It’s August and school is starting across Indiana, which means it’s time to begin the 2019-20 high school sports season.
The first sport to begin is girls golf, with the first practices set for Friday and Saturday. Golf teams can play their first matches on Monday. As for the other sports, they can conduct their first practices on Monday. Competition in cross country, soccer, boys tennis, unified flag football and volleyball can start on Saturday, Aug. 17, with football starting on Friday, Aug. 23.
Once the regular season begins, teams will have their eyes on the post-season, which is only a couple months away. The Reporter has you covered in the following comprehensive look at each fall sport, highlighting where all the Hamilton County schools will play in sectionals – and hopefully beyond.
GIRLS GOLF
Sectionals
County golf teams will again be divided among two sectionals. Carmel, Guerin Catholic, University and Westfield will play Friday, Sept. 20 at the Ben Davis sectional, which takes place at South Grove Golf Course in Indianapolis (1800 W. 18th St.) Also competing are Brebeuf Jesuit, Cardinal Ritter, Covenant Christian, Pike, Speedway and the host Giants.
The next day, Saturday, Sept. 21, Noblesville will host the sectional at Harbour Trees Golf Club. Fishers, Hamilton Heights and Hamilton Southeastern will also be at that site, along with teams from Alexandria, Anderson, Elwood, Lapel and Shenandoah.
Regionals
The top three teams and top three individuals not on an advancing team qualify for the regional, which is set for Saturday, Sept. 28.
Teams getting out of the Noblesville sectional head over to the Lapel regional, which takes place at Edgewood Golf Club, just west of Anderson on State Road 32. Teams advancing from the Ben Davis sectional will travel to the Roncalli regional, which will be played at Smock Golf Course, located on the south side of Indianapolis on the Marion-Johnson county line.
State finals
The top three teams and top five individuals not on an advancing team will go to the state meet. For the sixth year, Carmel’s Prairie View Golf Club will host the big meet, a 36-hole tournament that takes place Friday Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5.
BOYS TENNIS
The tournament draw for tennis is on Monday, Sept. 30.
Sectionals
The sectional round for boys tennis is scheduled from Wednesday, Oct. 2 to Saturday, Oct. 5. County sectionals usually take place Wednesday and Thursday to make room for rain dates.
Both sectional sites will have four teams. Hamilton Southeastern will host Fishers, Hamilton Heights and Noblesville, while Carmel’s Todd Witsken Tennis Center welcomes Guerin Catholic, University and Westfield.
Regionals
The four-team regionals will be played Tuesday, Oct. 8 and Wednesday, Oct. 9. The champion at Southeastern will travel to North Central, while the Carmel champion heads north to Kokomo.
Semi-state
The semi-state round is set for Saturday, Oct. 12. The North Central winner will play for one of the two championships at Homestead, with the Kokomo winner competing for one of the Culver Academies championships. (Four teams play at each semi-state, with the winners each receiving a championship and qualifying for the state meet.)
State finals
The state quarter-finals will be played on Friday, Oct. 18, with teams competing either at Carmel or Center Grove. The semi-finals and championship are set for Saturday, Oct. 19 at North Central.
UNIFIED FLAG FOOTBALL
The IHSAA will host its second annual Unified flag football tournament this year after last year’s inaugural tournament was successful. The exact tournament structure is not available at press time, but the dates will be as follows:
Sectionals – Saturday, Oct. 5
Regionals – Saturday, Oct. 12
State finals – Saturday, Oct. 19
SOCCER
The tournament draw date for both boys and girls soccer is Sunday, Sept. 29. Sectionals will take place the week of Oct. 7 to Oct. 12, with the regionals on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Boys sectionals
Noblesville will host Class 3A Sectional 8, playing with teams from Anderson, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Muncie Central and Pendleton Heights. Meanwhile, Carmel and Westfield travel to Pike to compete in 3A Sectional 10, joining teams from North Central, Shortridge and Zionsville.
In 2A, Guerin Catholic and Hamilton Heights is in Sectional 26, which will take place at Brebeuf Jesuit. Other teams at that site will be Cardinal Ritter, Covenant Christian, Lebanon and Western Boone.
In 1A, Sheridan hosts Sectional 39, welcoming teams from Anderson Preparatory Academy, Liberty Christian, Taylor and Tri-Central. In Sectional 40, University will play at Park Tudor, along with Heritage Christian, Howe, International and Scecina.
Girls sectionals
Hamilton Southeastern hosts Class 3A Sectional 8, with the same lineup as the boys: Anderson, Fishers, Muncie Central, Noblesville and Pendleton Heights will also be there. Sectional 10’s lineup is slightly different: Guerin Catholic is the host, welcoming teams from Arsenal Tech, Carmel, North Central, Pike, Westfield and Zionsville.
In 2A, Hamilton Heights will compete in Sectional 24 at New Castle, along with Delta, Jay County and Yorktown. In 1A, Sheridan hosts Sectional 37, which also includes teams from Eastern, Taylor, Tipton, Tri-Central and University.
Boys regionals
The Noblesville sectional winner will play in Regional 2 at Kokomo, while Carmel hosts Regional 3, which is where the Pike sectional winner will compete. Kokomo is in the north semi-state, Pike in the south semi-state.
The Brebeuf Jesuit sectional winner plays in Regional 7 at Greensburg, with both the Sheridan and Park Tudor sectional champion heading to Regional 10 at Taylor. Greensburg is in the south semi-state, with Taylor in the north semi-state.
Girls regionals
The champion at Hamilton Southeastern winner plays at Logansport, with the Guerin Catholic winner traveling to New Palestine. The winner at New Castle will travel to Regional 6 at Northwestern, while the Sheridan champion will compete in Regional 10, to be played either at Eastbrook or Wabash.
All the above-mentioned girls regionals align with the north semi-state.
Semi-states
Semi-state games take place on Saturday, Oct. 26.
Teams will be assigned to sites once the regional champions are determined. North semi-state games take place at either Kokomo or South Bend St. Joseph, with south semi-state games set for either Evansville North or Seymour.
State finals
The state finals are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2 at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium. Two games will be played Friday evening, with the other games scheduled for Saturday. Game assignments will be made once the semi-state games are completed.
CROSS COUNTRY
Sectionals
The cross country tournament begins with sectionals on Saturday, Oct. 12.
Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern will run in the Pendleton Heights sectional, joining Alexandria, Anderson, Anderson Prep, Blue River Valley, Elwood, Frankton, Lapel, Liberty Christian, Pendleton Heights and Shenandoah. Noblesville will again host the other county schools, along with Lebanon, Tipton, Tri-Central and Western Boone. The meet will take place at the Chinquapin Ridge Cross Country Course at White River Elementary School.
Regionals
The top five teams and top 10 individuals not on an advancing team qualify for regionals, which are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19. Qualifiers from Pendleton Heights compete at the Delta regional, to be run at the Muncie Sports Complex. Noblesville sectional qualifiers return to the Millers’ Chinquapin Ridge course for the regional race.
Semi-states
The top five teams and top 10 individuals not on an advancing team move on to the semi-state, set for Saturday, Oct. 26. Delta qualifiers race in the New Haven semi-state, which will take place at The Plex at Purdue Fort Wayne. Noblesville qualifiers travel to Shelbyville and will run at Blue River Park.
State finals
The top six teams and top 10 individuals not on an advancing team head to the state meet, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2. State will again take place at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course in Terre Haute.
VOLLEYBALL
The tournament draw date is Sunday, Oct. 6.
Sectionals
Sectional matches are set for Tuesday, Oct. 15, Thursday, Oct. 17 and Saturday, Oct. 19. Noblesville will host Class 4A Sectional 8, welcoming teams from Carmel, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Westfield and Zionsville.
Guerin Catholic and Hamilton Heights will play in 3A Sectional 27, which will take place at Brebeuf Jesuit. Bishop Chatard, Manual and Shortridge will also play there. Sheridan hosts Class 2A Sectional 43, with teams from Heritage Christian, Park Tudor, University and Western Boone also at that site.
Regionals
Regional matches take place on Saturday, Oct. 26. The winner of the Noblesville sectional will return to The Mill on that day to play in Regional 2, which aligns with the north semi-state.
Meanwhile, the Brebeuf Jesuit champion travels to the Danville regional, while the winner at Sheridan will play in the Heritage Christian regional. Both regionals are in the south semi-state.
Semi-states
Semi-states are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2. Teams will be assigned to semi-states after the regional championship matches are finished. North semi-state matches take place either at Plymouth or Frankfort, with south semi-state matches to be played at either Columbus East or Jasper.
State finals
The state finals will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Ball State University’s Worthen Arena.
FOOTBALL
The tournament draw date is Sunday, Oct. 13.
Sectionals
The football sectional opens on Friday, Oct. 25. Class 6A teams and most Class 5A teams will be off that week, since their sectionals have four teams. (Two 5A sectionals have five teams, so there will be a first-round game in those brackets.) Semi-finals take place Friday, Nov. 1, with the championship games on Friday, Nov. 8.
Noblesville has been moved to Class 6A Sectional 3, with Fort Wayne Carroll, Homestead and Snider. Meanwhile, 6A Sectional 4 remains an all-county affair, with Carmel, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern and Westfield.
In Class 3A, Guerin Catholic and Hamilton Heights play in Sectional 28, with Bishop Chatard, Brebeuf Jesuit, Crawfordsville, North Montgomery, West Lafayette and Yorktown. Sheridan will compete in Class 1A Sectional 46, with Anderson Prep, Covenant Christian, Edinburgh, Indiana School for the Deaf, Indianapolis Lutheran, Park Tudor and Tindley.
Regionals
Regional games are set for Friday, Nov. 15. The winners of Sectionals 3 and 4 will play for the 6A Regional 2 title. The Sectional 28 champion takes on the Sectional 27 winner for the 3A Regional 14 championship, and the Sectional 46 winner plays the Sectional 45 champion for the 1A Regional 23 title.
Semi-state
Semi-state games are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 22. As always, games may be pushed back to Saturday, Nov. 23 if there is considerable distance between opposing schools.
State finals
The Class 1A, 3A and 5A state championship games take place on Friday, Nov. 29, with the 2A, 4A and 6A games scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 30. All games will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.