.png)
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
The Rochester boys tennis team and its three sectional rivals continue to relive Groundhog Day during the IHSAA draw.
The Zebras drew Knox, and Culver Academy drew North Judson for the seventh consecutive year at the draw Monday.
Those matches will be played simultaneously at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The sectional final is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
What’s different is the sectional site. Knox will host this year’s sectional, not Culver Academy. These four teams have comprised this sectional since 2004, and Culver Academy has hosted the sectional every year. (In fact, Culver Academy has won the sectional every year since 2004.)
Culver Academy was listed as the sectional host in the IHSAA Fall Bulletin, but the host site was listed as Knox on the IHSAA website within the last two weeks, and the draw confirmed that Culver Academy will not host the sectional, regional or semistate.
The weather could now become more of a factor.
Culver Academy has indoor courts; Knox does not. And the forecast is for rain Wednesday.
The IHSAA listed Peru as the regional site Oct. 6-7 and LaPorte as the semistate site Oct. 10.
While no reason was given for the move of the sectional, it would appear possible that coronavirus concerns played a role. Fort Wayne Canterbury will host the boys soccer sectional, not Culver Academy, even though Culver Academy was listed as host in the Fall Bulletin..
Also, the Culver Academy Invitational cross-country meet scheduled for Saturday was canceled back in July.
Valley’s sectional moved to Columbia City
Tippecanoe Valley received a bye and will play the winner of the Columbia City-Wawasee match in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Columbia City.
The sectional final is set for 10 a.m. Saturday.
Warsaw was listed as the original sectional host site, but that has been changed to Columbia City.
Columbia City recently built new tennis courts, Valley coach Nick Kindig said on Twitter.
In the other half of the bracket, Whitko will play Warsaw.
Warsaw is the eight-time defending sectional champion. Valley has never won a boys tennis sectional title.
