A record number of boys and girls soccer teams will compete in the 29th Annual IHSAA Boys and Girls Soccer State Tournaments.
A total of 305 boys teams and 273 girls teams learned their opening-round sectional opponents Sunday night during the IHSAA’s state tournament draw. The previous record for participants was 301 for the boys in 2017 and 2019, and 272 girls teams in 2019.
Both tournaments mirror each other beginning with 16 sectionals in each of three classes running Oct. 3-8.
Regional semifinals will be played Oct. 12-13 with regional championships on Oct. 15.
Semistate champions will be determined on Oct. 22 at four sites with the winners advancing to the state championship matches Oct. 28-29 at Michael Carroll Stadium at IUPUI in Indianapolis.
This is the second year that a mid-week regional semifinal match will be played on the home field of one of the sectional winners. This year, the winners of the even-numbered sectionals will host a regional semifinal match on Wednesday (boys) and Thursday (girls) with all championship matches played at a pre-determined site on Saturday.
Boys Tournament
Wabash Sectional
Tippecanoe Valley will face the host, Wabash, in the opening round of Class 2A, Sectional 22. The winner will get Manchester in the semifinal round.
Rochester takes on No. 9 Culver Academies in its postseason opener. The winner will face the survivor of a battle between a pair of the top-15 ranked teams in the state -- No. 10 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger and No. 13 Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran.
The Wabash Sectional champion will host the Maconaquah Sectional champion in the regional semifinal round.
Norwell is the host site for the regional championship match.
Argos Sectional
Argos is the host site for Class A, Sectional 37 featuring six teams.
In the postseason opener, Culver Community takes on Caston. The winner will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between No. 16 North White and North Miami.
In the other sectional semifinal round match, Argos battles Winamac for a spot in the championship match.
The Argos Sectional champion will travel to the winner of the Carroll (Flora) Sectional for a regional semifinal round match.
Taylor is the host site for the regional championship match.
Girls Tournament
Culver Academies Sectional
Tippecanoe Valley was the last team set into the six-team field in Class 2A, Sectional 22 and will face Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran in a semifinal match.
The sectional opens with Culver Academies hosting No. 5 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger. The other quarterfinal match pits Garrett against No. 8 Leo.
The Culver Academies Sectional champion will host the Mississinewa Sectional champion in the regional semifinal round.
Norwell will host the regional championship match.
Argos Sectional
Argos, ranked No. 12 in the state coaches poll, will open Class A, Sectional 35 with a quarterfinal round match against No. 14 Trinity Greenlawn.
Culver Community will take on Bremen in the other quarterfinal round match with the winners meeting in the semifinal round.
The other semifinal round match features Rochester against LaVille.
The Argos Sectional champion will travel to the Westview Sectional champion for the regional semifinal.
Westview also is the regional championship match site.
