What Have We Learned: 4A
The first five weeks of the season are complete and we are finishing up some holiday tournaments this weekend before school goes back in session. So, today we take a look at what we have learned from teams in 4A…
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Continue ReadingThe first five weeks of the season are complete and we are finishing up some holiday tournaments this weekend before school goes back in session. So, today we take a look at what we have learned from teams in 4A to this point in the season.
So far, Lawrence North looks pretty good. They haven’t been tested lately but that stretch to start the season with Marion, Jeffersonville, Lawrence Central, and Brownsburg was really difficult and they now sit at 7-0. Like I have said each of the last few years, there isn’t too much concern about the talent at LN but rather if it will come all together. They haven’t gotten out of this Sectional since 2014-15 even though they consistently have the most talent. So, that puts us in the same wait-and-see mode as we started the season with. They are better than expected but let’s check back after the Marion County Tournament.
Bloomington South is the clear #2 team right now as they have yet to lose a game, going 10-0. Their last couple weeks have been great knocking off Floyd Central, Zionsville, Greensburg, and Culver Academy. Not an easy stretch. They aren’t as deep as you would like to see as a team but Anthony Leal and Connor Hickman are a pretty lethal wing duo. The reality is they are going to win a lot more games this season because the tough part of their schedule is over. Only Silver Creek, Columbus North, and Bloomington North remain that will be tough to get past.
Hall of Fame taught us a lot about just where the line is in 3A and 4A. Lafayette Jeff wasn’t really on the same level as Lawrence Central, Heritage Hills dropped both games against Silver Creek and Jeff and they still have some holes to fill. It did prove that LC is an elite team that is at the top with LN, Bloomington South, and not really anyone else. There is a clear dividing line from the top schools and the rest right now.
Team that have disappointed to this point are Evansville Harrison, New Palestine, and Muncie Central. Harrison is 2-8 and have lost some really interesting games. Their schedule hasn’t been easy but there were more than just 2 wins in there.
New Palestine is built up with a lot of veteran talent but they are just 2-6 after a really difficult stretch with Fishers, Scottsburg, Bloomington North, and Bedford North Lawrence. They just look off a bit, not sure but it isn’t from lack of talent. They did have a good chunk of their tough games already complete. If they can right the ship by early January, they could get on a run here.
Muncie Central is just 3-5 at this point but their schedule has been tough. I think higher expectations play into this a bit but thought they could be competitive against HSE, Guerin Catholic, and Delta and those ended in three losses.
Another team that we should pay attention to is Ben Davis. A team that is in a big time rebuild but has talent and is still sitting at 2-6. They did get a big win over rival Pike but Southport and Franklin Central will haunt them a bit. Things do get easier so hopefully they can build off of their learning curve here. They don’t play another AP Ranked team until Cathedral at the second to last game of the season.
Westfield is a team that has really surprised as they sit at 6-0. They haven’t hit the hard part of their schedule but they do have some big wins over Zionsville, Tipton, and Noblesville. Now they get one more game against Victory College Prep before things get nuts and they have Mt. Vernon-Fortville, Carmel, HSE, Lafayette Jeff, and Brownsburg. Not an easy stretch so this will be a great barometer if this team is for real.
In his first year as a head coach, Garrett Winegar is 7-0 at Warren Central and might be among the biggest surprises in the state. They have some key wins in Cathedral, Ben Davis, and Merrillville. But, mark down January 10th as they travel to Lawrence North. That will be a clash as the tease WC wasn’t predicted to do this well is the complete rebuild they were undertaking. Only really one returner that had significant playing time.