We're getting an even better idea, during Sectional Championship week, of who will be moving on to the Regional, Semi-State and possibly the State Championship games. It becomes that much harder really, to predict these winners each week. The stakes are higher and it doesn't matter what a team's record is. Every team "started the playoffs 0-0" and it's a whole new season, so to speak. Some consider it quest to keep going what was going right during the first 9 games. Others, treat the playoffs as a way to start anew and regain what they really wanted during the regular season.
So far, predicting the playoffs, my overall record is 196-41 (5A=41-6; 4A=38-9; 3A=41-6; 2A=40-7; 1A=36-11).
Below are my picks and a little inside the numbers look at each game.
5A Sectional 1
Crown Point (8-3) at 5A #12 Merrillville (8-3)
--Crown Point won 6 of 7; Merrillville won 7 straight and beat Bulldogs 21-20 in Week 3
My pick...MERRILLVILLE
5A Sectional 2
5A #3 Penn (11-0) at Carroll (Allen) (8-3)
--Penn beat 6 ranked opponents; Carroll won 7 of last 9 after starting season 0-2
My pick...PENN
5A Sectional 3
Fort Wayne Snider (7-4) at Kokomo (9-2)
--Snider won 5 of last 7; Kokomo won 9 straight, upset #4 Homestead 44-41 in Sect. Semifinals
My pick...FORT WAYNE SNIDER
5A Sectional 4
Fishers (8-3) at 5A #6 Hamilton Southeastern (10-1)
--Fishers won 6 of 7; HSE won Week 2 at Fishers 28-7, won 8 straight, including 3 shutouts
My pick...HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
5A Sectional 5
5A #1 Warren Central (11-0) at 5A #2 Carmel (10-1)
--WC won Week 7 at Lucas Oil, 22-20; Carmel outscoring opponents 498-107, 4 shutouts
My pick...CARMEL
5A Sectional 6
5A #5 Ben Davis (9-2) at 5A #9 Avon (10-1)
--BD won 6 of 7; Avon won 10 straight after losing at HSE 27-17 in Week 1
My pick...AVON
5A Sectional 7
Columbus North (8-3) at Center Grove (7-4)
--CN won 8 of 10 since losing opener 58-17 to Carmel; CG lost 3 straight enter the playoffs
My pick...COLUMBUS NORTH
5A Sectional 8
5A #7 Castle (11-0) at Bedford North Lawrence (8-3)
--Castle outscoring opp. 486-164; BNL has won 7 of their last 9
My pick...CASTLE
4A Sectional 9
Griffith (8-3) at 4A #5 Hammond Morton (10-1)
--Griffth won 6 of 7 after 2-2 start; HM won season opener at Griffith 21-14
My pick...HAMMOND MORTON
4A Sectional 10
Mishawaka (7-4) at 4A #12 South Bend Washington (8-3)
--Cavemen won 6 of 8, started 0-2; Washington only won 4 of last 7 games
My pick...SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON
4A Sectional 11
4A #16 Concord (9-2) at Northwood (8-3)
--Concord won 9 of 10 since Week 1 loss at East Noble; Northwood lost Week 3 at Concord, 9-7
My pick...CONCORD
4A Sectional 12
4A #10 Fort Wayne Dwenger (7-4) at 4A #4 Leo (11-0)
--Dwenger won 4 of 6; Leo won 23 of 25 games dating back to 2010
My pick...FORT WAYNE DWENGER
4A Sectional 13
4A #6 Pendleton Heights (10-1) at 4A #2 New Palestine (11-0)
--PH won 8 straight since loss at New Pal in Week 3, 34-21; NP won 20 of 22 in last 2 years
My pick...NEW PALESTINE
4A Sectional 14
Greenwood (8-3) vs. 4A #1 Indianapolis Cathedral (8-3) at Indianapolis Arlington HS
--Greenwood won 8 of 10; Cathedral won 8 of 9 since starting 0-2.
My pick...CATHEDRAL
4A Sectional 15
Franklin County (9-2) at 4A #3 Columbus East (10-1)
--Frank.Co. won 6 of 7; Columbus East won 9 in a row since Week 2 loss to Columbus North, 45-40
My pick...COLUMBUS EAST
4A Sectional 16
Jasper (7-3) at Evansville Central (6-5)
--Jasper won 4 of 5 after 2 losses; won 5 of 7 since 41-14 loss at 5A #7 Castle in Week 3
My pick...JASPER
3A Sectional 17
3A #5 Mishawaka Marian (9-2) vs. 3A #4 South Bend St. Joe's (9-2) at Clay Field
--Marian won 7 straight since losing to Penn and SB Clay; St. Joe's lost 25-21 at Marian, Week 6
My pick...SOUTH BEND ST. JOE'S
3A Sectional 18
Garrett (9-2) at 3A #8 Jimtown (9-2)
--won 3 straight after losing to S. Adams/Leo; Jimmies won 3 straight since loss to 2A #4 Bremen
My pick...JIMTOWN
3A Sectional 19
Bellmont (5-6) at 3A #12 Western (9-2)
--Bellmont outscored 2 sect. opps. 85-14; Western won 8 of 9 since Week 2 loss at Eastbrook
My pick...WESTERN
3A Sectional 20
3A #3 West Lafayette (10-1) at 3A #11 Hamilton Heights (9-2)
--WL held 9 opponents under 10 points; HH won 3 after losing to Northwestern and Western
My pick...WEST LAFAYETTE
3A Sectional 21
3A #1 Indianapolis Chatard (9-2) at Brebeuf Jesuit (6-5)
--Chatard won 6 of 7 since Week 4 losss to Cathedral; BJ lost to Chatard 31-7 in Week 1
My pick...CHATARD
3A Sectional 22
Greensburg (6-5) at Indian Creek (7-4)
--Greensburg won 4 of 5; Indian Creek won 5 straigh since Week 5 loss at Milan
My pick...INDIAN CREEK
3A Sectional 23
3A #10 Heritage Hills (9-2) at 3A #13 Corydon Central (9-2)
--HH outscored Sect. 23 opps. 114-0; CC avenged only 2 regular season losses in Sectional wins
My pick...HERITAGE HILLS
3A Sectional 24
Evansville Memorial (6-5) at Vincennes Lincoln (5-6)
--EM won 4 of 5, only losing to Castle; VL won 3 straight after losing 3 by combined 139-23
My pick...EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL
2A Sectional 25
2A #13 Wheeler (11-0) at North Newton (6-5)
--Wheeler outscoring opp. 450-55, 5 shutouts; NN won 5 straight after starting 1-5
My pick...WHEELER
2A Sectional 26
Lewis Cass (5-6) at 2A #4 Bremen (11-0)
--LC won 4 of 5, started 1-5; Bremen outscoring opp. 459-133, won 18 of 19 back to last year
My pick...BREMEN
2A Sectional 27
2A #6 Churubusco (11-0) at 2A #1 Fort Wayne Luers (9-1)
--'Busco won 23 of 25 in last 2 years; Luers won 7 of 9 wins scoring 41-plus points
My pick...FORT WAYNE LUERS
2A Sectional 28
Tipton (7-4) at 2A #7 Northwestern (10-1)
--Tipton won 4 straight, has 4-0 road record; NW won 7 in a row since Week 4 loss to Western
My pick...NORTHWESTERN
2A Sectional 29
2A #15 Guerin Catholic (8-3) at 2A #12 Shenandoah (11-0)
--GC won 3 straight since Week 7 loss to Chatard; Shenandoah outscored opp. 433-85
My pick...SHENANDOAH
2A Sectional 30
South Putnam (9-2) at 2A #3 North Putnam (11-0)
--South Putnam won 7 straight since Week 4; North Putnam won regular season matchup 48-6
My pick...NORTH PUTNAM
2A Sectional 31
Paoli (9-2) at Triton Central (6-5)
--Paoli won 4 of 5 since Week 6 loss to Corydon Central; TC won 2 after 3 losses entering playoffs
My pick...TRITON CENTRAL
2A Sectional 32
2A #5 Evansville Mater Dei (10-1) at 2A #14 Southridge (9-2)
--Mater Dei's only loss is to 5A #7 Castle (51-48, 2 ot); Southridge has 2 four-game win streaks
My pick...EVANSVILLE MATER DEI
1A Sectional 33
1A #8 South Newton (10-1) at Culver (7-4)
--S.Newton won 8 since Week 3 loss at #2 Pioneer, 41-14; Culver outscoring Sectional opp. 68-20
My pick...SOUTH NEWTON
1A Sectional 34
Caston (8-3) at 1A #1 Lafayette Central Catholic (11-0)
--Caston won 4 straight; LCC outscored opp. 488-81, 40 straight wins and back-to-back 1A titles
My pick...LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC
1A Sectional 35
1A #11 North Miami (8-3) at Adams Central (6-5)
--NM won 7 of 9 since Week 2 loss to Northwestern; AC won 4 straight since 2-5 start
My pick...NORTH MIAMI
1A Sectional 36
1A #6 Sheridan (8-3) at 1A #4 Adams Central (10-1)
--Sheridan won 8 of 9, 3-1 road record; South Adams only loss is to 4A #4 Leo, 30-6 in Week 5
My pick...SHERIDAN
1A Sectional 37
Northeastern (6-5) vs. 1A #7 Indianapolis Scecina (8-3) at Key Stadium, University of Indianapolis
--NE only won 4 of last 7; Scecina won 5 of 6 w/ big road wins at Triton Central/Lutheran
My pick...INDIANAPOLIS SCECINA
1A Sectional 38
North Vermillion (6-5) at 1A #10 Rockville (9-2)
--NV lost Week 7 to Rockville 38-7; Rox won 7 of 8, only losses to S. Putnam, Fountain Central
My pick...ROCKVILLE
1A Sectional 39
1A #5 Milan (10-1) at North Decatur (4-6)
--Milan won at N. Decatur 41-28 in Week 5; ND did not win consecutive games all season!
My pick...MILAN
1A Sectional 40
1A #3 Linton-Stockton (11-0) at North Daviess (7-4)
--L-S outscored opp. 627-110 (57 ppg); ND lost Week 6 to Linton-Stockton, 81-20
My pick...LINTON-STOCKTON
Check out my blog next week as I preview the Regional matchups!
