposite Bellmont. Isn’t that just fitting?
In the past 10 seasons, the two teams have met in the postseason seven times, with Norwell holding a 5-2 advantage in Sectional play. When they have met for a Sectional title, as they did in both 2020 and 2021, it was Norwell picking up a win. The Knights also won the postseason game between eachother last season, but Bellmont did win in 2022.
It is perfect that they are potentially squaring off on Saturday night and it is one we know the random draw got perfectly correct. When they met on January 18, Bellmont picked up a three point win. But this will be the postseason and in The Castle, should it happen. All bets are off for this game, which just has to be considered the best rivalry in the NE8 on either side right now.
WINNER: WHITKO
Woodlan is no easy task in the opening round for the Wildcats, who share the Three Rivers Conference title for the second straight season. But, you have to be happy if you are coach Justin Jordan and his team that Bluffton sits on the other side of the bracket. That is enough for win in this column. Whitko sits at 15 wins as of press time and even with nice victories like their January 4 win over SAC contender Northrop, you don’t want to see the juggernaut that is Bluffton until you have to. Keeping those two separate on the bracket is a good thing.
LOSER: LAKEWOOD PARK
The last thing that the Lakewood Park wanted to see on draw day was a first round meeting with Fremont. The Eagles are the favorite in this Sectional at Bethany Christian in Class 1A and while nobody wanted them on Tuesday, the Panthers really didn’t as the defacto second best team. Fremont beat Lakewood Park on November 12 62-44 in what was each team’s third game of the season. Since then, they have both posted essentially the same record, but Fremont has had a lot of depth at the top of their stat sheets.
It is arguably the best game for area teams on Tuesday no matter the class and so it has a lot of attention, but if you are Lakewood Park, you’d prefer this one comes in the finals. If this was seeded by Sagarin ratings, the teams wouldn’t have the chance to meet until the finals.
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