The Indiana High School Athletic Association did not do any favors to Shelbyville’s or Triton Central’s football transportation bill with its new sectional realignment.
On Tuesday, the IHSAA released the sectional assignments for a two-year cycle beginning in 2022-2023.
Shelbyville will compete in Class 4A, there are six classes in Indiana high school football, in Sectional 23 with Bedford North Lawrence, East Central, Edgewood, Greenwood, Jennings County, Martinsville and Silver Creek.
East Central will be the perennial favorite, having won a state title in 2017 and being state runner-up in 2015. Head coach Jake Meiners (29-7) will begin his fourth season at the helm of the Trojans in 2022.
Shelbyville head coach Brian Glesing is the most experienced leader in the sectional. He is 119-100 as his 20th season – and second at Shelbyville – approaches.
Greenwood head coach Mike Campbell is beginning his 17th season with the Woodmen. No other coach has more than four years of head coaching experience.
Bedford North Lawrence finished 4-6 in 2021 and will have a new coach in 2022. Derrick Barker takes over a program that went 9-20 over the last three seasons.
Head coach Caleb True will begin his second season at Edgewood in 2022. He led the program to a 2-8 mark in 2021. Edgewood has won 14 games over the last three seasons.
Greenwood went 2-8 last season following 5-5 and 4-7 campaigns.
Following back-to-back 1-9 seasons, Jennings County has a new head coach in Nic Vasukchek.
Brian Dugger will begin his third year as Martinsville head coach in 2022. He led the Artesians to a 7-5 record in 2021. The season ended with a 37-7 loss to East Central in the sectional championship game.
Silver Creek went 5-4 last season after a 9-1 2020 season and 8-2 campaign in 2019 for head coach David Papenhaus. Silver Creek lost to Martinsville, 33-13, in its 2021 sectional opener.
Greenwood is the closest school in proximity to Shelbyville High School at 25 miles. Bedford North Lawrence is 79 miles away while Silver Creek is 86 miles.
“I’m excited for it,” said Shelbyville High School athletic director Jenny DeMuth Hensley. “Any time the sectional shakes up it’s a great opportunity for our student-athletes.”
Head coach Tim Able has taken Triton Central to the sectional championship game in each of his nine seasons in Fairland. That streak will be challenged in 2022.
The Tigers were assigned to Class 2A, Sectional 39 with Brown County, Brownstown Central, Christel House, Clarksville, Eastern (Pekin), Scecina and Switzerland County.
Triton Central is plenty familiar with Indiana Crossroads Conference rival Scecina but has not played traditional powerhouse Brownstown Central since 2010.
Brownstown Central is the 16th largest school based on enrollment in Class 2A. And veteran head coach Reed May has won 285 games in 29 years with the football program.
“Brownstown Central is a great program,” said Able. “Reed May is a great coach.”
Brown County is the third largest school in 2A but its football program has won just five games in each of the last three seasons. The Eagles and Tigers last played on Sept. 7, 2007, when TC prevailed, 55-14.
Brownstown Central and Triton Central met in the 2010 sectional with the Braves getting the win, 30-20. BC went 11-1 in 2021 following 6-3 and 9-1 seasons.
Christel House (Manual) played its first season under head coach John Prater in 2021 and finished 2-6.
Clarksville’s 2021 football season ended at Mendenhall Field in Fairland. The Generals lost on Oct. 29, 2021, to Triton Central, 42-7, to finish 3-8.
Eastern (Pekin) suffered the same fate as Clarksville, falling in its sectional opener at home against the Tigers, 58-0. The football program is winless in the last two seasons.
Scecina dealt Triton Central a 27-0 defeat on Oct. 1, 2021, in an Indiana Crossroads Conference contest. Head coach Ott Hurrle will begin his 33rd year of coaching in 2022.
Switzerland County finished 2-7 last season. Triton Central defeated the Pacers, 50-0, in the 2020 sectional.
Triton Central went 8-5 last season following three consecutive 10-win seasons. Able is 80-32 with Triton Central and 205-130 in 28 years as a head coach.
Able anticipates having 20 of 22 starters back in 2022.
