What IHSAA sectional shuffle means for Bloomington-area schools

The sectional square dance is going to be getting some new partners next fall and winter.

While Edgewood's football team, in rising to Class 4A, expected to find itself in a new setting, Bloomington North and South were also tossed into new lineups in basketball and football, while soccer also got a new visitor from up north.

Lighthouse Christian will also see some changes as will Eastern Greene.

Here's a look at what the IHSAA's changes mean:

Class 4A basketball/volleyball

Ever since class sports arrived in 1998, Bloomington and Columbus have been sectional foes in boys' and girls' basketball. Some of the teams around them have changed, Martinsville and East Central for two years, then Center Grove and Greenwood for two. Franklin and East Central for one, then East Central. Shelbyville was there from 2004-7 and 2012-19.

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On the boys' side, it was a raw deal for the non-Bloomington schools with North and South swallowing up all but two sectional titles in 25 years (East Central in 2008, Columbus North in 2013). On the girls' side, there's been far more parity. Sectional 14 has been won by nine different schools and by North and South just six times.

Now, North, South and Martinsville have been paired up with Center Grove and Greenwood again, along with Mooresville in a new Sectional 13.

During the class era, Center Grove has won just five titles, Greenwood two and Mooresville just one (1998). The Mooresville girls have won six Sectional 12 titles and five in Sectional 13; Center Grove has won six class-era sectionals.

"There's always been talk of East Central getting out because of the distance," South boys' coach J.R. Holmes said. "But I surprised they went the route they went. I heard they were going to shake things up, but I didn't know how.

"It makes it a little tough. It's always been tough, but now it's tougher."

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And that's certainly the case in volleyball. North and South now go from butting heads with Columbus East (12 class era sectional titles) to Center Grove, which has won 21 since 1998. Greenwood and Columbus North have never won a sectional title, Mooresville's drought goes back in 1998.

"I haven't had time to wrap my mind around (the changes," North volleyball coach Disney Bronnenberg said. "But I don't know if it changes our outlook. I think it's exciting tossing the sheets and moving us around a little bit."

The new Sectional 14 includes Columbus East, Columbus North, East Central, Franklin Community, Shelbyville and Whiteland. No changes were made to sectionals 15 and 16.

Area football reset

All kinds of changes took place at the Class 4A football level as expected, but the IHSAA also altered things in 5A.

Edgewood is now grouped with schools mostly from the southeast: Bedford North Lawrence (4-6 last year), East Central (10-3), Greenwood (2-8), Jennings County (1-9), Martinsville (7-5), Shelbyville (1-6) and Silver Creek (5-4).

Most of them play 4A-5A-6A heavy schedules except for Silver Creek (just 5A Floyd Central), East Central (two 4As, plus two Ohio schools) and Edgewood (two 4As, Indianapolis Washington and Northview).

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In 5A, North and South are no longer tethered to foes 110 miles away on I-69, now paired up with Columbus East and Seymour in Sectional 15. The Olympians are now on North's schedule in Week 7 while South has added Seymour on Week 9 and will open with Columbus East starting in 2023.

"I think it's really exciting to have a new lineup," North coach Scott Bless said. "I think since we've gone to six classes, we've had a different lineup every two years.

"From a geographical standpoint, it makes a lot of sense."

Castle and Evansville North have now been paired with New Albany and Floyd Central, with Jeffersonville moved up to 6A and placed with Center Grove, Franklin Central and Columbus North.

The other southern 5A sectionals are (14): Franklin, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South and Whiteland; and (13) Decatur Central, McCutcheon, Plainfield and West Lafayette.

In 1A, Sectional 48, Eastern Greene saw Providence and South Spencer added to the field with North Daviess, Rock Creek, Springs Valley, Tecumseh and West Washington. North Central was moved to a sectional up north with Cloverdale and Dugger (Union), while Perry Central went up to 2A.

In 3A, Owen Valley's sectional replaced Sullivan, Edgewood and Brown County with powerhouse Gibson Southern, Mt. Vernon (Posey) and West Vigo. In 2A, Linton, North Knox and Sullivan were moved to a more northerly sectional with Cascade, Greencastle, North Putnam, South Vermillion and Southmont. Brown County is in a southeastern sectional with Brownstown.

More basketball/volleyball

Indian Creek has been added to the 3A Sectional 26 lineup that includes Edgewood with Brownstown dropping to 2A. Christian House and Purdue Polytechnical (in 2023-24) are additions to Sectional 28 where IC was located.

In 2A for Eastern Greene, its boys' basketball sectional includes Eastern Greene, Linton, Mitchell, North Knox, Paoli, South Knox and Sullivan. The girls' basketball sectional has the same teams plus North Daviess. And in volleyball, the lineup is Eastern Greene, Linton, North Daviess, North Knox, South Knox, Sullivan

And in 1A, Union Dugger's addition to Sectional 57 where Lighthouse Christian competes in basketball, means Eminence is being moved to a more Indy-area all-private school sectional. LCA's volleyball team is also being moved to Sectional 57 with the same mix as the basketball sectionals.

Soccer changes

North and South boys and girls soccer teams have both had Center Grove added to their Sectional 14 lineup, with Bedford North Lawrence moved south to Sectional 15 and Northview dropped to 2A. That also leaves Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South and Martinsville.

North or South boys have won 15 of the last 16 sectional titles in the area while a Bloomington team has won a sectional title the last 22 years.

In 2A boys, Edgewood's Sectional 29 now includes Brown County, Greencastle, Indian Creek, Northview, Owen Valley, South Vermillion and West Vigo. The 2A girls Sectional 29 has Edgewood, Indian Creek, Monrovia, Northview, Owen Valley and West Vigo.

And in 1A, Lighthouse Christian's squad has been placed in a rebuilt Sectional 43 with Bloomfield, Eminence, Greenwood Christian Academy and White River Valley.

Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on Twitter @JimGordillo.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: High School Sports: IHSAA section move for schools in Bloomington area