Lindsay Ingenito

VOLLEYBALL

Daleville defeated Winchester 25-14, 25-19, 25-17. Breanna Townsend led the Broncos in kills with 14, followed by Lindsay Ingenito with 11.

BOYS SOCCER

Central defeated Delta 3-1. Chase Clasby scored two goals for the Bearcats, followed by David Lavanchy with one. Andrew Torres had the lone goal for the Eagles, which was assisted by Hunter Kittrell.

GIRLS SOCCER

Burris fell to Mississinewa 1-0 on the team’s senior night. Owls goalkeeper Taylor Hunt recorded five saves.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Monroe Central won the Randolph County meet Tuesday with a score of 21, followed by Winchester (46) and Randolph Southern (66). Conner Miller led the Golden Bears, winning the event with a time of 17 minutes, 46.8 seconds.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Union City placed first at the Randolph County meet Tuesday with 32 points, followed by Randolph Southern (44), Monroe Central (66) and Winchester (73). The Golden Bears’ Aubrey Norris was the winner of the event with a time of 19:58.9.

Mimi Arrington

Audrey Woodin

SELMA — Ever since Yorktown moved down from Class 4A to 3A this season, the Tigers have been on a collision course with Delta.

After both squads took care of business in the Delaware County Volleyball Tournament quarterfinals Thursday evening at Wapahani, the first of three potential meetings in October between the rivals could be Saturday night in the tournament championship.

For that to happen, though, each would have to win in the semifinals Saturday, which neither is counting on at this point – especially with two of 2A’s top squads waiting in Wes-Del and Wapahani.

“Right now we’re really focusing on Wes-Del because we don’t want to look past them,” Delta’s Kaylee Nichols said after the Eagles rolled to a 3-0 (25-7, 25-21, 25-12) sweep of Daleville. “But, we’ve seen Yorktown and we’re looking to play in that game, hopefully.”

And that’s why both teams are where they are – mainstays in the 3A’s top 5 all season – they don’t look ahead.

Fourth-ranked Delta (18-7) has already beat Wes-Del (20-5 and No. 1 in 2A) once this season, but the Warriors won in five sets last season. And top-ranked Yorktown (25-1) swept No. 5 Wapahani (11-7) earlier this season, but the last thing coach Stephanie Bloom told the Tigers before leaving the locker room Thursday night was that now it’s all about getting ready for the Warriors.

The Tigers also cruised in their quarterfinal match with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-4, 25-12) win over Cowan (7-15). It was Yorktown’s second match since getting swept by Central last Saturday, and it has taken that defeat to heart.

“We just have to keep moving forward,” Yorktown setter Mimi Arrington said after she dished out 25 assists, spreading the ball around to Kenzie Knuckles, Rhyen Neal and Kendall Murr. “It was a lesson learned. Central played really, really good. I mean, they played great, so we have to take that as a lesson; you can’t just show up and win, you have to work.”

Mimi Arrington

Audrey Woodin continued to put down kills at a rapid rate, setting down 19 of them as Delta also got eight from Chloe Stitt and five from Rebecka Vannatta. While the Eagles had lost three of four coming in, they were all to top-10 teams in 4A, including Central.

“I think since the Central match last year, we’ve gotten better,” Delta coach Heidi Zickgraf said. “We’ve really learned from that match and have seen our potential in how we can actually can be.”

That’s the same attitude Yorktown is taking. With the postseason inching closer, Bloom is trying to look at the bright side of finally losing a match.

“I think we’re still working through it a little bit,” Bloom said. “We never talked about being undefeated, but I think when you go this late into the year, it was disappointing, for sure. We’ve never had to come into a gym after a loss. It’s important thing for teams to experience a variety of things.

“So it’s not a bad thing. I think it’ll benefit us, but we still have some responding to do.”

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Lizzie Smith

GIRLS SOCCER

Yorktown shut out Knightstown 5-0 on its home field. Hannah Rapp and Lizzie Smith each scored two goals for the Tigers, followed by Sarah Bade with one.

Delta tied Blackford 1-1. Morgan Sizemore had the Eagles’ lone goal. Allie Jennerjahn was the lone scorer for the Bruins.

BOYS SOCCER

Blackford tied Norwell 0-0. The Bruins (0-13-1) will face Christel House Watanabel Saturday at noon.

VOLLEYBALL

New Castle defeated Burris 25-12, 25-12, 25-20. The Trojans’ Peighton Barber helped guide the offense with 30 assists and served four aces. My Kel Ivy led all Owls with seven kills.

Winchester swept Union City 25-22, 25-19, 25-22. Morgan Friend covered the Golden Falcons’ defense, putting up 17 digs. Emily White added 14 digs and two aces.

Blue River took down Tri in four sets Wednesday (25-15, 21-25, 25-19, 25-17). Haley Morgan had 14 kills for the Vikings, followed by Kyleigh Alcorn and Breanna Koontz with 13 each.

Daleville defeated Winchester in three sets Wednesday (25-14, 25-19, 25-17). Kira Robinson and Shelby Miller led the Golden Falcons’ offense with four kills each.

Yorktown’s Ian Landwehr celebrates after his 102 career win Thursday evening at the tennis sectional held at Delta High School. Landwehr holds the record for wins in the state after the victory.

Yorktown’s Ian Landwehr finishes his 102 career win Thursday evening at the tennis sectional held at Delta High School. Landwehr holds the record for most wins in the state during a career after the victory.

Yorktown’s Ian Landwehr returns the serve from his Delta opponent Thursday evening at the tennis sectional held at Delta High School. Delta won the sectional 4-1.

Delta’s Joe Wegener volleys against his Yorktown opponent Thursday evening at the tennis sectional held at Delta High School. Delta won the sectional 4-1.

Yorktown’s Ian Landwehr volleys against his Delta opponent Thursday evening at the tennis sectional held at Delta High School. Delta won the sectional 4-1.

Delta’s Jason Wegener serves during his match up with his Yorktown opponent Thursday evening at the tennis sectional held at Delta High School. Delta won the sectional 4-1.

Yorktown’s Ian Landwehr volleys against his Delta opponent Thursday evening at the tennis sectional held at Delta High School. Delta won the sectional 4-1.

Delta’s Jason Wegener is locked in a volley with his Yorktown opponent Thursday evening at the tennis sectional held at Delta High School. Delta won the sectional 4-1.

MUNCIE — Two things are as sure as the air turning cold come October.

Delta boys tennis winning a sectional title, and Yorktown’s Ian Landwehr winning his individual match.

Delta won the Delta Sectional, its 23rd in a row, by defeating Yorktown 4-1. At the same time, Landwehr’s victory was the 102nd of his career and broke the IHSAA record for wins.

Ultimately, both the Eagles and Landwehr did exactly what they’ve done all season.

For Delta, winning sectionals is almost expected with the dynasty in place. It never gets old for Eagles coach Tim Cleland, who’s seen dozens of players come through the system. For him, taking the sectional title is always an adventure because there’s no guarantee of success when the five spots are constantly rotating and changing after every season.

“The reason it’s never old hat is because it’s not the same kids,” Cleland said. “It’s always new kids, always new situations, always new drama.”

He pointed out a three-set victory from his No. 1 doubles team of Jacob Brewer and Matt Hapner over a previously undefeated Yorktown squad of Mitchell Minniear and Abe Rosenthall. Going into the match, Yorktown’s duo was the presumed favorite.

Brewer and Hapner teamed up just two weeks ago, but proved anything can happen, part of why sectionals never get old for Cleland and assumptions can never be made. Part of building Delta into the powerhouse it is comes down to not underestimating opponents and encouraging players to reach their full potential. Singles players Joe Wegener and Jason Wegener also won, as did the No. 2 doubles team of Tannon Dishman and Nick Bantz.

“You treat tennis not like a minor sport but as a major sport,” Cleland said. “It’s in how the kids carry themselves, how you prepare for each match, you have total buy-in.”

With another sectional in the books, Delta turns its attention to the Marion Regional Tuesday and Wednesday next week, and so does Landwehr.

When he won the final point of his match, Landwehr looked momentarily calm, before flinging his racket high into the air and letting out a loud yell.

To him, it was more than just another victory. The record-breaking win was on his mind for days leading up to the match, especially after his Tigers advanced through the semifinals on Wednesday.

Yorktown’s Ian Landwehr tosses his racket in the air after his 102th career win Thursday evening at the tennis sectional held at Delta High School. Landwehr hold the record for wins in the state after the victory.

He talked to Yorktown athletic director Kyle Hall Thursday morning, and they spoke about sticking to the game plan and accepting the outcome, whatever it may be.

“The record was on my mind quite a bit, it’s been a long time that the record has been maintained,” Landwehr said. “But from now on I need to move forward and focus on Marion next week.”

Landwehr said his teammates and parents kept their distance throughout the day, telling him to go out and play his best, but shying away from the topic of the record.

In baseball, it’s customary to leave a pitcher alone when he’s throwing a no-hitter or perfect game. Landwehr’s teammates didn’t want to put any added pressure on the senior, who advanced to play individually throughout the rest of the postseason.

Less than a week ago, he lost to Richmond’s Eric Hollingsworth, the only blemish on his season and the first time he lost a regular season match since his freshman year.

“It’s difficult to handle and left a bitter taste in my mouth,” Landwehr said. “But that loss motivated me to come out stronger and hopefully I get to play him again in the coming weeks.”

Contact prep sports writer David Polaski at dpolaski@muncie.gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidPolaskiTSP.

Reece Malapit

They hurt her scorecard, but the first two holes actually helped Reece Malapit on Friday morning.

After carding a bogey and a triple bogey on No. 10 and 11 at Prairie View Golf Course in Carmel, Indiana, the Yorktown junior bounced back to shoot a 7-over 79 in the opening round of the IHSAA girls golf state championship. She is in a three-way tie for eighth place heading into the final round Saturday, just four shots back of the leader, Lafayette Central Catholic’s Morgan Brown.

Malapit had double bogeys on No. 18 and then No. 8 in addition to the triple, but three birdies and nine pars helped her recover.

“She was so impressive outside of those three holes,” Yorktown coach Nathan McClung said. “As windy and cold as it was today, 79 with two doubles and a triple is nothing short of fantastic. Her bounce-back today was unbelievable. Every time she had a bad hole, she’d string together four or five great holes.

“Her swing today, she hit some shots that boy golfers couldn’t hit. She hit three bad shots the entire round. On a day where it’s that windy, it was really, really impressive.”

Malapit said she got up-and-down to make par several times, and that put her in position to contend going into Saturday.

“Just getting the speed of the greens early on, it helped me save some pars,” she said.

The plan Saturday is the same, especially with the weather forecast looking even more questionable.

“I was pretty conservative, and I kind of want to stay that way,” Malapit said. “The conditions are supposed to be even worse than (Friday), so shooting a 78 or 79 or even 77 is going to keep me in the same position I am today.”

Sports

BOYS SOCCER

Heritage Hall shut out Community Baptist 1-0. Brayden Karnes scored the goal for the Patriots, while goalkeeper Kyle Smith had seven saves.

Burris fell to Hamilton Heights 2-1 Thursday. Max Alvarado scored the Owls’ lone goal, which was assisted by Vikaas Xavier.

VOLLEYBALL

Heritage Hall defeated Community Baptist 25-10, 25-16, 19-25, 25-20.

Jay County came back from a first-set loss to defeat Heritage 24-26, 25-16, 25-22, 25-16. Abby Barcus led the Patriots’ offense with 16 kills, followed by Abby Wendel and Ava Kunkler with 13 kills each.

Grant Zgunda

Delta defeated Pendleton Heights 28-20, with the victory meaning more than just another notch in the win column. The win was the 200th for coach Grant Zgunda, after 23 years of coaching.

“It’s a football team, program, school accomplishment,” Zgunda said. “You can give everyone credit for it, the coaching staff, players through the years. It’s an accomplishment for all the people involved.”

Zach Mills started when he broke off a 66-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, giving the Eagles a 6-0 lead.

After Pendleton Heights tied the game, Mills tore off his second touchdown of the game, a 55-yard run. Pendleton Heights scored just before halftime, taking a 13-12 lead into the break. He finished the game with a team-high 184 years rushing on 24 carries.

Logan Clawson sparked the Delta offense immediately in the second half, scoring on a five-yard run with a two-point conversion from Ryley Pease to Kaleb Slaven. In the fourth quarter, Clawson took off for a 34-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 28-13 after another pass from Pease to Slaven for another two-point conversion.

After Pendleton Heights scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 28-20, they drove downfield and was stopped inside the Delta five-yard line and couldn’t get another snap off before the clock expired, sealing the win for Delta.

Delta (5-2) will face Greenfield-Central next Friday.

Central 68, Marion 27

Central went on a 41-7 run in the first half, which helped fuel a 41-point victory over North Central Conference opponent Marion.

Andre Wells put up two scores in the first quarter, one 55-yard run and one 70-yard run, along with a four-yard run into the end zone in the third. Xavier Cleaves added a 50-yard rushing touchdown to give the Bearcats the 55-14 lead with 18 minutes left in the game.

Central (4-3) will host McCutcheon in another NCC battle next Friday.

Monroe Central 50, Broad Ripple 0

Golden Bears’ quarterback Logan Conklin had two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown to help push Monroe Central to a 50-0 shutout over Broad Ripple.

Tyler Writtenhouse led the Golden Bears in rushing with nine carries for 79 yards, possessing the first scoring play of the game. Conklin followed, connecting with Israel Nash for a 79-yard touchdown in the first quarter and putting his team at an early 14-0 lead.

Monroe Central (6-1) will travel to Anderson Prep Academy next Friday.

Mount Vernon 36, New Castle 13

New Castle scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to earn the victory over Mount Vernon.

Nic Broyles led the Trojans in rushing with three carries for 51 yards, followed by Brady Renner who had three carries for 16 yards. Dalton Engle completed six of 11 passes for 80 yards and also added a two-yard touchdown run.

New Castle (1-6) will travel to New Palestine next Friday.

Mount Vernon 42, Wes-Del 0

Wes-Del dropped its third consecutive game, making the Warriors 2-5 in the regular season. The team will face Edinburgh at home next Friday.

File photo

VOLLEYBALL

Wapahani earned the sweep over Cowan 25-13, 25-16, 25-8. Estella Davis picked up nine kills and four blocks for the Raiders while Hannah Smith served five aces. Kalynn Sours had 11 digs for the Blackhawks.

Despite a first-set loss, Daleville came back to defeat Monroe Central 11-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-21. Breanna Townsend led the Broncos offense with 16 kills, while Zannah Weber put up all 28 assists.

Alysa Sutton piled up 20 kills and 18 digs to help Wes-Del to a sweep of Lapel Monday. Morgan Prather added 18 digs for the Warriors.

Micah Leavell

VOLLEYBALL

Central held Arsenal Tech to single digits in each of the three sets, defeating its North Central Conference opponent 25-6, 25-8, 25-4. E’laisah Young had eight kills in the Bearcat victory, followed by Micah Leavell with seven. Central’s Emma Fromholz served five aces.

Daleville picked up the sweep over Liberty Christian 25-14, 25-20, 25-7. Taylor Quackenbush and Breanna Townsend each led the Broncos’ serving game with four aces.

Yorktown swept New Castle 25-19, 25-17, 27-25. Jade York covered the backcourt with 21 digs, while Kenzie Knuckles pounded 15 kills and added 16 digs. Avarie Powell put up 13 kills for the Trojans, followed by Morgan Burns with nine.

Audrey Woodin put up 15 kills to help Delta get the sweep over Alexandria 25-22, 25-15, 25-13. The Eagles’ Kaylee Nichols added 14 kills while Kelsee Roe guided the offense with 34 assists.

Katarina DiBiasio tallied 25 kills and 10 digs to lead Monroe Central to a 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-10, 25-20) victory over Blue River. Morgan Haney added 24 digs and eight kills.

Winchester fell to Tri in three sets Wednesday (25-22, 25-18, 25-14). Kirklyn Keener led the Golden Falcons’ offense with five kills while Morgan Friend served three aces.

GIRLS SOCCER

New Castle shut out Richmond 6-0 at the Rushville Sectional, with five of its goals being scored in the first half. The Trojans will play in the sectional championship at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Yorktown’s Shawn Llamas

YORKTOWN — It didn’t matter if the ball went to the right or left, but it always went forward.

Yorktown fell 42-28 to Pendleton Heights, with the visiting Arabians doing whatever they wanted to on the ground.

Utilizing a rushing attack headed by Chase Cochran and Logan Drye, Pendleton Heights rushed for 387 total yards, draining the clock throughout the game, dictating the pace and keeping Yorktown’s offense off the field as much as possible.

Pendleton Heights opened the scoring with an 8-yard scamper from Cochran, finishing an eight play, 68-yard drive that looked effortless. The Arabian offense put quarterback Jarrod Hubble under center and Cochran behind him. Before almost every snap, Drye would motion behind the quarterback before the snap, leaving it for the Tigers defense to decipher who the ball was going to.

After a quick Yorktown punt, Pendleton Heights marched down the field again, this time capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Hubble. Yorktown often lost the edge, allowing the Pendleton Heights rushing attack room to run free between the hash marks and sideline.

“Recognizing what they were going to run and getting our guys over there to stop them was a problem,” Yorktown’s Shawn Llamas said. “Having enough people and making tackles, they broke a few. Little things like that.”

Even after Yorktown responded with a touchdown pass from Brogan Miller to Nathan Preston to cut into the lead, the Arabians continued motioning its halfbacks, sweeping right and left, often faking to Payton Huth before pitching or handing off to Cochran or Drye. Pulling side-to-side faster than Yorktown could respond, Cochran scored from seven yards out to give his team a 21-7 lead going into halftime.

“Pendleton Heights had guys at the point of attack and we didn’t do a good enough job disrupting their lanes,” Yorktown coach Mike Wilhelm said.

Miller fired two more touchdowns in the second half, but Pendleton Heights responded with touchdowns from Cochran and Drye. Cochran finished with four rushing touchdowns, the biggest thorn in Yorktown’s side. Jordan Spangler added a touchdown for the Tigers, finishing with a team-high 65 yards on the ground.

Yorktown had life late in the fourth quarter, with the ball in Pendleton Heights territory, but an interception quelled the drive and clinched the game for the Arabians. It was the third turnover of the game for the Tigers.

Contact prep sports reporter David Polaski at dpolaski@muncie.gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidPolaskiTSP

Lizzy Schoenlein

VOLLEYBALL

Jay County won the Allen County Athletic Conference Tournament title Thursday after beating South Adams 2-0 (25-20, 25-20) in the semifinals and Heritage 2-1 (25-13, 26-28, 25-22) in the final. Abby Barcus had 35 kills on the night, including 26 in the championship. Abby Wendel had 12 kills and 13 digs in the title match, while Lizzy Schoenlein dished out 65 assists over the two matches.

BOYS SOCCER

Herital Hall defeated Tabernacle Christian 5-1 Friday evening. Brayden Karnes scored three goals, Skyler Posey added one goal and one assist. Justin Hiltz tacked on one goal and three assists. Goalkeeper Kyle Smith notched five saves.

Delta’s Zach Mills

Delta won its fifth straight game with a 33-14 win over Greenfield-Central on Friday night as Zach Mills ran for 195 yards on 33 attempts.

Delta struck first with a 16-yard touchdown run courtesy of Mills in the first quarter. Greenfield-Central answered with a scoring drive of its own in the second quarter, tying things up at halftime.

The Eagles took over in the third quarter, scoring twice more on Mills runs while the Cougars could only manage one touchdown. Two more scores in the fourth quarter secured the Delta victory.

Delta (6-2, 5-1) plays top-ranked New Palestine next Friday.

Monroe Central 51, Anderson Prep 15

Monroe Central controlled the game early and often, with one touchdown each from Beau Combs and Wyatt Snyder in the first quarter. Combs scored on a 39-yard pass reception from quarterback Logan Conklin while Snyder scored on a 13-yard run.

Tyler Writtenhouse ran for 216 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries while Conklin finished the game with 208 yards on 6 of 10 passing. Monroe Central plays next Friday at Shenandoah.

Winchester 56, Tri 8

Kiante Enis ran for 215 yards and three touchdowns and Austin Lawrence also ran for three scores as Winchester rolled. The Golden Falcons took a 42-0 lead at halftime and 49-0 lead after three quarters.

Wes-Del 46, Edinburgh 26

The Warriors exploded behind Adam Routh’s 157 yards and five touchdowns. Wes-Del had leads of 26-6 at halftime and 46-14 after three quarters to snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 3-5.

“We got back to being who we are as Warrior football,” Wes-Del coach Brad Hess said. “Everyone very unselfish and it showed. Got back to doing our jobs.”

Jason Wegener

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Delta boys tennis coach Tim Cleland saw the competitiveness in his players during Saturday’s Homestead Semistate match against No. 2 North Central. If a couple of tight early sets could have swung in the Eagles’ favor, Cleland and his players could have been thinking upset.

But that didn’t happen, as North Central won every game when matches reached a point where the first-set score was 5-3 or 5-4, and the Panthers went on to a 4-1 victory over sixth-ranked Delta.

The Eagles’ season came to a close at 22-2.

“They just didn’t go our way,” Cleland said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get any of those 4-5 games. If we could have won a couple of those first sets, we could have had something.”

Delta did reverse one first-set loss, though, with Jason Wegener winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 singles. That included a third-set victory when he knew the team result had already been determined.

“That was a nice third set for him,” Cleland said. “The team match was decided and it would have been easy for a letdown there. Jason is an outstanding player as far as No. 3 singles goes, and we were hoping that was a position we could win.”

Despite the loss at No. 1 singles, Alec Robillard finished his season at 20-7.

“To get 20 wins at No. 1 against our schedule, that’s a great season,” Cleland said of the junior.

The Eagles’ season came to an end against a familiar foe in two-time defending state champion North Central, which improved to 18-0. The Panthers have many times ended Delta’s season at the state or semistate levels.

“Like I told the kids, you can’t complain about that,” Cleland said. “There are teams that have to play North Central at the sectional and regional levels. When you get to the semistate, you have to be ready to play anybody.”

The Eagles will have Robillard, Jason Wegener and Tannon Dishman back for next fall, but they say goodbye to four seniors: Joe Wegener, Nick Bantz, Jacob Brewer and Matt Hapner.

Kendall Murr

VOLLEYBALL

Class 3A No. 1 Yorktown repeated its victory from a week earlier in the Delaware County Tournament’s championship match, beating Class 3A No. 5 Delta 25-18, 25-16, 25-18. The Tigers were led by Kenzie Knuckles with 12 kills and 18 digs, and Kendall Murr with 10 kills, an ace and a block. Delta was led by Chloe Stitt with nine kills and six digs, and Audrey Woodin with seven kills and seven digs.

Central won the NCC Conference Tournament, knocking off Lafayette Jefferson, Harrison and McCutcheon. Micah Leavell and E’laisah Young led the Bearcats with 20 kills each.

Wapahani dropped four matches at the Columbus East Invitational. Skyler VanNote led the Raiders with 38 kills.

Delta’s Zach Mills takes off down the sideline during a run in the first half on Sept. 11 to score a touchdown for Delta.

Yorktown took on Greenfield Central during their homecoming game on Friday night.Yorktown lost the game 14-13.

Central’s Andre Wells powers through McCutcheon’s defense during their game at Central Friday, Oct. 9, 2015.

Monroe Central’s Tyler Writtenhouse slips through Wes-Del’s defense during their game at Monroe Central High School on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015.

The Central football team received one of the toughest draws of all area teams when the sectional draw was released on Sunday.

Central will host No. 5 Kokomo in 5A Sectional 12, a team the Bearcats fell to 63-28 earlier this season and sits at 8-0 on the season.

“Kokomo is a good team, they’re good on both sides of the ball and they’ll be a good challenge,” Central coach Adam Morris said. “In the first game, it was the mistakes we made, giving them two possessions on special teams. But we have to worry about us and what we can control.”

Central will have to control Kokomo’s Jeron Gray, who gashed the Bearcats for 215 yards on the ground and six touchdowns. Kokomo scored nine touchdowns on the ground that evening.

The Yorktown football team will host Peru in the first week of Sectional 27. Yorktown is coming off a 42-28 loss to Pendleton Heights, while Peru sits at 7-1.

Yorktown coach Mike Wilhelm said playing against schools larger than his 3A Tigers helps prepare his squad for the postseason. Throughout the regular season, Yorktown plays three 5A squads and six 4A teams.

“Playing those teams makes us prepared and competitive,” Wilhelm said. “Peru is a solid football team, we know the coaching staff well and we’re happy to have an opportunity to play this game at home.”

Last season, Yorktown advanced to the regional round before falling to Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, a team it could face again if the Tigers advance far enough.

Delta has to take to the road to open the postseason, traveling to a 3-5 Greenfield-Central squad it just beat last Friday 33-14.

The Eagles look to win their first sectional since 2009. Last season, Delta fell in the sectional championship to rival Yorktown.

Jay County hosts Mount Vernon, while New Castle hosts Richmond to round out 4A. Jay County is coming off consecutive wins against South Adams and Indianapolis Marshall, outscoring them 96-8.

Wes-Del will face a tough assignment in the first week of sectional play, hosting 1A No. 7 Adams Central. The Flying Jets are 8-0 on the season with a dominating 47-3 win over Jay County earlier in the season.

In 2A, Winchester and Mr. Football candidate Kiante Enis travel to Eastern (Greentown), while Blackford faces Taylor.

Monroe Central will be staying home for its first game of the postseason, hosting Anderson Prep.

Zoee Kear, left, hit 2,000 career assists in Monroe Central’s win.

VOLLEYBALL

Zoee Kear tallied her 2,000th career assist in Monroe Central’s 3-2 (16-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-12, 15-8) win over Union. Kear finished with 36 on the night, and Morgan Haney added 17 kills and 14 digs.

Daleville improved to 16-10 with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-7, 25-11) win over Randolph Southern. Zannah Weber had 23 assists, nine digs and five aces for the Broncos, while Lindsay Ingenito added eight kills and eight digs.

Camryn Campbell and Kaylee Nichols had eight kills apiece as Delta rolled to a 3-0 (25-16, 25-10, 25-18) win over Pendleton heights. Kelsee Roe dished out 32 assists.

Skyler VanNote had 19 kills and Estella Davis 14 in Wapahani’s 3-1 (25-17, 25-16, 25-27, 25-16) victory over Union County. Lexie Spence tallied 42 assists for the Raiders.

After taking the first two sets, Heritage Hall fell to Suburban Baptist 3-2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-13, 25-15, 15-13). Carly Shaver had 44 digs for Heritage Hall.

Yorktown won against Delta 3-0 for the County Title Saturday night at Wapahani High School.

Delta defeated Wes-Del at Wes-Del High School Thursday evening.

Why wait?

That’s the mentality of Wapahani coach Jared Richardson as two volleyball teams that have spent virtually the entire season ranked in the top five of the Class 2A state poll will meet in a sectional opener.

The Wes-Del Warriors and Wapahani Raiders will square off in the Burris Sectional quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 21, highlighting the state tournament draw held Monday morning in Indianapolis. Wes-Del (21-6) is ranked first in the most recent coaches’ poll and media poll, while Wapahani (18-11) is sixth in the coaches’ poll and fifth in the media poll.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Richardson said. “Someone asked me how I would want it to play out. I’d rather just get it in right out of the gate, get it over with. I know they’ve been improving as the season has gone on, and so have we.

“It’s going to be an interesting matchup. It’s Delaware County volleyball, so anything can happen.”

The Raiders dominated at the net in the teams’ lone meeting this season, earning a 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-16) win over the Warriors on Aug. 28 in Selma. Wes-Del, the defending 1A state champion, moved up to 2A this season due to the tournament success factor, while Wapahani moved down from 3A to 2A.

The Warriors, led by Eastern-Michigan bound Alysa Sutton, have been playing the last month without starter Perrie Smalley after she broke her wrist. The Raiders, meanwhile, have played the 10th toughest schedule in the state according to IndianaPrepVolleyball.com, all while overcoming injuries like to star middle hitter Skyler VanNote. Each has kept on eye on the other throughout the season, knowing this matchup would likely happen eventually.

“Mr. (Biff) Wilson (Wes-Del coach), he’s scouted us six to eight times this season, doing everything he can to come after us,” Richardson said. “When I saw him at our game against Muncie Central, I said, ‘At some point, haven’t you seen it all? He said, ‘Hey, I haven’t seen Muncie Central in two years. But that’s not why I’m here.'”

Also in the Burris Sectional, the host Owls (13-19) will open with Frankton (10-19) in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. on Oct. 21. The Monroe Central Golden Bears, who have broken through this season to go 23-6, received a bye into the semifinals and will meet either Sheridan (0-16) or Lapel (17-10) at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22.

Skyler VanNote the middle blocker for Wapahani returns the serve from Central on Monday at Wapahani High School. Central won 3-0.

In 3A, the top-ranked Yorktown Tigers (29-1) and the fourth-ranked Delta Eagles (22-9) could meet in the Delta Sectional semifinals if each wins their sectional opener. Yorktown drew the Blackford Bruins (0-24) at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 22, while Delta will face Hamilton Heights (14-10) at 6. The Tigers and Eagles have met twice in the last 10 days, with Yorktown sweeping both matches, including the Delaware County Volleyball Tournament final.

Yorktown won against Delta 3-0 for the County Title Saturday night at Wapahani High School.

Central (26-4), ranked seventh in the 4A media poll and eighth in the coaches’ poll, is one of the hottest teams in the state and drew Homestead (13-10) in the Fort Wayne South Side Sectional quarterfinals. The Bearcats have not played the Spartans this season. The teams will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 22, with the winner advancing to play either Fort Wayne South Side (0-15) or Huntington North (25-7) at 12:30 pm. on Oct. 24.

Also in that sectional, the Jay County Patriots (24-3) meet Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (25-4) on at 7 p.m. on Oct. 20, with the winner facing Fort Wayne Wayne (7-15) in the semifinals at 11 a.m. Oct. 24. The title match is later that evening at 7.

Wapahani took on Central Monday night in a home game. Central swept the game with a final of 3-0>

In 1A, the No. 10 Daleville Broncos (16-10) will face either Anderson Prep Academy (2-13) or Southern Wells (6-23) in the Cowan Sectional semifinals at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 24. The host Blackhawks (7-17) will meet Liberty Christian (8-15) in the first semifinal at 11 a.m. The final is the same day at 7 p.m.

The New Castle Trojans (18-15) will meet Richmond (20-11) in the New Castle Sectional quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 22. The winner advances to to play either Greenfield-Central (18-10) or Pendleton Heights (8-15) at 11 a.m. on Oct. 24.

Blue River (11-20) plays Tri (10-16) in the Randolph Southern Sectional quarterfinals. Also in that sectional, Union (12-13) plays Union City (2-20) in the semifinals at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 24.

Also in 2A, Winchester (8-15) plays Union County (15-8) in the Winchester Sectional quarterfinals at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22.

Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.

Zach Mills

Delta’s Rylan Sullivan knocked away a potential game-tying two-point conversion at the end of the fourth quarter, advancing the Eagles to the second round of the sectional. Delta earned the 14-12 victory over Greenfield-Central on Friday night.

“Any time you get a win in the sectional, it’s big,” Delta head coach Grant Zgunda said. “You get to move on. It doesn’t matter if you win by two or 20.”

The Eagles held Greenfield-Central scoreless in the first half, but the Cougars answered in the second with two touchdowns, keeping the game close. Zgunda said he credited the win to his team’s defense.

“I thought defensively we played well all night,” Zgunda said. “If it wasn’t for our defense, we wouldn’t have won this game.”

Despite a rough offensive night, Delta’s Zach Mills managed to rush for 153 yards and scored the Eagles’ first touchdown of the night, breaking Joe Spegal’s single-season rushing record in the process. Logan Clawson followed with 96 rushing yards and the team’s second touchdown. The Eagles’ Mitchell Hahn finished with five receptions for 71 yards.

Delta (7-3) will host New Castle (2-8) next Friday at 7 p.m.

Winchester takes win

Winchester put up 34 points in the second half to get the 62-6 win over Eastern in the first round of the sectional. The Golden Falcons (8-2) will host Elwood next Friday at 7 p.m.

Patriots fall

Jay County fell to Mount Vernon 42-14 in the opening round of the sectional. The Patriots ended their season with a 4-6 record.

Blackford suffers defeat

Blackford closed out its regular season with a 38-7 loss to Taylor in the first round of the sectional.

The Bruins’ Brandon Barkdull finished the game with 14 carries for 66 yards and five receptions for 36 yards. Bruins’ quarterback Devon Kirkwood threw six completions for 57 yards.

Yorktown won against Delta 3-0 for the County Title Saturday night at Wapahani High School.

High school volleyball sectional semifinals and finals are all day Saturday. Be sure to follow @RyanOGaraTSP, @DavidPolaskiTSP and @DakotaCrawford_ for updates. We’ll update this page throughout the day with scores from ECI teams.

Finals

Yorktown d. Guerin Catholic 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-11): The Tigers were led by Kenzie Knuckles’ 12 kills, and Kendall Murr added 10. Yorktown trailed 8-6 in the first set, rattled off a 19-3 run and never looked back in claiming the Delta Sectional title in Class 3A. For the full story, click here.

Wapahani d. Monroe Central 3-1 (25-11, 17-25, 25-21, 25-13): The Raiders suffered a bit of a lull, but senior libero Hannah Smith’s leadership helped them regroup and top Monroe Central for the second time this month and earn the Burris Sectional title in Class 2A. For the full story, click here.

Daleville d. Cowan 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-23): This was a long time in the making as Daleville earned its first sectional title since 1999, winning at Cowan in Class 1A. Lindsay Ingenito tallied 14 kills for the Broncos, while Breanna Townsend had 12. For the full story, click here.

Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran d. Central 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-12, 15-12): Central put forth a valiant effort in playing without Virginia Wilhoite but was unable beat the defending Class 3A state champs. Each team bumped up to 4A this season. For the full story, click here.

Semifinals

Yorktown d. Delta 3-2 (23-25, 25-16, 22-25, 25-12, 15-9): In a Class 3A heavyweight fight, the top-ranked Tigers got 29 kills from freshman Kenzie Knuckles to improve to 34-1 and beat the No. 5 Eagles for the third time this season. Yorktown will play Guerin Catholic in the final at 7 p.m. For the full story, click here.

Daleville d. Southern Wells 3-2 (25-15, 25-11, 24-26, 22-25, 15-7): Diana Campbell had a team-high 16 kills, Gabriella Harrington had 13. Daleville needed all five sets to defeat Southern Wells, with Lindsay Ingenito leading the Broncos with 21 kills. Cowan and Daleville meet for the Cowan Sectional championship tonight at 7 p.m. For the full story, click here.

Cowan d. Liberty Christian 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-21): The Blackhawks rallied from an eight point deficit in the second set before taking the win.

Central d. Huntington North 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-22): The No. 8 Bearcats won their 23rd straight match to improve to 30-4. They’ll face No. 10 Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (29-4) in the championship at 7 p.m at Fort Wayne South Side.

Union d. Union City 3-2: Union rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win and advance to the Randolph Southern Sectional final against Seton Catholic at 7 p.m.

Seton Catholic d. Blue River 3-0: Blue River finishes its season 13-22.

Saturday’s schedule

Delta Sectional (Class 3A): No. 1 Yorktown (33-1) vs. No. 5 Delta (24-10), 11 a.m. The winner plays Tipton (17-12) or Guerin Catholic (15-17) in the championship at 7 p.m. The Tigers and Eagles reached this point with wins Thursday.

Cowan Sectional (Class A): Cowan defeated Liberty Christian 25-14, 25-21, 25-21 in a semifinal match. The Blackhawks rallied from an eight point deficit in the second set before taking the win. Diana Campbell had a team-high 16 kills, Gabriella Harrington had 13. Cowan will face the winner of Daleville/Southern Wells at 7 p.m.

Fort Wayne South Side Sectional (Class 4A): No. 6 Central (29-4) vs. Huntington North (26-7), 12:30 p.m. The winner plays Fort Wayne Wayne (7-17) or No. 10 Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (28-4) in the championship at 7 p.m. Can the Bearcats win without Virginia Wilhoite?

Burris Sectional (Class 2A): No. 4 Wapahani (19-11) vs. Monroe Central (24-7), 7 p.m. The semifinals were Thursday, this is the final. Wapahani already knocked out defending Class A state champion Wes-Del in a five-set thriller.

Randolph Southern Sectional (Class A): Blue River (13-21) vs. Seton Catholic (26-8), 11 a.m.; Union (14-14) vs. Union City (2-21), 12:30 p.m. The winners play in the championship at 7 p.m.

Cowan’s Diana Campbell helped her team to a win against Liberty Christian on Saturday.

Cowan’s Diana Campbell finished with 16 kills in a three set win over Liberty Christian.

COWAN — What’s a volleyball sectional semifinal without a little adversity?

Daleville defeated Southern Wells in five sets, 25-15, 25-11, 24-26, 22-25, 15-7, while Cowan defeated Liberty Christian 25-14, 25-21, 25-21 in the semifinal round of the Cowan Sectional. Daleville and Cowan will meet for the championship tonight at 7 p.m.

After taking a 2-0 lead, the energy level dropped for Daleville. Players looked slow, something Broncos coach Beth Etchison was worried about.

“In games three and four, we were playing safe,” Etchison said. “We have to battle to win rather than playing not to lose and I think they got those first two sets rather easily and got complacent.

Daleville’s Lindsay Ingenito echoed the same words her coach said. She finished the night with a team-high 21 kills and added an ace and block in the final set to help clinch the win.

“In that fourth set, we got to the point where we were up so much in the first two, we sat back,” Ingenito said. “We all said ‘This is the fifth set, we all were saying “Let’s get it in gear, let’s go berserk.’”

Daleville opened the fifth set on a 5-1 run and never looked back at that point.

But Daleville wasn’t the only team to see adversity in the semifinals, as did Cowan.

After taking the first set convincingly, the Blackhawks fell behind 18-10 in the second set. Cowan coach Whitney Stewart used a timeout, reminding her team to stay aggressive and not let the energy fade.

“They refocused during that second timeout, we talked about how we wanted to put pressure on Liberty Christian throughout the entire game,” Stewart said. “But we were letting them dictate what was going on, we were a step behind on defense, but we corrected it.”

A 15-3 run gave Cowan the set, and never looked back. The offense flowed through senior Diana Campbell, who finished with a team-high 16 kills for the Blackhawks. Gabriella Harrington was second with 13.

With the third set drawing to a close, Harrington served up three straight aces to help give Cowan a seven-point cushion at 23-16 that her team needed to withstand one more Liberty Christian run.

“We talked well, we communicated well out there,” Campbell said. “We’re in beast mode, we’re ready to go.”

Contact prep reporter David Polaski at dpolaski@muncie.gannett.comFollow his volleyball coverage throughout today on his Twitter, @DavidPolaskiTSP.