The IHSAA announced the pairings for the boys and girls soccer sectional tournaments on Sunday night, and there will be some big rivalry matches for Hamilton County teams right out of the gate.
The biggest rivalry of all will take place at the boys’ Class 3A Sectional 8 at Noblesville. Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers will play each other in the very first match. In this week’s soccer coaches poll, the Tigers are No. 1 and the Royals are No. 11.
The other first-round match will see Muncie Central take on Anderson. The No. 2-ranked Millers will play the second semi-final game against Pendleton Heights, while the first-round winners face off in the first semi-final, to be played prior to the Noblesville-Pendleton game.
Meanwhile, Westfield will host 3A Sectional 10. The No. 12 Shamrocks take on No. 9 Zionsville in the opening game, followed by a first-round match between Shortridge and North Central. The winners play each other in the first semi-final, followed by the second semi-final between No. 10 Carmel and Pike.
In Class 2A, Guerin Catholic hosts Sectional 26. In first-round action, Lebanon takes on Western Boone and Hamilton Heights will play Brebeuf Jesuit. Those winners face off in the first semi-final, with the host and No. 3-ranked Golden Eagles playing Cardinal Ritter in the second semi-final.
Sheridan will play in 1A Sectional 39 at Taylor, a five-team group. The Blackhawks got the bye and will take on the winner of a first-round match between Taylor and Anderson Prep Academy in the semi-finals. The other semi-final will be contested between Liberty Christian and Tri-Central.
University travels to Park Tudor 1A Sectional 40. That sectional opens with Tindley taking on Scecina and No. 11 Heritage Christian playing International in first-round games. The winners play in the first semi-final, and the No. 3 Trailblazers take on No. 1 Park Tudor in the second semi-final.
GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Hamilton Southeastern hosts the girls Class 3A Sectional 8 tournament. The No. 4-ranked Royals will play No. 1 Noblesville in the second first-round game, following the event’s opener between Pendleton Heights and Muncie Central. The winners advance to the first semi-final, with the second semi-final to feature Anderson playing No. 20 Fishers.
Carmel hosts 3A Sectional 10, which is a seven-team group. There will be three first-round matches, starting with Arsenal Tech playing Westfield. The No. 3 Greyhounds then take on No. 13 Guerin Catholic, followed by No. 6 North Central playing Pike.
No. 10 Zionsville got the bye and will play the Tech-Westfield winner in the first semi-final. The other two first-round winners advance to play in the second semi-final.
Hamilton Heights hosts 2A Sectional 24, a five-team event. In first-round action, New Castle plays Jay County. The No. 15 Huskies take on Yorktown, with Delta playing the first-round winner.
Sheridan plays at 1A Sectional 37 at Tipton, which features four teams. The Blackhawks take on the host and No. 10-ranked Blue Devils in the first semi-final, with Tri-Central playing Eastern in the other semi-final.
University will travel to 1A Sectional 43 at Triton Central, another four-team group. No. 1-ranked Heritage Christian will play host Triton Central, with the Trailblazers facing off against Scecina.
Start times for each sectional are still being finalized; schedules for the Carmel girls and Westfield boys sectionals have been announced. At Westfield, first-round games begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday, with the semi-finals at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6. The championship is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9.
At Carmel, the Tech-Westfield game will be played at 6 p.m. Oct. 5. The other two first-round games will be played on Wednesday, Oct. 6, with the first contest to start at 5:30 pm. The semi-finals begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7. The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9.