The road to a championship in the Class 4A boys basketball sectional in Greenwood likely runs through Center Grove, which is 5-0 against the rest of the teams in that bracket.
A few of those other teams, though, have the benefit of being quite familiar with the Trojans — and they’ll be hoping that familiarity will pay dividends next week.
Center Grove opens up with a first-round game Feb. 27 against Martinsville, with the host Woodmen facing the winner in a March 2 semifinal. Franklin drew the other bye through to the semis, where it will see either Franklin Central or Whiteland.
“Sectionals are hard to win,” Franklin coach Brad Dickey said. “Hopefully, we can use our extra time to prepare and be as ready as possible.”
Greenwood coach Joe Bradburn said that while Center Grove is the clear favorite, he feels his team has been helped by a tight race for the Mid-State Conference title, which the Woodmen shared with Franklin and Decatur Central.
“We’ve been playing for something the last three weeks,” Bradburn said. “Right now I think we are playing the best that we have all year.”
In Class 3A, Indian Creek will begin play in the Beech Grove Sectional on Feb. 27 against sixth-ranked Tri-West, with a semifinal date against No. 7 Danville awaiting the winner.
The Braves are one of five teams in that loaded six-team field with at least 13 wins already this season.
“Whoever ends up coming out of that sectional, obviously, you tip your hat,” Indian Creek coach Drew Glentzer said. “(But) we are not going to go in there lacking any confidence.”
Host Edinburgh received an opening-round bye in its Class A sectional, and its semifinal game March 2 will be against either Medora or Madison Shawe. The only other team in the bracket with a winning record, Crothersville, plays a first-round game against Trinity Lutheran, with West Washington drawing the winner.
Lancers coach Keith Witty says that while it would have been nice to get an extra game in front of the home fans, he’s not otherwise going to complain about the bye — or a semi against either the Hornets or Hilltoppers, both of whom Edinburgh has beaten by double digits.
“We kind of know what we’re getting with both of those teams,” Witty said.
In the Class A sectional at Indianapolis Lutheran, Greenwood Christian plays a Feb. 28 first-round game against Providence Cristo Rey. If the Cougars win, they would face either Christel House Academy or Indianapolis Lighthouse South on March 2.
The favorite in that sectional, Class A No. 8 Indianapolis Tindley, is on the opposite side of the draw.
