Sectional Preview: 4
The coming high school season is almost upon us. With that, we are taking a look at each Sectional in the state. Starting with 64 and ending with 1. Today, we are previewing Sectional 4.
Concord (8-15) – Lost 1st Rd. Sectional
Concord is coming off of a season where they only won 8 games and was bounced in the first round of the tournament. Now, they have to replace Brandon Emerick, Denzel Halliburton, and Cedric Mitchell from a team that already struggled to score last season. They only averaged 48.7 points per game. The silver lining is that they bring back Grant Magnuson and Michael Johnson. Johnson has a chance to be really good this year but they need to find a lot more scoring options to pick up the scoring ability this season. Could be a really tough season for Concord with a lot of things to figure out.
Elkhart Central (20-3) – Lost Sectional Semifinal
Elkhart Central is coming off their best season since 2002-03 where they won 20 games and the Sectional Championship. Now, they will have to replace a few key guys as Cornell Conner and Adonis Brown are gone. Deveon Jackson is the only player returning with significant minutes and impact. They have a deep current senior group of players but most haven’t touched the floor at the Varsity level, not in any meaningful way at least. So, things will be in flux but if they can build back up an offense around Deveon Jackson, they could be a team that can compete a little bit this year.
Elkhart Memorial (11-12) – Lost Sectional Semifinal
Last season, Memorial didn’t get over .500 for the fourth time in five years. Before those five seasons, Memorial was one of the better teams in the northern half of the state. However, times have changed and now Memorial is looking to build upon things and this next season could be their best shot. They bring back four of their top five scorers including junior standout Hank Smith. If things come around quickly, this is a roster that could improve upon 11 wins and get a chance again come March to compete for a Sectional Championship.
Goshen (15-10) – Lost Sectional Finals
Goshen has been a team to watch out for as they are almost always competitive enough to be near the top for a Sectional Championship. They do bring back a pair of standouts with Will Line and Bryant Robinson. They lose a trio of graduates that take away some of the depth but overall, Goshen should be tough once again. Maybe look for them to get to around the 12-15 win mark but have a shot in March as a potential contender for the Sectional Championship if Goshen can find some more depth this season.
Northridge (13-10) – Lost 1st Rd. Sectional
Last season was solid last year but this is a program that tends to build things up and this coming season could be their big year. They lose Luke Morrison who was a really good scoring threat. However, they only lose three seniors overall and bring back quite a bit with Connor Utley, Nick Yoder, Jackson Erekson, and Alex Stauffer. Stauffer should give them some size and they have plenty of guards that can pick up the offense. Should be a top contender this season and might be deeper on their roster than one would think.
Plymouth (15-10) – Lost 1st Rd. Sectional
Plymouth is usually a really good team but they just graduated Nick Felke who was the last player from a great run of years for the Pilgrims. Now, they will try and build things back up with guys like Garrett Tharp and Clay Hilliard. Hilliard could be the next college player to come out of Plymouth. They also get the benefit of moving out of the Sectional with all of the South Bend teams. They fit better into this Sectional. They should be a contender this year with all of their pieces coming back and a much easier road with the potential matchups.
Warsaw (18-10) – Lost Regional Final
Warsaw has been so good for so long and they are always expected to be at the top of the Sectional. This year is no exception, however, there are many teams that will be able to compete as well. Warsaw is looking at a whole new roster as well with Kyle Mangas graduating and Asher Blum transferring. They only bring back Ross Johnson, Zach Riley, and Jack Rhodes as seniors with any significant minutes last year. While this would normally warrant a down year, Warsaw is a program that can rebuild pretty quickly. Hard to see them not being there are the end for another Sectional Championship.
Contenders For 2017-18: Warsaw, Plymouth, Northridge, Goshen, Elkhart Memorial
Prediction: Plymouth
Player to Watch: Will Line (Goshen)