Rochester will be at home this Friday to wrap-up the 2021 football regular season.

The Zebras now know they also will be at Barnhart Field to open the postseason after the brackets were unveiled for the IHSAA sectionals Sunday.

Rochester (4-2) will host LaVille (5-2) in the 2A Sectional 34 quarterfinal on October 22.  The Zebras have bounced back from a winless season in 2020 behind a revamped running game that compiled 401 yards in Friday's 56-0 win at North Miami.

LaVille's two losses have come against the sectional's top-rated team (according to Sagarin) Pioneer, 12-7, and to #11 (1A) North Judson, 10-9, in overtime.

Six of LaVille's seven games this season have been decided by a single score and two in overtime.

The winner of Rochester - LaVille will play the winner of the bremen (5-3) at Manchester (4-3) quarterfinal.

In the other half of the Sectional 34 bracket: 

Lewis Cass [2-5] at Delphi [5-3]

Wabash [1-6] at Pioneer [6-2]

Caston (2-6) will travel to South Central (Union Mills) (3-3) to open 1A Sectional 41.  The winner will meet either South Newton (4-4) or Culver (2-4) in the semifinal.

Also in Sectional 41:

#4 (1A) Winamac [6-0] at West Central [2-6]

Lake Station [2-4] at #11 (1A) North Judson [6-2]

Tippecanoe Valley (8-0) will try to complete an undefeated TRC and regular season in a home game with Southwood Friday.  The 3A Vikings will travel to Garrett (4-4) in a Sectional 26 quarterfinal next week.

A Vikings win could mean a rematch with #10 Mishawaka Marian (5-3).  Marian eliminated Tippecanoe Valley in last season's sectional, 41-24.

In the top half of the Sectional 26 bracket:

Lakeland (3-5) at John Glenn (3-4)

West Noble (3-5) at Jimtown (6-2)

The Rochester boys cross country team made it out of the Manchester sectional Saturday with a fourth place finish and will compete in the regional.

Warsaw won the event with a score of 34.  Culver Acadmies (57), Plymouth (73), Rochester (90) and Manchester (109) rounded out the top five teams who all advance to the regional.

Caston finished 6th, followed by Tippecanoe Valley and Triton.

Culver Academies Samuel Tullis was the individual winner in a time of 16:44.  Warsaw captured the next three places and four of the top ten to post the top team score.

Peyton Hiatt led Rochester with a 7th place finish in 17:47.  Teammates Dylan Steininger and Samuel Rohr were 13th and 14th, respectively.

Top ten individuals not on advancing teams also advance to the regional:

Austin Dague, Caston

Andrew Lane, North Miami

Evan Myers, Tippecanoe Valley

Isaac Whetstone, Tippecanoe Valley

Caleb Stinson, Caston

Jaydon Heckaman, Triton

Brady Rogers, Tippecanoe Valley

Travis Barnhart, Triton

Brady Evans, Caston

Marshall Finke, Caston

Rochester girls cross country teams finished in the top 5 at the Manchester sectional Saturday to earn a berth in the regional.

The Rochester girls finished second behind team champion Warsaw.  Warsaw's score of 31 topped the field followed by Rochester with 60.  Culver Academies, Manchester and Plymouth rounded out the top five advancing teams.  Caston finished sixth.

Warsaw's Josefina Rastrelli was the top over individual in 19:28.  The Zebras claimed the next two spots with Madilyn Calloway (20:07) and Zoe Seward (20:37).

Rochester's top five included Lucy Rangle with an 18th place finish; Araceli Ochoa 20th; and McKendyll Bradley 23rd.

Delaney Strasser was Caston's top runner with a 27th place finish in 22:49.

Along with the top five advancing teams, the top ten runners not on those teams also advance.  They include:

Jocelynn Faulkner, Triton

Chesnee Miller, Tippecanoe Valley

Ava Stackhouse, Argos

Delaney Strasser, Caston

Bailey Bussard, Tippecanoe Valley

Savannah Lyle, Argos

Mackenzi Roudebush, Caston

Allison Bowman, North Miami

Emma Stinson, Caston

Stevanna Young, Caston