(10-8-23) Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) held their annual ‘ping-pong‘ 2023 football Sectional playoff brackets.

About the Draw
To conduct the random drawing for the football state tournament, the IHSAA places ping-pong balls representing each school in each sectional into a lottery-style air mix machine. A fan in the bottom of the machine blows the balls around the inside of the transparent container and air then forces each ball up through a tube in random order. For example, the first ball retrieved from the machine will be the visiting team in game one with the second ball representing the home team in game one. The third ball to come out is the visitor in game two and the fourth ball the home team in game two. That same method is followed through all 48 sectionals. In seven-team sectionals, the seventh team drawn receives the bye and an automatic road game in the semifinal round

Stateline Area Brackets —

Sectionals
Class 6A-5A: Oct. 27; Nov. 3, 2023.
Class 4A-1A: Oct. 20, 27; Nov. 3, 2023.
Times: 7 pm local time or as determined by host school.
Admission: $7 per person. Children age 5 and younger admitted free.


Determining Home Team
First Round: The second-named team in the blind draw is host school unless the two teams agree to switch the site.
Semifinals: The team without a home game will host. Exception: The bye team will always be the visitor. If both teams were hosts or both were visitors, the second-named team in the quarter bracket will host. In 6A & 5A, in the four team sectionals, the second-named team will host. Championships: Host team will be the team that has played the most away games. If both teams have played the same number of away games, the bottom bracket team shall host

1A

2A

3A

4A

5A

6A

Complete State Brackets

Schools Entered: 311 schools. 305 games will be played over the six-week tournament.

By Class: 32 in 6A: 31 in 5A; 64 in 4A; 64 in 3A; 62 in 2A; 58 in 1A.

Schools Playing Up One Class due to Tournament Success Factor
Indianapolis Cathedral (Class 6A, Sectional 6).
Evansville Memorial (Class 4A, Sectional 24).
Lafayette Central Catholic (Class 2A, Sectional 34).

Most State Championships
16: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard.
14: Indianapolis Cathedral.
11: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
10: Roncalli.
9: Ben Davis, Carmel, Sheridan, Warren Central.
8: Lafayette Central Catholic.
5: Center Grove, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Penn.

All-Time Consecutive Tournament Victories
32: Indianapolis Cathedral, 2010-15.
26: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, 2009-13; Warren Central, 2003-07.
25: Lafayette Central Catholic, 2009-13.
23: Roncalli, 2002-05; Sheridan, 2005-08.
22: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 2001-04; Penn, 1995-98.
21: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, 2010-13.
20: Western Boone (2018-21).

Active Consecutive Tournament Win Streaks
15: Center Grove.
12: Indianapolis Lutheran.
6: East Central, Evansville Mater Dei, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard.
5: Valparaiso.

Defending Sectional Champions
6A: Brownsburg, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Center Grove, Hamilton Southeastern, Indianapolis Cathedral, Lafayette Jefferson, Warren Central, Westfield.

5A: Bloomington South, Castle, Fort Wayne Snider, Merrillville, Mishawaka, Plainfield, Valparaiso, Whiteland Community.

4A: Columbia City, East Central, Evansville Memorial, Kokomo, New Palestine, New Prairie, Northridge, Roncalli.

3A: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, Knox, Lawrenceburg, Monrovia, Owen Valley, Southridge, West Lafayette, Yorktown.

2A: Andrean, Bluffton, Evansville Mater Dei, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lapel, Linton-Stockton, Triton Central.


A: Adams Central, Carroll (Flora), Indianapolis Lutheran, North Decatur, North Judson-San Pierre, Park Tudor, Providence, Sheridan.

Active Sectional Championship Streaks
(three or more years)
12: Center Grove.
5: Valparaiso.
4: Andrean, Evansville Mater Dei, Indianapolis Cathedral, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lawrenceburg, Merrillville, Roncalli, Triton Central.
3: Westfield.

Most Consecutive Sectional Championships
19 by Hobart, 1979-97.


Top 10 All-Time Sectional Championships
32: Carmel.
30: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard.
28: Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Fort Wayne Snider.
26: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Indianapolis Cathedral.
25: Ben Davis, Penn.
24: Evansville Mater Dei.
23: Adams Central, Roncalli