Big change for girls soccer sectionals

Noblesville Millers move over to Sectional 9

By RICHIE HALL
sports@readthereporter.com

One of the biggest sectional rivalries in the state will come to an end this fall.

Noblesville has been moved out of Sectional 8 in the IHSAA’s Class 3A girls soccer tournament. This is arguably the most significant change to the fall sectional pairings, which the organization announced during its minutes last June.

For years, the Millers had rotated Sectional 8 hosting duties with Hamilton Southeastern. The two teams usually met in the sectional as two of the top programs in Indiana. Noblesville won five state championships coming out of Sectional 8 until the Royals broke through in 2025, beating the Millers en route to Southeastern’s first-ever state title.

Starting this season, Noblesville will compete in Sectional 9. That puts the Millers’ girls team in line with the boys, who were moved into Sectional 9 starting with the 2024 season.

“I know why they did it,” said Royals coach Greg Davidson. “I always enjoyed the rivalry with Noblesville, so we were a little disappointed that they moved Noblesville out of the sectional. They’re always great games and adds to the aura of the tournament.

“We’ll play whoever they put it on our sectional, we have to be focused on and be ready by tournament time.”

And Sectional 8 will still be a difficult sectional. For one thing, Southeastern’s Mudsock rival Fishers is still in that sectional. The Tigers played the Royals tough in last year’s Sectional 8 championship before HSE won 1-0.

“They gave us one of the better games in the tournament,” said Davidson. They had a scheme and had a plan and they played it really well. [Harold] Spooner’s a great coach. He always has his teams playing their best soccer.”

The other teams in Sectional 8 are Anderson, Mt. Vernon, Muncie Central, Pendleton Heights and Richmond.

“Pendleton Heights has been on the rise,” said Davidson. “Mt. Vernon has been really growing and has got solid soccer players. There’s not many cakewalks out there and our sectional is included.”

Meanwhile, Sectional 9 was already difficult. Noblesville will join Carmel, North Central, Pike, Westfield and Zionsville. The Greyhounds were the 3A runners-up to Southeastern last season, while the Shamrocks took Carmel to overtime in the sectional championship.

The Sectional 8 and Sectional 9 girls groups now look the same as the boys groups. Noblesville’s boys were moved into Sectional 9 starting with the 2024 season.

Fishers will host the girls soccer Sectional 8 this year, with Westfield hosting Sectional 9. As for the boys, Southeastern hosts Sectional 8 and Carmel will host Sectional 9.

As for other sectional sites:

The Hamilton Heights girls will travel to Eastbrook for Class 2A Sectional 23. Delta, Jay County, Mississinewa and Yorktown are the other schools in that six-team group.

Guerin Catholic’s girls will play in 2A Sectional 24 at Brebeuf Jesuit. That will be a five-team site, with Heritage Christian, Bishop Chatard and Park Tudor also competing.

Sheridan will compete in 1A Sectional 38, which takes place at Oak Hill. The seven-team group also includes Elwood, Lapel, Taylor, Tipton and Tri-Central.

University will play in 1A Sectional 40 at Covenant Christian, a six-team site. Cardinal Ritter, Metropolitan, Riverside and Tindley also will compete there.

In boys soccer, both Guerin Catholic and Heights will play in Class 2A Sectional 24 at Park Tudor. That sectional consists of seven teams, with Bishop Chatard, Brebeuf Jesuit, Heritage Christian and Lapel also in the group.

Sheridan’s boys will compete in 1A Sectional 38 at Taylor, a seven-team site. The other schools are Carroll, Delphi, Elwood, Rossville and Tri-Central.

University will travel to Class 1A Sectional 40 at North Putnam. Bethesda Christian, International, Riverside and Traders Point Christian complete the list of that six-team site.

A look  at the sectional groups of the other fall sports will appear in Friday’s Reporter.