10/28 Inside The Zone – Sectional Semifinals Preview

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – 6A and 5A get added to the postseason party this week, as sectional semifinals are scheduled for Friday. Justin Kenny of Optimum Performance Sports breaks down this week’s area match-ups in an all-new edition of “Inside The Zone.”

Snider won the 5A state title last season, but this year the Panthers are up in 6A and open Sectional 2 play with a road game against an Elkhart team that comes in 8-1, having won the Northern Indiana Conference championship with wins against powerhouses Penn and Mishawaka Marian along the way. Snider comes in 7-2 overall, having won their last four games.

On the other side of the 6A Sectional 2 bracket, Carroll makes the short drive to Spuller Stadium to face a Northrop team they hammered 52-0 in week eight. In 6A Sectional 3, Homestead (5-4) plays host to powerhouse Hamilton Southeastern.

In 5A Sectional 11, North Side will host an undefeated Concord team ranked no. 1 in the state’s 5A poll. Warsaw, meanwhile, will host a Goshen team the Tigers topped 56-7 in week three of the regular season.

Your Highlight Zone “Game of the Week” comes in 4A, where East Noble heads to Leo. These two met in week five of the regular season with the Knights winning an instant classic 35-29 in front of a packed Lions Field. East Noble is coming off a 45-7 rout of South Side last week, while Leo crushed DeKalb 37-6. On the other side of the 4A Sectional 19 bracket, Dwenger – coming off a dominant performance in a 38-0 win over Columbia City in your “Game of the Week” last Friday – travels to face Wayne. While both SAC schools, Dwenger and Wayne did not meet during the regular season. The Generals are coming off a 36-7 win over New Haven last Friday.

Huntington North will be at home again Friday night as the red-hot Vikings host Marion in 4A Sectional 20 play. The Vikings reportedly set a school record for points in a 77-8 win last week against Frankfort, while Marion comes in 5-4 on the season after having a bye last week.

In 3A Sectional 26 play, Garrett looks to stay undefeated as the Railroaders head to Tippecanoe Valley to face the Vikings. Garrett took care of business last week by beating a solid Lakeland team 50-26 at Memorial Field, while Tippecanoe Valley bested visiting Woodlan 51-25. On the other side of the bracket, West Noble host Fairfield in a rematch of from week five of the regular season that saw the Chargers roll the Falcons 31-0. West Noble (9-1 overall) is coming off a 42-14 win over Angola while Fairfield has won three games in a row after defeating SAC member Concordia 48-34 last week.

After winning the 2A state title last year, Bishop Luers is looking to make a run in the 3A playoffs this fall, and the Knights got off to a good start with a 42-7 romp over Norwell last week. Luers now travels to Jay County in the sectional semifinals to face a Patriots team with a record of 3-7 following a 42-7 win last Friday over winless Bellmont. Delta, who beat Heritage 54-14 last week, heads to undefeated Mississinewa on the other side of the 3A Sectional 28 bracket.

After three straight trips to the 1A title game, Adams Central is in 2A this year, and the Jets hit the ground running last week in their new classification with a 35-7 road win at Bluffton. AC now host a Churubusco team that won the NECC small division title and beat Manchester 42-23 last week on the road. Elsewhere in 2A Sectional 35, Eastside – fresh off a 35-7 victory over Whitko – travels to Prairie Heights, who picked up its fifth win of the season last week with a 26-14 win at Central Noble. The Eastside-Prairie Heights game will be a rematch of week six, a match-up that saw the Blazers beat the Eagles 26-13 in Butler.

There aren’t many local 1A teams left after last week, with South Adams set to hit the road in the 1A Sectional 44 semifinals against Tri. The Starfires have scored 50+ points in each of their last two games, including last Friday’s 51-0 win over Union City in Berne. Meanwhile in 1A Sectional 43, Fremont will host North Miami, while winless Southern Wells goes on the road this week after a bye to face a Triton team that comes in 7-3 overall after a 49-7 win over Southwood last Friday.

Be sure to tune into the Highlight Zone at 11 p.m. on Friday for Fort Wayne’s no. 1 sports show!

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