IHSAA Football State Tournament Begins October 20

Anticipation toward the post‐season began this afternoon as 321 teams received notice of their sectional opponents via live webstream at IHSAAtv.org and the IHSAA Champions Radio Network
The 45th Annual IHSAA Football State Tournament presented by the Indianapolis Colts is set to begin Oct. 20 with first round games in all classes except 6A which has the week off. Sectional semifinal games will be played on Oct. 27, sectional championship games on Nov. 3, regionals on Nov. 10, semi‐states on Nov. 17 and the state championship games on Nov. 24‐25.
The 12 teams earning a berth in the state finals will play on Thanksgiving weekend in Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, the state tournament’s presenting sponsor since 2009. The state championship games alternate each year as the Class 1A, 3A and 5A games will be played on Friday, Nov. 24 while the 2A, 4A and 6A contests are set for Saturday, Nov. 25.
About the Draw
To conduct the random drawing for the football state tournament, the IHSAA places ping-pong balls representing each school in a given sectional into a lottery-style air mix machine. A fan in the bottom of the machine blows the balls around the inside of the transparent container and air then forces each ball up through a tube in random order. For example, the first ball retrieved from the machine will be the visiting team in game one with the second ball representing the home team in game one. The third ball to come out is the visitor in game two and the fourth ball the home team in game two. That same method is followed through all 48 sectionals. In the case of five‐team sectionals in Class 5A, the first two teams drawn will play the opening weekend of the tournament with the fifth team drawn receiving the bye and an automatic road game in the semifinal round against the opening game winner. The third and fourth teams drawn will play in the other semifinal game. In seven‐team sectionals, the seventh team drawn receives the bye and an automatic road game in the semifinal round.
Notables
Schools Entered: 321 schools. 315 games will be played over the six‐week tournament.
Schools Entered for First Time (1)
Scottsburg (this is Scottsburg’s first varsity season since 1983 which pre‐dates the current tournament format).
Schools Playing Up One Class due to Tournament Success Factor
Fort Wayne Snider (Class 6A Sectional 3).
Linton‐Stockton (Class 2A, Sectional 40).
Monrovia (Class 3A, Sectional 30).
Roncalli (Class 5A, Sectional 13).
Schools Remaining in Higher Class due to Tournament Success Factor
Columbus East (Class 5A, Sectional 15).
New Palestine (Class 5A, Sectional 12).
Schools Opting to Play Up a Class
None.
Most State Championships
13: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard.
12: Indianapolis Cathedral.
11: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
9: Roncalli, Sheridan.
8: Ben Davis, Carmel, Warren Central.
7: Lafayette Central Catholic.
5: Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Penn.
All‐Time Consecutive Tournament Victories
32: Indianapolis Cathedral, 2010‐15.
26: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, 2009‐13; Warren Central, 2003‐07.
25: Lafayette Central Catholic, 2009‐13.
23: Roncalli, 2002‐05; Sheridan, 2005‐08.
22: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 2001‐04; Penn, 1995‐98.
21: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 2010‐13.
Active Consecutive Tournament Win Streaks
6: Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Linton‐Stockton, Roncalli.
5: Carmel, Westfield.
Defending Sectional Champions
6A: Ben Davis, Carmel, Center Grove, Crown Point, Homestead, Indianapolis Cathedral, Penn, Warren Central.
5A: Bloomington South, Castle, Columbus East, Fort Wayne Snider, Kokomo, Mishawaka, Westfield, Zionsville.
4A: Delta, East Central, Evansville Reitz, Hobart, Lowell, New Haven, NorthWood, Roncalli.
3A: Brownstown Central, Danville Community, Evansville Memorial, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, Garrett,
Lawrenceburg, Mishawaka Marian, West Lafayette.
2A: Eastbrook, Evansville Mater Dei, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Milan, Monrovia, South Adams, Whiting, Winamac
Community.
1A: Adams Central, Eastern Greene, Fountain Central, Indianapolis Lutheran, Lafayette Central Catholic, Linton‐Stockton,
Pioneer, Southwood.
Active Sectional Championship Streaks (three or more years)
11: Indianapolis Cathedral.
10: Fort Wayne Snider.
6: Center Grove, Linton‐Stockton.
4: Carmel, Penn, Pioneer, Warren Central, Westfield.
3: Bloomington South, Evansville Mater Dei, Indianapolis Lutheran, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lowell, Monrovia, Roncalli.
Most Consecutive Sectional Championships
19 by Hobart, 1979‐97.
Top 10 All‐Time Sectional Championships
28: Carmel.
25: Fort Wayne Snider, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard.
23: Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Penn.
22: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Jimtown.
21: Ben Davis, Indianapolis Cathedral.
20: Evansville Mater Dei, Hobart.