If there’s a rubber match between Center Grove and Franklin this season, it won’t come until the semistate round.
The two county rivals, with respective rankings of second and sixth in the Class 4A state poll, had part of their postseason paths revealed to them Sunday evening when the IHSAA released this year’s sectional and regional draws.
The Trojans (21-1) play Bloomington South in the first round of the Mooresville Sectional on Jan. 30, with the winner advancing to a Feb. 2 semifinal against Greenwood. Center Grove plays the Woodmen (5-15) in a regular-season game on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Grizzly Cubs (19-2) will take on Shelbyville in the second of two first-round games at Whiteland on Jan. 30. Should they survive, they’ll meet Columbus North in a Feb. 2 semifinal. On the top side of the bracket, the host Warriors (9-11) play East Central in the opening round, with the winner earning a semifinal date with Columbus East.
Should the favorites advance out of the sectional, Center Grove would play a regional game against the winner of the Floyd Central Sectional, potentially a rematch against No. 7 Jennings County (the Trojans beat the Panthers, 64-57, on Jan. 6), while Franklin would see the winner of the Evansville Harrison Sectional.
Elsewhere, Class 3A No. 5 Indian Creek will begin its quest for a state title in the Owen Valley Sectional, with a first-round date against Brown County on Jan. 31. If the Braves move past the Eagles, Northview or South Vermillion awaits in the semifinal round on Feb. 2.
In the Class A sectional at Eminence, Greenwood Christian (4-14) drew a bye through the first round and will face Providence Cristo Rey in the early semifinal game on Feb. 2. The top two teams in the bracket, the host Eels and Indianapolis Lutheran, meet each other in round one.
Edinburgh, meanwhile, opens play in the Class A Southwestern Sectional with a first-round game against South Decatur on Jan. 30. The Lancers (3-17) lost to the Cougars last Tuesday, 46-19, but if they can flip that result they’ll take on Jac-Cen-Del in a semifinal clash.
