Hypothetical Neutral Site Semi-States

[HoopsCoach]

As I said in my regional sites post, I am an advocate of neutral sites to host tournament games after the sectional round.  I think the facilities in Indiana are capable of a format with neutral site hosts for regional and semi-state.  Here are my hypothetical neutral site semi-states for this year.  All games would be at locations with turf fields.  I did not pick a few sites that may have been better choices to host because those schools are still in the tournament (Warsaw, Center Grove, Martinsville).  Even with a few alternative locations, this can reduce travel times and limit the impact of field conditions as a variable.   Just like the regionals, it would give schools an opportunity to showcase the investment they have made in their facilities.

Neutral Site Semi-States - Friday Night

6A

Crown Point/Westfield @ Lafayette Jeff

Brownsburg/Center Grove @ Plainfield (or Ben Davis)

5A

Merrillville/Warsaw @ LaPorte

Decatur Central/Bloomington South @ Mooresville

4A

Mishawaka/East Noble @ Wawasee

New Palestine/Martinsville @ Perry Meridian

3A

Garrett/FW Bishop Luers @ FW Northrop

Batesville/Heritage Hills @ Charlestown

2A

Andrean/Adams Central @ Logansport

Indianapolis Lutheran/Linton-Stockton @ Bloomington North

1A

North Judson/South Adams @ Maconaquah

South Putnam/Providence @ Bedford North Lawrence

[Cousin Sal]

I don't mind the idea of neutral site games after sectional, but why limit it to turf fields?

[miner_35]

6 minutes ago, Cousin Sal said:

I don't mind the idea of neutral site games after sectional, but why limit it to turf fields?

Because it is more fair to swap from a grass field to a turf field I suppose. No one can complain about the field conditions at that point in time either. With that being said, going from grass to turf isn’t an easy transition the first time.

[whiteshoes]

On 11/16/2024 at 11:37 AM, HoopsCoach said:

As I said in my regional sites post, I am an advocate of neutral sites to host tournament games after the sectional round.  I think the facilities in Indiana are capable of a format with neutral site hosts for regional and semi-state.  Here are my hypothetical neutral site semi-states for this year.  All games would be at locations with turf fields.  I did not pick a few sites that may have been better choices to host because those schools are still in the tournament (Warsaw, Center Grove, Martinsville).  Even with a few alternative locations, this can reduce travel times and limit the impact of field conditions as a variable.   Just like the regionals, it would give schools an opportunity to showcase the investment they have made in their facilities.

Neutral Site Semi-States - Friday Night

6A

Crown Point/Westfield @ Lafayette Jeff

Brownsburg/Center Grove @ Plainfield (or Ben Davis)

5A

Merrillville/Warsaw @ LaPorte

Decatur Central/Bloomington South @ Mooresville

4A

Mishawaka/East Noble @ Wawasee

New Palestine/Martinsville @ Perry Meridian

3A

Garrett/FW Bishop Luers @ FW Northrop

Batesville/Heritage Hills @ Charlestown

2A

Andrean/Adams Central @ Logansport

Indianapolis Lutheran/Linton-Stockton @ Bloomington North

1A

North Judson/South Adams @ Maconaquah

South Putnam/Providence @ Bedford North Lawrence

Love the idea but suggest that they are double-headers on Saturday afternoon.   The advantages to that are so numerous, that is hard to believe it is not discussed.

Edited November 18, 2024 by whiteshoes

[Basementbias]

I'd have neutral sites for semi state. Used to say regional, but now I'm not. I think the tournament should be seeded by regionsls not sectionals. We keep the sectional championships but seed the regional to determine home field. I'm not a fan of requiring turf but the grass should at least be playable & in great condition.

[NLCTigerFan07]

On 11/16/2024 at 11:37 AM, HoopsCoach said:

Just like the regionals, it would give schools an opportunity to showcase the investment they have made in their facilities.

Neutral Site Semi-States - Friday Night

4A

Mishawaka/East Noble @ Wawasee

3A

Garrett/FW Bishop Luers @ FW Northrop

I love this hypothetical game each week. I'm in agreement that Semi-State games should 100% be neutral fields. I am mostly on board for Regionals, but Semi-States 100%.

For the two games above, I would swap the 4A game to Northridge. That facility is beautiful! And I think both the home and visitor stands have a larger capacity than what Wawasee has.

For 3A, Northrop would work just fine BUT ... it's hard to leave out what I would argue is the BEST facility in the state at Fort Wayne Carroll. I'm pretty sure their stands could hold the entire population of Garrett! And it's almost a perfect middle location between the two schools.

Seriously - if you're a high school football fan in the state of Indiana - get to Fort Wayne Carroll at least once to see their athletics campus.

[jets]

On 11/16/2024 at 3:40 PM, Cousin Sal said:

I don't mind the idea of neutral site games after sectional, but why limit it to turf fields?

Haha....you really have to ask this?? 

[FastpacedO]

On 11/16/2024 at 11:37 AM, HoopsCoach said:

Neutral Site Semi-States - Friday Night

6A

Brownsburg/Center Grove @ Plainfield (or Ben Davis)

5A

Decatur Central/Bloomington South @ Mooresville

 

Not so sure these would be all that neutral sites for these games.

Plainfield maybe for Brownsburg/CG, but Ben Davis would be a hop skip and a jump for Brownsburg and much more travel time for CG (albeit not terrible).

Playing at Mooresville for Decatur Central is basically just down the street might as well keep it at Decatur Central.

[HoopsCoach]

8 hours ago, NLCTigerFan07 said:

I love this hypothetical game each week. I'm in agreement that Semi-State games should 100% be neutral fields. I am mostly on board for Regionals, but Semi-States 100%.

For the two games above, I would swap the 4A game to Northridge. That facility is beautiful! And I think both the home and visitor stands have a larger capacity than what Wawasee has.

For 3A, Northrop would work just fine BUT ... it's hard to leave out what I would argue is the BEST facility in the state at Fort Wayne Carroll. I'm pretty sure their stands could hold the entire population of Garrett! And it's almost a perfect middle location between the two schools.

Seriously - if you're a high school football fan in the state of Indiana - get to Fort Wayne Carroll at least once to see their athletics campus.

Northridge is an excellent facility and it would be a really good choice for that 4A game.  I picked Wawasee because the drive time is just a little closer to equal for EN/Mishawaka.

You are right that Carroll is a beautiful facility.  It was actually my first choice to host the Garrett/Luers game.  I have some family in the Carroll district and they said it is a nightmare to get to the school because of construction and traffic.  I went with Northrop to avoid that and also give a little love to Spuller Stadium.

5 hours ago, FastpacedO said:

Not so sure these would be all that neutral sites for these games.

Plainfield maybe for Brownsburg/CG, but Ben Davis would be a hop skip and a jump for Brownsburg and much more travel time for CG (albeit not terrible).

Playing at Mooresville for Decatur Central is basically just down the street might as well keep it at Decatur Central.

Plainfield was my first choice over BD for the 6A game to make the drive times closer to equal.  BD has a much larger capacity than Plainfield, so I listed BD as an alternative since that game may need a venue with a large capacity.

The ideal host site for the 5A game is Martinsville, however, I didn’t pick it because they are still playing.  Center Grove would also be a good choice, but they are still playing as well.  Mooresville is much closer to Decatur Central, but it’s still only 50 minutes from Bloomington South.  Greenwood was another possibility but it’s actually a few minutes more for Bloomington South to go there than it is to Mooresville.

[HoopsCoach]

9 hours ago, whiteshoes said:

Love the idea but suggest that they are double-headers on Saturday afternoon.   The advantages to that are so numerous, that is hard to believe it is not discussed.

In my hypothetical semi-state post for last year, I listed two options - Friday night single games and Saturday double-headers.  I didnt include the Saturday double-header alternative in my original post this year, but here is my suggestion.

Saturday Afternoon/Evening - Two Games

@ Logansport

Andrean/Adams Central

North Judson/South Adams

@ Columbia City

Garrett/FW Bishop Luers

Mishawaka/East Noble

@ Harrison (WL)

Merrillville/Warsaw

Crown Point/Westfield

@ Plainfield

New Palestine/Martinsville

Brownsburg/Center Grove

@ Bloomington North

Indianapolis Lutheran/Linton Stockton

Decatur Central/Bloomington South

@ Bedford North Lawrence

South Putnam/Providence

Batesville/Heritage Hills

[Basementbias]

1 hour ago, HoopsCoach said:

In my hypothetical semi-state post for last year, I listed two options - Friday night single games and Saturday double-headers.  I didnt include the Saturday double-header alternative in my original post this year, but here is my suggestion.

Saturday Afternoon/Evening - Two Games

@ Logansport

Andrean/Adams Central

North Judson/South Adams

@ Columbia City

Garrett/FW Bishop Luers

Mishawaka/East Noble

@ Harrison (WL)

Merrillville/Warsaw

Crown Point/Westfield

@ Plainfield

New Palestine/Martinsville

Brownsburg/Center Grove

@ Bloomington North

Indianapolis Lutheran/Linton Stockton

Decatur Central/Bloomington South

@ Bedford North Lawrence

South Putnam/Providence

Batesville/Heritage Hills

Would be cool to see the Adams County contingent cheering on the underdog Starfires and Jets one right after the other. This year especially for me having a senior cousin cheerleader who also plays in the band with her freshman brother for SA and the Seniors through Sophomores I coached in youth football for AC.

[Yuccaguy]

28 minutes ago, Basementbias said:

Would be cool to see the Adams County contingent cheering on the underdog Starfires and Jets one right after the other. This year especially for me having a senior cousin cheerleader who also plays in the band with her freshman brother for SA and the Seniors through Sophomores I coached in youth football for AC.

A 6 mile divide that COULD be a "holy" get together.....  

[Zionsville_Superfan]

Hi, I’m a South Adams fan as well and I think they have something really special. They have an unstoppable passing offense Unlike any North Judson has seen this year. And I think if South Adams holds with Judson to 21 points or less. They have a great shot at winning. Also know that they have no starting skill position players on offense that are graduating.

[whiteshoes]

13 hours ago, HoopsCoach said:

In my hypothetical semi-state post for last year, I listed two options - Friday night single games and Saturday double-headers.  I didnt include the Saturday double-header alternative in my original post this year, but here is my suggestion.

Saturday Afternoon/Evening - Two Games

@ Logansport

Andrean/Adams Central

North Judson/South Adams

@ Columbia City

Garrett/FW Bishop Luers

Mishawaka/East Noble

@ Harrison (WL)

Merrillville/Warsaw

Crown Point/Westfield

@ Plainfield

New Palestine/Martinsville

Brownsburg/Center Grove

@ Bloomington North

Indianapolis Lutheran/Linton Stockton

Decatur Central/Bloomington South

@ Bedford North Lawrence

South Putnam/Providence

Batesville/Heritage Hills

Venues with more parking, more seating, better concessions, and larger restrooms.    Saturday afternoons usually provide better weather.   People don't have to leave work early on Friday to drive a distance to the game nor do they have to drive in the dark.   Players get the opportunity of playing in a larger venue.   It makes no sense why this is not being considered.   I became a big fan of this idea after standing five deep in the end zone several years ago at East Noble.    The venues could also include small colleges as well as large high schools.

[FastpacedO]

13 hours ago, HoopsCoach said:

Plainfield was my first choice over BD for the 6A game to make the drive times closer to equal.  BD has a much larger capacity than Plainfield, so I listed BD as an alternative since that game may need a venue with a large capacity.

The ideal host site for the 5A game is Martinsville, however, I didn’t pick it because they are still playing.  Center Grove would also be a good choice, but they are still playing as well.  Mooresville is much closer to Decatur Central, but it’s still only 50 minutes from Bloomington South.  Greenwood was another possibility but it’s actually a few minutes more for Bloomington South to go there than it is to Mooresville.

Plainfield would definitely be a better choice to keep it neutral.

Martinsville would be good for Decatur Central and Bloomington South. I wouldn't worry about teams alive because they would be playing elsewhere. The designated home team could provide announcer, scorekeeper, chain gang etc even at a neutral site.