By Andy Amey
TERRE HAUTE — Go ahead. Try to make some sense of the boys high school basketball sectionals that begin today around the Wabash Valley.
Yes, there’s a strong possibility that Vigo County fans might make three round trips to Plainfield before a Terre Haute North-Terre Haute South finale — don’t those two always play each other when Class 4A Sectional 13 is at one of its eastern schools? — although Northview might have something to say about that. But among six sectionals, there are only three top-10 teams — Sullivan at the Class 3A Owen Valley Sectional, White River Valley at its own Class A tournament and Attica at the Class A North Vermillion Sectional — and none has established dominance over its neighbors, although the Golden Arrows do seem to specialize in winning close games.
And if you put all 37 coaches involved in a room and described to them a team fully capable of beating the best team on its schedule or losing to the worst, probably more than a dozen of them would be up waving their hands saying, “That’s us all right.”
Even if form holds true at Plainfield for two nights, there’s no history of predictability in the North-South rivalry either — although Todd Woelfle would be happy if there were this week.
“North is the clear favorite [at Plainfield],” said coach Mike Saylor of South, but with a quick qualifier.
“I feel like we’re a dangerous club,” added Saylor, whose Braves have won three of four, the only loss in that span a close Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference game on the road. “We’ve had four real high-quality games in a row going into the tournament … due to working so diligently for so long, and getting people on the same page.”
“I feel like we had a really good regular season,” said Woelfle, “and we’re excited about the postseason.
“Plainfield [North’s opening opponent today] is very active, and they have a couple of players who can score a lot of points,” the Patriot coach continued. “We need to stay disciplined, work for good shots and defend like we have all season.” North ranks ninth in the state in fewest points allowed.
Northview, after a 1-11 start, is the sleeper there. The Knights have won six of nine and have played South, their possible first opponent, tough.
One of the coaches waving his hand a few paragraphs ago was undoubtedly Joe Boehler of West Vigo, whose team enters tournament play with an 11-11 record that would be 20-2 had the Vikings scored six more points in every game.
“I wish I had the magic formula [for consistency],” said Boehler, whose team lost three of its last four, two in unexpected fashion. “All we can do is cross our fingers and hope we play well.”
West Vigo plays Brown County tonight in a single game at Owen Valley. Wednesday’s doubleheader there might be the toughest ticket of Valley sectional play, with the host Patriots meeting in the opener and Sullivan and South Vermillion tangling for the third time — and second time in six days — in the nightcap.
“There’s not a whole lot we don’t know about each other,” coach Jeff Moore of Sullivan said after Friday night’s Western Indiana Conference-clinching win over the Wildcats, a one-possession game until the final seven seconds. “It’ll be another dogfight.”
Most games at Owen Valley could be, considering that the Golden Arrows needed one of their miracle endings to beat Greencastle — with the worst record in the sectional field — in overtime during the regular season and won five other games against teams in the field by five points or less.
Other near-certain dogfights will take place in the two Class A tournaments, both featuring nothing but conference rivalries.
At North Vermillion, each Wabash River Conference team has beaten or lost to at least one of its rivals. Three teams in the field have winning records but the hottest team is one that’s below .500 — the completely rebuilt defending champs from Rockville.
Among the SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference teams at White River Valley, no one is entering the tournament on a hot streak — unless you count Clay City, which won its last two games after losing 14 straight.
In Class 2A sectionals, Eastern Greene has the best record and South Knox the best regular-season finish at North Knox, while Covenant Christian is slightly hotter at South Putnam than either Tri-West or Speedway; Cloverdale, now that the Clovers finally earned coach Pat Rady’s 700th win, might relax and be a spoiler there.
Indiana boys basketball sectionals
Class 4A
At Plainfield
Today — Terre Haute North (16-6) vs. Plainfield (7-14), 6 p.m., followed by Mooresville (3-17) vs. Terre Haute South (12-10)
Friday — Martinsville (4-16) vs. winner game 1, 6 p.m., followed by Northview (7-14) vs. winner game 2
Class 3A
At Owen Valley
Today — West Vigo (11-11) vs. Brown County (12-7), 7 p.m.
Wednesday — Greencastle (6-13) vs. Owen Valley (8-13), 6 p.m., followed by Sullivan (20-2) vs. South Vermillion (13-9)
Friday — Edgewood (14-6) vs. winner game 1, 6 p.m., followed by winner game 2 vs. winner game 3
Class 2A
At North Knox
Today — North Knox (5-17) vs. Linton (3-17), 7 p.m.
Friday — Eastern Greene (13-8) vs. Bloomfield (6-15), 6 p.m., followed by South Knox (11-10) vs. winner game 1
At South Putnam
Today — Cloverdale (11-10) vs. Monrovia (14-6), 6 p.m., followed by Tri-West (14-5) vs. North Putnam (4-16)
Wednesday — Speedway (14-6) vs. Cascade (3-17), 6 p.m., followed by Covenant Christian (12-7) vs. South Putnam (3-17)
Friday — Today’s winners, 6 p.m., followed by Wednesday’s winners
Class A
At North Vermillion
Today — North Vermillion (9-11) vs. Covington (14-6), 6 p.m., followed by Attica (15-5) vs. Turkey Run (12-9)
Friday — Rockville (10-11) vs. winner game 1, 6 p.m., followed by Riverton Parke (2-19) vs. winner game 2
At White River Valley
Today — Union (2-18) vs. Shakamak (15-7), 7 p.m.
Friday — Clay City (5-15) vs. North Central (11-9), 6 p.m., followed by White River Valley (15-6) vs. winner game 1
All championship games March 6
