Senior staff writer
Sectional realignments will mean an even tougher football sectional for three Southside teams.
Southport, Perry Meridian and Franklin Central bade farewell to Tech, which moves down to 5A and has been replaced in Sectional 7 by eight-time state champion Warren Central.
Beech Grove moves from 3A to 4A but only in football. The Hornets join a jumbled Sectional 21 with Greenwood, Roncalli, Mooresville, Frankfort, Lebanon, Northview and Western.
Manual, which jumped from 2A to 3A, is in Sectional 30 with Washington, Indian Creek, Batesville, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg and Rushville.
In Class A, Lutheran goes to Sectional 46 with Cambridge City Lincoln, Hagerstown, Indiana Deaf School, Shortridge, Knightstown, Tindley and Tri. The Saints claimed sectional and regional championships last year before losing to North Vermillion in the semistate.
Opening night is Aug. 21 for all teams.
Sectional realignment also affects girls volleyball, and the powerful Sectional 13 that had four ranked teams among the six-team field.
Martinsville replaces reigning sectional champ Roncalli in one of the state’s most competitive sectionals. Sectional 13 retains Center Grove, Franklin Central, Franklin, Greenwood and Whiteland and brings in the Artesians. Roncalli moves to Sectional 12, which includes Ben Davis, Brebeuf, Decatur Central, Perry Meridian, Pike and Southport.
Movement of Roncalli and Martinsville also affects their boys and girls basketball sectionals with the same reassignments. New Palestine drops from 4A to 3A, a move that also affected Sectional 14.
Sectional realignments, based upon school enrollment in fall 2014, were announced in early May by the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s executive committee.