The Indiana High School Athletic Association on Monday announced the ratings for the next two-year cycle for the sports of basketball, soccer, soccer and volleyball.
Section groupings for each sport (excluding softball and baseball) will be announced after the Executive Committee meeting in May. Softball and baseball will be announced in August.
Here are a few things from the new classifications:
>> The pandemic caused the reclassification to be delayed by one year and caused the tournament success factor – which followed the same two-year cycle – to be thrown out by a year. The IHSAA’s executive committee used the tournament success factor, but also determined that the eight schools that play a higher classification that have earned at least one point to continue playing in a higher classification in 2022-23 and will be re-evaluated after the school year adjusted accordingly herewith. Programs that played up that did not get a point were returned to the lower class.
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The eight programs that remain in the class are Fort Wayne Canterbury in boys’ soccer, South Bend St. Joseph in girls ‘soccer, Barr-Reeve and Yorktown in volleyball, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger and Lafayette Central Catholic in soccer, and Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian in boys’ basketball.
>> As expected, Cathedral football is officially advancing to Class 6A through the tournament success factor. The Irish, the back-to-back defending state champion in Class 5A, played in 6A in 2015 and ’16 and won the section both years with Lawrence North, Lawrence Central and North Central in his section group.
>> Also, as expected, Zionsville – second place to Cathedral in the last two years in 5A – moves up to 6A in football. Zionsville is 25th in the state in registration, and moves easily into the 32-team 6A classification.
>> Jeffersonville and Fort Wayne Northrop are also moving up to 6A in football. Chesterton, Merrillville and Fort Wayne Snider all move down to 5A.
>> After playing up in class, New Palestine football returns to its enrollment class in 4A. Brebeuf Jesuit, upon registration also moves up from 3A to 4A. This means that Defending Governor Mt. Vernon, New Palestine, Brebeuf Jesuit, Mooresville, Roncalli all play in 4A. Bishop Chatard moves back from 4A to his enrollment class in 3A.
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>> Speedway, Monrovia and Western Boone all move up from 2A to 3A in football. Western Boone, a triple state champion in 2A, is the second-smallest 3A program. Cardinal Ritter moves down from 3A to 2A.
>> Eastern Hancock is the smallest 2A program in football and Park Tudor is the largest Class A program.
>> There are not many changes in the boys basketball. Most notable locally is Heritage Christian, moving up from 2A to 3A. Eagles is the smallest 3A program in the state. Western Boone also moves up to 3A in basketball.
>> Several successful programs are moving down to 2A in basketball, including Brownstown Central, Greencastle and Sullivan. Defending Class A state champion North Daviess, runner-up Lafayette Central Catholic and Gary 21st Century all move up to 2A.
>> In girls’ basketball, Heritage Christian, Cascade and Western Boone are among the programs that move up from Class 2A to 3A upon enrollment.
>> Silver Creek and South Bend Washington are both advancing due to the tournament’s success factor in girls’ basketball from Class 3A to 4A.
>> In volleyball, the Brebeuf Jesuit will move up from Class 3A to 4A due to the tournament’s success factor, and Yorktown will remain in Class 4A. Providence and Barr-Reeve will also remain in a class in 3A due to the success factor. Heritage Christian volleyball moves up to 3A due to registration.
>> In boys’ soccer, Brebeuf Jesuit will fall back from 3A to 2A, while Herron and Lebanon will move up to 3A.
>> In girls’ soccer, the Cathedral moves up from 2A to 3A, while the Guerin Catholic drops back from 3A to 2A. Speedway, Western Boone and Monrovia all move up from Class A to 2A, while Cardinal Ritter moves in the other direction.
>> Pending the approval of the Executive Committee, Dugger Union and Evansville Christian will qualify for tournament play in 2022-23 and the MTI School of Knowledge and Purdue Poly the following year.
Call Star Reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.