The IHSAA has announced sectional, regional and semistate hosts for fall sports, and changes are taking place in soccer and volleyball.
After hosting both the boys and girls soccer sectional tournaments and a boys regional for several years, Richard Wigh Soccer Complex will sit empty this postseason. With soccer moving from two classes to three, the Columbus East and Columbus North boys and girls in 3A and are being sent on the road.
As they did last year, the East and North boys will play in a sectional at Seymour. The East and North girls now will play their sectional at Greenwood.
The boys regional will be at Seymour, and the girls regional will be at Bloomington South. Semistate sites for the southern half of the state will be Evansville North and Lawrenceburg.
Meanwhile, the East and North volleyball teams will play their Class 4A sectional at Shelbyville this year. Hauser and Edinburgh will host separate Class A sectionals.
Beginning this year, volleyball will switch to four-team regionals and two-team semistates. The Shelbyille Sectional winner will play in the Seymour Regional, the Hauser Sectional winner will play in the Morristown Regional and the Edinburgh Sectional winner will play in the Loogootee Regional.
East, which hosted a 4A semistate last year, will be one of the two semistate sites for the southern half of the state. Jasper is the other.
Postseason sites involving local teams in cross-country, boys tennis and girls golf remain largely unchanged.
North shines in scrimmage
The Columbus North football team had a chance to scrimmage against another opponent Tuesday, and although scores were not kept, the Bull Dogs had the better of play against Shelbyville.
Trenton Kelley threw several long touchdown passes, including three to Jaylen Flemmons, after receivers got behind the defense. Riley Ables had interceptions on back-to-back plays during the 7-on-7 portion of the scrimmage.
The teams scrimmaged 7-on-7 for 30 minutes, then had two 30-minute halves of 11-on-11. Defenders were permitted to wrap up ball carriers, but not take them to the ground.
“Any rep is a good rep right now,” North coach Tim Bless said. “That’s how a team grows and develops — by getting repetition, and obviously getting to do it against someone other than your own teammates is certainly valuable.”
Bless said since the scrimmage was videotaped, coaches will have the opportunity to look at the video and fix what needs corrected and give props to the good plays.
The Bull Dogs will have another home scrimmage next Tuesday when they host Martinsville and New Albany.
Promising RB now at North
The Columbus North football team picked up a potential future star in the offseason when running back Ethan Rogers transferred from Columbus East.
In January 2016, Rogers was named the Offensive MVP at the Next Generation Youth All-American Bowl in Orlando, Florida, rushing for 72 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries. He also played in the National Prep & Youth Football Association’s Rising Freshmen All-American Game last July.
Rogers saw mostly junior varsity action as a freshman at East. At the varsity level, he carried 22 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
Because of the transfer, Rogers will have limited eligibility this regular season, meaning he can play only at the JV level. He will be eligible for varsity action in the postseason.
