HANCOCK COUNTY — A rivalry renewal and a pair of early season rematches are in store for Hancock County’s high school football teams when they begin sectional play next week.
The IHSAA had its annual draw Sunday to determine pairings for the upcoming state tournament.
It would be hard not to have a rematch in Class 4A Sectional 21. Six of the eight schools, including Hancock County schools Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon and New Palestine, are members of the Hoosier Heritage Conference.
When the state tournament begins Oct. 25, New Palestine, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, and Mt. Vernon will renew one of Indiana’s oldest rivalries.
The Dragons and Marauders will meet at New Palestine’s Kelso Stadium at 7 p.m. in one of four Sectional 21 quarterfinal matchups.
The tournament game will be the 66th meeting. New Palestine has a 40-24-1 advantage. The Dragons beat the Marauders 56-8 in Fortville on Sept. 13.
The Dragons are 7-0 going into their final regular-season game Friday, at home, against Delta. The Marauders are 4-4 and have won four straight since losing to New Palestine. They wrap up the regular season Friday at Yorktown.
In the top half of the Sectional 21 bracket, Class 4A No. 8 Greenfield-Central (6-2) hosts Beech Grove (4-4). It’s a rematch of a Week 1 game in Beech Grove won by the Cougars 50-8.
Greenfield-Central finishes its regular season Friday, at home, against New Castle.
The other top-half bracket matchup pits a pair of HHC schools. New Castle (4-4) will travel to Pendleton Heights (3-5).
In Week 3, Pendleton Heights beat New Castle 42-21.
In the other tournament quarterfinal matchup, on the New Pal-Mt. Vernon side of the bracket, Yorktown (5-3) visits Richmond (1-7). It is the only quarterfinal contest that is not a rematch from the regular season.
Eastern Hancock (5-3) is in one of Class 2A’s most competitive sectionals.
The Royals are in the top half of the bracket and will open at Centerville (7-1). In Week 3, Eastern Hancock lost at home to the Bulldogs 29-26.
In the other quarterfinal in the top portion of the bracket, Lapel (5-3) — Eastern Hancock’s opponent this week — travels to Northeastern (8-0). The Knights are ranked No. 12 in the state.
The other half of the bracket has Triton Central (6-2) visiting Union County (0-8) and Shenandoah (4-4) traveling to Winchester (3-5).
Eastern Hancock and New Palestine are defending sectional champions.
–
Games to be played at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 21
Beech Grove [4-4] at Greenfield-Central [6-2]
New Castle [4-4] at Pendleton Heights [3-5]
Yorktown [5-3] at Richmond [1-7]
Mount Vernon [4-4] at New Palestine [7-0]
–
CLASS 2A SECTIONAL 38
Lapel [5-3] at Northeastern [8-0]
Eastern Hancock [5-3] at Centerville [7-1]
Triton Central [6-2] at Union County [0-8]
Shenandoah [4-4] at Winchester [3-5]
–
