TERRE HAUTE — Today, students, we are going to study population shifts in the greater Indianapolis area.
Or, if you will, why Class 5A Sectional 6 is looking like a high school football minefield.
You may remember a few months ago, when the high school football tournament was realigned, that I made the statement here that moving to Sectional 6 from Sectional 7 could be a boon to Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South, if for no other reason than the lesser amount of travel involved.
Yes, the longest possible trips are to central Indianapolis or to just northwest of Marion County, and yes, avoiding Center Grove and the Columbus schools (both of them now 5A) might be a good thing for more than just the mileage involved.
But no, this tournament doesn’t look easy either.
The reason for this is the Hoosier Crossroads Conference, which in this book has surpassed Conference Indiana as the second-best football league in the state.
The state’s emerging powerhouse looks to be Fishers — which makes you wonder what Hamilton Southeastern would be like right now if that district hadn’t split. HSE and Avon have established themselves among the state’s best, Zionsville — which not that long ago was in West Vigo’s sectional, hence the study of population shifts — is another up-and-comer, and two of the three most improved programs in the state, from futility to way better than mere respectability, are Harrison (West Lafayette) and Westfield.
Now North and South’s new sectional doesn’t include all the Hoosier Crossroads teams, but it does have Avon and Brownsburg — with whom the Patriots and Braves have sectional histories already — and also Zionsville.
It also has Pike, which has a chance to be Conference Indiana’s best (and maybe a chance to prove me an idiot). Oh, and also that school from Wayne Township that doesn’t have a lick of high school football tradition (sarcasm alert). What’s its name? Ben something?
n In other sectionals — Northview’s Knights look to be competitive in Class 4A Sectional 16, and as always they’ll get a chance to study the state’s geography as well.
In addition to almost a 50-50 chance of getting sent to Evansville (or Boonville, which is pretty much the same ride), Northview now can add a potential trip to Seymour (which, from scores so far, is one they might enjoy).
West Vigo’s Class 3A sectional field has Indianapolis Chatard back in it, which pretty much sums it up. In Class 2A tournaments, South Vermillion and South Putnam have joined the list of contenders in Sectional 30 (with Speedway no longer part of that equation), while Sullivan looks to have a four-pronged problem in Sectional 32 including Southridge (the Golden Arrows have already seen the Raiders), South Spencer, North Posey and, of course, Evansville Mater Dei.
In Class A, Fountain Central and possibily Attica — we’ll know after Friday night — could challenge Rockville’s reign in Sectional 39, with North Daviess looking ready to battle Linton and Perry Central in Sectional 40.
Oh, and remember I said that Harrison and Westfield were two of the three most improved programs in the state? And you were wondering about the third?
Take a bow, South Vermillion Wildcats.
Andy Amey can be reached after 4 p.m. for comments or news items at (812) 231-4277 or at 1-800-783-8742; by e-mail at andy.amey@tribstar.com; by mail at P.O. Box 149, Terre Haute, IN, 47808; or by fax at (812) 231-4321.
Amey Takes Aim
AMEY TAKES AIM: Indiana football sectional realignment didn’t make things easier for Valley schools
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Huntsville’s Stars, Havoc take back seat to GGS
The second-best thing about the Amey family’s spring-break trip to Huntsville, Ala., is that we left a lot of things on the table to do the next time we’re down there.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Rox well represented on Amey teams
If having the state finals in town makes it a successful girls high school basketball season, then certainly having a team to follow at the state finals makes it a very successful boys high school basketball season . . .
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AMEY TAKES AIM: A feeling of pride, not disappointment, comes from watching Rox play
It’s not going to come as a startling admission that I — once the rest of the local opposition has been eliminated from consideration — am an unabashed fan of whatever team the Wabash Valley sends onward in postseason high school sports competition.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: This private school plays basketball the right way
Any girls high school basketball season that ends with state championship games in Hulman Center is a pretty good one — even though I wished I’d seen Riverton Parke and Seeger knock off a couple of private schools the week before to even the public school-private school battle a little bit.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Even 2 of state’s best once had doubts
Look at them now.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Getting ready for the dance
Terre Haute North got the good news Sunday night — or did it?
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Harrowing path for state hopefuls
The bad news is that the winner of Class 4A Sectional 13 in boys basketball heads northeast instead of southeast for regional play in March — to Hinkle Fieldhouse instead of Seymour as a result of Indiana High School Athletic Association’s changes.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: A superior all-star arrangement
I don’t work on Wednesdays, so I wasn’t able to attend the first Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association draft last week to set up the annual all-star game that will be June 23 this year.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: The biggest & baddest of a holiday classic
There are more things to love about the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic than could fit in this newspaper, but one of this year’s best things was that for an hour or so on Wednesday, it was Justin Paddock’s world and we were just living in it.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Taking note of ISU’s latest football win
The biggest difference I’ve noticed, as I transition from the high school football beat to quasi-official status as the Indiana State football beat writer for a few weeks, is the length of the games.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: IHSAA playoff draw not as bad as it could have been
First reaction to the Indiana sectional football pairings drawn late Sunday by the Indiana High School Athletic Association? It could have been a lot worse.
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ANDY AMEY: Between the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & a hard place
Just in case any of you noticed — with some anticipation — the recent lack of my bylines, I can tell you that your wish (and mine) did come true. It was vacation week for the Amey family.
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Amey Takes Aim: UFC fighter’s bloodines traced back to ISU brothers
As a mild-mannered reporter from a great metropolitan newspaper — or thereabouts — I admit I haven’t paid much attention to the burgeoning mixed martial arts scene.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Predators’ win is music to new fan’s ears
For many, many years, the number of live games televised on WGN has been cited as perhaps the main reason for the popularity of the Chicago Cubs (it’s got to be something besides masochism, right?).
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AMEY TAKES AIM: You’ll be having a good ol’ time on vacation with the Ameys
When one of the first people you meet is Tammy Wynette’s stepdaughter, when you’ve stepped on the feet of people you haven’t met while trying to navigate Ernest Tubbs’ old Silver Eagle tour bus, and when the activities director of your resort is, well, Elvis, you might be vacationing in Nashville.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: The Annual All-Amey basketball teams close out the prep season
The most encouraging boys high school basketball event I’ve attended so far in 2011 has been the Lafayette Semistate a couple of weeks ago.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Family remembers Cheryl Weatherman as caring grandmother
As far as Riley and Keely Davis are concerned, Cheryl Weatherman was simply their grandmother, and a pretty darn good one at that.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Honor to see Turkey Run girls close out memorable career
I don’t know if anyone in this part of the state could actually say they enjoy going to Fort Wayne and back, but I was glad to see the Turkey Run Warriors play one last time during the girls basketball state finals Saturday.
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So many matches, so many favorites
Go ahead, ask me anything about the 224 wrestlers who competed last week at the Indiana state finals — or at least about the 112 wrestlers who survived Saturday’s first round.
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ANDY TAKES AIM: A sportwriters’s lament: Oh, the games we missed
I was already tired of winter by the time that first bitterly cold snap passed through in mid-December, so it’s safe to say the season hasn’t grown on me.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Time of the season for teams to tough it out
In the last month or so I figure I’ve seen at least four boys high school basketball teams with legitimate state-championship dreams as the season heads into its dog days.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: It's the fall 2010 Amey Awards
I won’t get to know the kids from Casey and North Putnam until they come to Terre Haute in droves next June for the Wabash Valley Football Coaches Association All-Star game, so I guess it’s not too early for the high school football awards from this space.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: An early look at Indiana prep football playoffs
I wasn’t at all surprised to watch Linton pick up a 20-point win over previously unbeaten North Knox in high school football last Friday, one week after the Miners had lost by 40 to North Daviess.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Baseball season rounding third for an exciting ending
Major League baseball is coming down to an interesting week for the National League, then a couple of interesting weeks for the American League.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Look for me in the yellow shirt
I won’t be wearing pink or blue tonight for the Terre Haute South-Terre Haute North volleyball match at North, but I’m anticipating that plenty of you will be.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Little QB had big moments in ISU blue
You won’t find his name easily in the Indiana State record book, but for my money the best quarterback the Sycamores have ever had was Verbie Walder.
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Amey Takes Aim: Biggest baseball pet peeve … Nibbling
Having seen some outstanding baseball — and some not-so-outstanding baseball — at literally every level of play this spring and summer, I have identified what without a doubt is my main pet peeve with the sport. Nibbling. I’m not referring to popcorn or pretzels or nachos or cheese sticks or corn dogs or snow cones or candy or ice cream. Those can also be a serious problem — particularly if the kids are with me — but one that can be solved by simply running out of money.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Head to the high seas: Ameys’ vacation cruise
It’s good to be king. Abdication? Not so good.
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World Cup replaces void opened when Stanley Cup ended
It’s niche sports day here at the Tribune-Star, so we’ll start with a test of how much you learned while watching the recent National Hockey League season.
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Win or lose, a softball season to remember
Well, this is awkward. I’m writing this late Monday night, with my Tuesday and Wednesday days off in the future, not knowing entirely how happy I am with state-finals softball.
- More Amey Takes Aim Headlines
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AMEY TAKES AIM: Huntsville’s Stars, Havoc take back seat to GGS
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Tom Cruise Is Shirtless and Ripped
Yosimite Falls now streaming online
Charlie Sheen's New 'Anger Management' Trailer
Behind The Scenes of Lady Gaga's Simpsons Episode
