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Left without a girls basketball sectional champion last winter, the Goshen News coverage area got its first chance to see if the end to the drought is near during Sunday's IHSAA sectional draw.
For the most part, area schools were blessed by the ping pong balls, locking up paths opposite of the perceived sectional favorite. Standing out was Northridge and Concord, who avoid seeing a tough Warsaw team until the Goshen sectional championship game in Class 4A.
Also in an opportunistic spot is Fairfield, which sees its path to the title game littered with area teams NorthWood and Wawasee, not contenders Columbia City and Tippecanoe Valley.
Bethany Christian and Westview both have powerful small-school teams included in their sectional brackets. While the Bruins and Warriors drew a manageable first-round game, the path to the title game is challenging.
Here is the sectional schedule and some quick analysis for each of our four local groupings.
(4A) Goshen Sectional 4
Teams: No. 4 Warsaw, No. 15 Northridge, Concord, Elkhart, Goshen
* G1: Tue., Feb. 3 (7 p.m.): Elkhart at Goshen
* G2: Fri., Feb. 6 (6 p.m.): Northridge vs. Concord
* G3: Fri., Feb. 6 (7:30 p.m.): G1 winner vs. Warsaw
* G4: Sat. Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.): Championship
Early analysis: With Division I stars Joslyn Bricker (a Miss Basketball candidate) and Brooke Zartman in the starting lineup, without question, the defending 4A state runner-up Warsaw Tigers (22-2) are the Goshen Sectional favorites.
Former Goshen head coach Lenny Krebs has watched his group dismantle opponents since November. Just two losses (one while playing without two key contributors) have stood in their way. Northridge, however, did give the Tigers a fight in the host’s backyard this season.
The Doug Springer-coached Raiders (16-6) have put together another strong season, but will need to see its starting five not battle foul trouble like they did in the narrow loss at Warsaw. Leading the way is junior forward Lily Scholl (16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds per game) and junior guard Alli Ambers (12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds).
Concord (10-11) will face Springer’s squad in the semifinal at Goshen. The Brandon Abel-led Minutemen have seen another uptick in program progression, this time winning five conference games for the first instance this century. Abel’s team lost at home to Northridge 68-33 in early December.
In the sectional opener, Elkhart (14-7) faces the host RedHawks (0-21). After recording his 100th win as head coach last season, Shaun Hill’s Goshen group has battled injuries and preseason transfers alongside a youthful roster.
(3A) Tippecanoe Valley Sectional 20
Teams: Columbia City, Fairfield, NorthWood, Tippecanoe Valley, Wawasee, West Noble
* G1: Tue, Feb. 3 (6 p.m.): Columbia City vs. West Noble
* G2: Tue, Feb. 3 (7:30 p.m.): Wawasee vs. Fairfield
* G3: Fri, Feb. 6 (6 p.m.): G1 winner at Tippecanoe Valley
* G4: Fri, Feb. 6 (7:30 p.m.): G2 winner vs. NorthWood
* G5: Sat. Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.): Championship
Early analysis: This is as about as good of a draw as Fairfield could have wanted. It’s not easy, but easier than the other possibilities.
Columbia City (14-7), Tippecanoe Valley (15-5) and Fairfield (14-6) are the easy choices for sectional title-favorites, but it’s a tossup on which one has the edge over the others. The Eagles are defending champs but, assuming they get by West Noble (7-12), will have to duke it out with the host Vikings.
Fairfield dodges the Eagles and hosts until the championship game. To get there, they’ll have to sneak by Wawasee (7-12) and NorthWood (9-12). Fairfield beat the Warriors by 49 in November and took care of the Panthers by 10 that same month in Nappanee. Senior 1,000-point scorer Eva Herbert (12.9 points per game) and junior Madison Jones (19.4 points) have been the fire-starters for the Kyle Hartman-coached Falcons, who are a win over West Noble away from claiming at least a share of the Northeast Corner Conference regular season title. Fairfield has also won five of its last six games.
Wawasee and NorthWood will have to play at their best to upset the Falcons. Both NLC schools have battled with young and largely varsity-inexperienced squads, each showing varying degrees of success at times.
(2A) Lakeland Sectional 35
Teams: Central Noble, Churubusco, Eastside, Lakeland, Prairie Heights, Westview
* G1: Tue, Feb. 3 (6 p.m.): Prairie Heights vs. Westview
* G2: Tue, Feb. 3 (7:30 p.m.): Central Noble vs. Churubusco
* G3: Fri, Feb. 6 (6 p.m.): G1 winner vs. Eastside
* G4: Fri, Feb. 6 (7:30 p.m.): G2 winner at Lakeland
* G5: Sat. Feb. 7 (7 p.m.): Championship
Early analysis: It’s hard to place the favorite tag on anyone not named Eastside. The Blazers (19-3) made it to semistate last year and could do the same thing this time around. The NECC Tournament champions will be the top dog in this all-NECC grouping.
The lone winning record outside Eastside here is Westview. The Warriors (11-8) got out to a fast start this season but have lost six of their last seven games. Part of that has been due to the sharp uptick in schedule difficulty (Fremont, Elkhart Christian and Fairfield twice), but for Ryan Yoder’s squad to earn a postseason title, they’ll have to finally beat a top-tier team in Eastside (who Westview will play this Thursday in Emma). To see the Blazers for a second time, Westview has to get past Prairie Heights (5-15), who the Warriors beat 47-43 in early November.
Also included in this grouping is Central Noble (9-11), Churubusco (3-16) and host Lakeland (9-10).
(1A) Fremont Sectional 52
Teams: Bethany Christian, FW Blackhawk, FW Canterbury, Fremont, Hamilton, Lakeland Christian, Lakewood Park Christian
* G1: Tue, Feb. 3 (7 p.m.): Lakeland Christian at Fremont
* G2: Wed, Feb. 4 (6 p.m.): Lakewood Park Christian vs. FW Blackhawk
* G3: Wed, Feb. 4 (7:30 p.m.): Bethany Christian vs. FW Canterbury
* G4: Fri, Feb. 6 (6 p.m.): Hamilton vs. G1 winner
* G5: Fri, Feb. 6 (7:30 p.m.): G2 winner vs. G3 winner
* G6: Sat, Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.): Championship
Early analysis: As the best team with the best record in the sectional, it’s only right for Fremont to earn an easy path to the championship game. The 20-2 Eagles have lost twice (both to Eastside) and are a surefire pick to contend for a semistate berth in the northern part of the state. They’ve been rewarded with Lakeland Christian (4-15) in the sectional opener and Hamilton (5-14) in the semifinal round.
In terms of area teams, Bethany Christian is the lone local school in this bracket. The Bruins (5-15) get a nice draw with new conference-foe Fort Wayne Canterbury (1-17) in the second game Wednesday. The bad part? Bethany Christian ends the regular season at home versus the Cavaliers this Saturday.
Led by seniors Ellie Morris (9.6 points per game) and Kendra Kern (7.1), Bethany head coach Krysten Parson will have to navigate playing the Cavs back-to-back to get to the semifinal round of Sectional 52. If the Bruins can get there, a matchup against Fort Wayne Blackhawk (14-7) or Lakewood Park Christian (8-11) would be on the docket. Behind Fremont, count the Braves as the top team contending with the Eagles. Blackhawk lost by just eight in the regular season meeting.
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For the most part, area schools were blessed by the ping pong balls, locking up paths opposite of the perceived sectional favorite. Standing out was Northridge and Concord, who avoid seeing a tough Warsaw team until the Goshen sectional championship game in Class 4A.
Also in an opportunistic spot is Fairfield, which sees its path to the title game littered with area teams NorthWood and Wawasee, not contenders Columbia City and Tippecanoe Valley.
Bethany Christian and Westview both have powerful small-school teams included in their sectional brackets. While the Bruins and Warriors drew a manageable first-round game, the path to the title game is challenging.
Here is the sectional schedule and some quick analysis for each of our four local groupings.
(4A) Goshen Sectional 4
Teams: No. 4 Warsaw, No. 15 Northridge, Concord, Elkhart, Goshen
* G1: Tue., Feb. 3 (7 p.m.): Elkhart at Goshen
* G2: Fri., Feb. 6 (6 p.m.): Northridge vs. Concord
* G3: Fri., Feb. 6 (7:30 p.m.): G1 winner vs. Warsaw
* G4: Sat. Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.): Championship
Early analysis: With Division I stars Joslyn Bricker (a Miss Basketball candidate) and Brooke Zartman in the starting lineup, without question, the defending 4A state runner-up Warsaw Tigers (22-2) are the Goshen Sectional favorites.
Former Goshen head coach Lenny Krebs has watched his group dismantle opponents since November. Just two losses (one while playing without two key contributors) have stood in their way. Northridge, however, did give the Tigers a fight in the host’s backyard this season.
The Doug Springer-coached Raiders (16-6) have put together another strong season, but will need to see its starting five not battle foul trouble like they did in the narrow loss at Warsaw. Leading the way is junior forward Lily Scholl (16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds per game) and junior guard Alli Ambers (12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds).
Concord (10-11) will face Springer’s squad in the semifinal at Goshen. The Brandon Abel-led Minutemen have seen another uptick in program progression, this time winning five conference games for the first instance this century. Abel’s team lost at home to Northridge 68-33 in early December.
In the sectional opener, Elkhart (14-7) faces the host RedHawks (0-21). After recording his 100th win as head coach last season, Shaun Hill’s Goshen group has battled injuries and preseason transfers alongside a youthful roster.
(3A) Tippecanoe Valley Sectional 20
Teams: Columbia City, Fairfield, NorthWood, Tippecanoe Valley, Wawasee, West Noble
* G1: Tue, Feb. 3 (6 p.m.): Columbia City vs. West Noble
* G2: Tue, Feb. 3 (7:30 p.m.): Wawasee vs. Fairfield
* G3: Fri, Feb. 6 (6 p.m.): G1 winner at Tippecanoe Valley
* G4: Fri, Feb. 6 (7:30 p.m.): G2 winner vs. NorthWood
* G5: Sat. Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.): Championship
Early analysis: This is as about as good of a draw as Fairfield could have wanted. It’s not easy, but easier than the other possibilities.
Columbia City (14-7), Tippecanoe Valley (15-5) and Fairfield (14-6) are the easy choices for sectional title-favorites, but it’s a tossup on which one has the edge over the others. The Eagles are defending champs but, assuming they get by West Noble (7-12), will have to duke it out with the host Vikings.
Fairfield dodges the Eagles and hosts until the championship game. To get there, they’ll have to sneak by Wawasee (7-12) and NorthWood (9-12). Fairfield beat the Warriors by 49 in November and took care of the Panthers by 10 that same month in Nappanee. Senior 1,000-point scorer Eva Herbert (12.9 points per game) and junior Madison Jones (19.4 points) have been the fire-starters for the Kyle Hartman-coached Falcons, who are a win over West Noble away from claiming at least a share of the Northeast Corner Conference regular season title. Fairfield has also won five of its last six games.
Wawasee and NorthWood will have to play at their best to upset the Falcons. Both NLC schools have battled with young and largely varsity-inexperienced squads, each showing varying degrees of success at times.
(2A) Lakeland Sectional 35
Teams: Central Noble, Churubusco, Eastside, Lakeland, Prairie Heights, Westview
* G1: Tue, Feb. 3 (6 p.m.): Prairie Heights vs. Westview
* G2: Tue, Feb. 3 (7:30 p.m.): Central Noble vs. Churubusco
* G3: Fri, Feb. 6 (6 p.m.): G1 winner vs. Eastside
* G4: Fri, Feb. 6 (7:30 p.m.): G2 winner at Lakeland
* G5: Sat. Feb. 7 (7 p.m.): Championship
Early analysis: It’s hard to place the favorite tag on anyone not named Eastside. The Blazers (19-3) made it to semistate last year and could do the same thing this time around. The NECC Tournament champions will be the top dog in this all-NECC grouping.
The lone winning record outside Eastside here is Westview. The Warriors (11-8) got out to a fast start this season but have lost six of their last seven games. Part of that has been due to the sharp uptick in schedule difficulty (Fremont, Elkhart Christian and Fairfield twice), but for Ryan Yoder’s squad to earn a postseason title, they’ll have to finally beat a top-tier team in Eastside (who Westview will play this Thursday in Emma). To see the Blazers for a second time, Westview has to get past Prairie Heights (5-15), who the Warriors beat 47-43 in early November.
Also included in this grouping is Central Noble (9-11), Churubusco (3-16) and host Lakeland (9-10).
(1A) Fremont Sectional 52
Teams: Bethany Christian, FW Blackhawk, FW Canterbury, Fremont, Hamilton, Lakeland Christian, Lakewood Park Christian
* G1: Tue, Feb. 3 (7 p.m.): Lakeland Christian at Fremont
* G2: Wed, Feb. 4 (6 p.m.): Lakewood Park Christian vs. FW Blackhawk
* G3: Wed, Feb. 4 (7:30 p.m.): Bethany Christian vs. FW Canterbury
* G4: Fri, Feb. 6 (6 p.m.): Hamilton vs. G1 winner
* G5: Fri, Feb. 6 (7:30 p.m.): G2 winner vs. G3 winner
* G6: Sat, Feb. 7 (7:30 p.m.): Championship
Early analysis: As the best team with the best record in the sectional, it’s only right for Fremont to earn an easy path to the championship game. The 20-2 Eagles have lost twice (both to Eastside) and are a surefire pick to contend for a semistate berth in the northern part of the state. They’ve been rewarded with Lakeland Christian (4-15) in the sectional opener and Hamilton (5-14) in the semifinal round.
In terms of area teams, Bethany Christian is the lone local school in this bracket. The Bruins (5-15) get a nice draw with new conference-foe Fort Wayne Canterbury (1-17) in the second game Wednesday. The bad part? Bethany Christian ends the regular season at home versus the Cavaliers this Saturday.
Led by seniors Ellie Morris (9.6 points per game) and Kendra Kern (7.1), Bethany head coach Krysten Parson will have to navigate playing the Cavs back-to-back to get to the semifinal round of Sectional 52. If the Bruins can get there, a matchup against Fort Wayne Blackhawk (14-7) or Lakewood Park Christian (8-11) would be on the docket. Behind Fremont, count the Braves as the top team contending with the Eagles. Blackhawk lost by just eight in the regular season meeting.
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