No big surprises came out of the IHSAA’s announcement of classifications for local teams for the next two fall sports seasons.
The only change comes in football, where Columbus East moves from Class 5A to 6A. But we’ve know about that ever since the Olympians won the regional title in November, thus accumulating enough points to move up a class under the IHSAA’s Tournament Success Factor.
Columbus North football remains in 6A. Also staying put are Jennings County in 4A, Brown County in 3A and Edinburgh and South Decatur in Class A.
In volleyball, North, East and Jennings will stay in 4A; Brown County in 3A; South Decatur in 2A and Hauser, Edinburgh and Trinity Lutheran in A. Those likely will be the same for boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball.
In boys soccer, North, East and Jennings remain in 3A; Brown County in 2A and Hauser and Trinity in A. Those are also the classifications for girls soccer, except that Hauser does not have a girls team.
Sectional groupings for football, volleyball, boys and girls soccer and boys and girls basketball will be announced in early May. Sectional groupings for next year’s baseball and softball will be released in August.
Icemen drop first two games
The Columbus Icemen came close in their opener, but ended up dropping their first two games in last weekend’s Indiana State High School Hockey Association Class 3A Tournament.
The seventh-seeded Icemen fell to the second-seeded Central Indiana Knights 4-3 on Friday night. Saturday morning, the Icemen lost to Fort Wayne Carroll 4-1.
The Central Indiana Knights will play Evansville for the 3A title Saturday in Dyer.
Champs named East MVPs
Seniors Cayden Rooks and Nick South, both of which won their second state championships this season, were named co-MVPs of the Columbus East wrestling team at Tuesday night’s banquet.
Freshmen Kade Law and Sam Hernandez won the Most Improved Award. Seniors Jacob Bolte and Jake Schoenegge won the Team First Award, and junior Joey Gordon won the 1 Percenter Award.
Rooks, Bolte and Schoenegge were recognized as team captains. Reece Fisher, Gordon, Ashton Hartwell, Matthew Havard, Trevor Kennedy, Noah Lykins, Eli Pollitt, Schoenegge and Tristin Statler won Iron Man Awards for not missing a practice all season.
Eagles make All-Conference
Two Brown County basketball players have been selected to this year’s All-Western Indiana Conference teams.
Junior Caleb Yager made the All-WIC boys team. Junior Allison Stogsdill made the All-Conference girls squad.
Olympians host ‘Mulch Madness’
The Columbus East Wrestling Club is hosting its Eighth Annual Mulch Madness, with help from Hackman’s Farm Market and Greenhouse.
Individuals or businesses can order mulch by going to columbuseastathletics.com, then clicking on Winter, Wrestling, Varsity and Mulch Madness, or by texting "Mulch" to 812-343-1882 to receive a text back.
Deliveries begin at 8 a.m. March 30, April 6 and May 13. If rainouts occur any of those Saturdays, a makeup will be on the following day. Those ordering are asked to check the website for weather-related delivery updates.
For more information, e-mail eastwrestlingclub@yahoo.com.
