News

Wrestling sectional matches begin Feb. 1
We’re nine days away from the start of the winter state tournament season as the 76th Annual IHSAA Wrestling State Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 1 at 32 sectional sites.

Three hundred and thirteen schools will be represented by 6,537 athletes with the top four contestants in each of the 14 weight classes advancing to one of 16 individual regionals on Saturday, Feb. 8.

While competing as individuals, participants also will be accumulating points for their school toward a sectional championship on Saturday.

Results from all wrestling sectionals will be posted on the wrestling state tournament page at www.ihsaa.org as they become available from the host sites.

76th Annual Wrestling State Tournament
Sectionals
Date: Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014.
Admission: $6. 
Advancement: The top four place winners in each weight class advance to the regional tournament.
State Tournament

Notables

Defending Sectional Team Champions
Adams Central, Bloomington South, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Chesterton, Columbus East, Connersville, Crown Point, Danville, East Noble, Elkhart Memorial, Evansville Mater Dei, Evansville Reitz, Floyd Central, Franklin Community, Hamilton Southeastern, Harrison (West Lafayette), Indianapolis Cathedral, Jasper, Merrillville, New Castle, New Haven, Noblesville, North Montgomery, Penn, Perry Meridian, Peru, Plymouth, Portage, Twin Lakes, Warren Central, Western, Yorktown.

Active Sectional Championship Streaks (3 or more years)
37: Evansville Mater Dei.
14: Perry Meridian.
11: Crown Point.
9: Merrillville.
8: New Castle, Yorktown.
5: Bloomington South, Portage.
4: Franklin Community, Hamilton Southeastern, Jasper, Noblesville.
3: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Penn.

Most Consecutive Sectional Championships
37 by Evansville Mater Dei, 1977-2013.

Top 10 All-Time Sectional Championships
43: Evansville Mater Dei.
39: New Castle.
38: Bellmont.
36: Bloomington South (Bloomington).
32: Indianapolis Cathedral, Logansport.
31: Jasper, Lafayette Jefferson.
30: Castle, Lafayette Jefferson.

 

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Details Set for Girls, Boys Basketball Tournament Pairings Shows
Sectional matchups in the 39th Annual IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament will be announced Sunday, Feb. 2 (Super Bowl Sunday), on Fox Sports Indiana beginning at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT.

The 90-minute show will originate live from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis with legendary announcer Jerry Baker serving as host. He’ll be accompanied by Pat McKee, Columbus North girls basketball coach and former Indianapolis Star sportswriter in the analyst role along with Fox Sports Indiana’s Jeremiah Johnson who will interview guest coaches.

For viewers outside of the Fox Sports Indiana coverage area, a live stream will be available at IHSAAtv.org. For those within the FSI coverage area, the stream will be available only on delayed basis later that evening.

Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Lovell will simultaneously announce the pairings on the IHSAA Champions Radio Network to state-wide affiliates. Indiana All-Star Game Director Charlie Hall, will serve as the analyst.

The boys tournament pairings show will air on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm CT.

Complete pairings will be available on the IHSAA.org website at the conclusion of each broadcast.

Fox Sports Indiana Broadcast Schedule

IHSAA Girls Basketball Pairings Show
(Live) Sunday, Feb. 2 at 4 p.m. on FOX Sports Indiana and FOX Sports Midwest; nationally on FOX College Sports Central
(Re-broadcast) Monday, Feb. 3 at 1 a.m. on FOX Sports Indiana and FOX Sports Midwest
(Re-broadcast) Monday, Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. on FOX Sports Indiana and FOX Sports Midwest

IHSAA Boys Basketball Pairings Show
(Live) Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Indiana
(Re-broadcast) Sunday, Feb. 23 at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Indiana and FOX Sports Midwest
(Re-broadcast) Monday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Indiana and FOX Sports Midwest

 

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Elkhart Central’s Nathan Palmer Practicing with Super Bowl-Bound Broncos
One homegrown Hoosier and a few players and coaches who called Indiana home for a period of time will be involved in the Super Bowl XLVIII matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.

The only player on either team that played high school football in Indiana is Nathan Palmer, from Elkhart, Indiana, who is currently on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. Palmer is a 2007 graduate of Elkhart Central High School where he was a first team all-state choice as a senior after gaining honorable mention recognition the prior year. Indianapolis Colts fans may remember Palmer, as he was a member of the Colts in 2012. Palmer started as a San Francisco 49er in 2012 before becoming a Colt. For most of the 2013 season, Palmer was a member of the Miami Dolphins until he was cut from the team on December 23rd. The Denver Broncos then signed him to their practice squad shortly thereafter.

Bill Beck, the sports editor at the Elkhart Truth, had this article on Palmer’s early Christmas gift last month:

Another player for the Denver Broncos called Indianapolis his home for almost 15 years. That player, of course, is Peyton Manning, who is making his third appearance in the Super Bowl in his career, and his first as a Bronco. Manning is attempting to become the first quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl with two different teams. He was, and still is, very involved with the Indianapolis community. While in Indy, he started the Peyback Foundation, which functions to help disadvantaged children. He also created the Peyback Classic, an event at which high school football games are played at Lucas Oil Stadium between IHSAA member schools. In 2007, St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis renamed its children’s hospital to “Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent” after a donation of an undisclosed amount from Manning and his wife.

Six other players and three coaches between the two teams have ties to the state.

Denver Broncos

David Bruton (Player)
#30, 5th year with Denver as a Safety
University of Notre Dame (2005-08)

Jim Bob Cooter (Coach)
5th year of NFL coaching overall, 1st year with Denver as an Offensive Assistant
Indianapolis Colts Staff (2009-2011)

Winston Justice (Player)
#77, 8th season overall, 1st with Denver as an Offensive Tackle.
Indianapolis Colts (2012)

Dave Magazu (Coach)
11th year of NFL coaching overall, 3rd year with Denver as the Offensive Line Coach
Indiana State University Offensive Coordinator (1990-91)
Ball State University Offensive Coordinator (1985-86)

Shaun Phillips (Player)
#90, 10th season overall, 1st with Denver as a Linebacker
Purdue University (2000-03)

Jay Rodgers (Coach)
5th year of NFL coaching overall, 2nd with Denver as the Defensive Line Coach
Played collegiately at Indiana University (1996-98)

Jacob Tamme (Player)
#84, 6th season overall, 2nd with Denver as a Tight End
Indianapolis Colts (2008-2011)

Seattle Seahawks

Cliff Avril (Player)
#56, 6th season overall, 1st with Seattle as a Defensive End
Purdue University (2000-03)

Golden Tate (Player)
#81, 4th season with Seattle as a Wide Receiver
University of Notre Dame (2007-09)

Thanks to IHSAA Sports Administration intern Dan Lauck, a marketing major in IUPUI’s Kelley School of Business and Roncalli HS graduate, for compiling the above information from each team’s official website.

 

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About the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA)

Founded in 1903, the purpose of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA) is to encourage, regulate and give direction to wholesome amateur interschool athletic competition between its 412 member schools. The Association provides state championship tournament series in 20 sports, 10 for girls and 10 for boys. Approximately 160,000 student athletes participate in IHSAA sports on an annual basis.