Jeff High plans on keeping sectionals despite fire

Jeffersonville High School is confident of hosting next year’s boys’ and girls’ soccer sectionals, despite last week’s fire which destroyed the two-storey press box.
Athletic director Tony Branch said he would expect the insurance fire compensation and the GCCS Corporation to build a new and more practical press box by the time the soccer season returns next year.

“In this case we would again request to host boys’ and girls’ soccer sectionals,” said Branch. “We have one of the best venues to host as we can supply all of the amenities, including lights for evening and night play.”

Coincidentally, the fire occurred on October 15, two days after Jeff had hosted the girls’ sectional final and the same week ‘Kick It’ had been working on a story around the issue of rotating soccer sectionals between the area’s schools.

With the Highlanders winning the boys' championship at Floyd Central, and the Red Devils coming out victorious at, well, Jeffersonville, the question as to why both these schools have hosted the tournament the past couple of years was brought up.

Before the new format came into play, Floyd Central hosted a larger sectional comprising all the teams in the area. That larger format still remains in place for the girls, a tournament Jeffersonville also hosts.

While both schools have done a fine job to date, would it be a fairer system if the likes of New Albany and Providence were to host the competition in a rotational system similar in other high school sports?

Theresia Wynns, Indiana High School Athletic Association assistant commissioner, said hosting doesn’t rotate in soccer at all sites because not all schools desire to host it. However, if schools want to meet to ask for a rotation they may do so.

"Schools that are interested in hosting sectionals simply write me a letter indicating so with information about its facilities," said Wynns. "(They) express a desire to host if they can meet the specifications needed, i.e., size of field (120 x 75 yards), bleachers, concessions, restrooms, parking, etc."

Ms Wynns added that venues rotate in other high school sports because the schools in the sectional alignment meet and make those decisions.

“The alignment for soccer is totally different from that of volleyball, basketball softball and baseball,” she said. “The sectional is the only site that rotates - regional and semi-states do not. The other sites for these sports are decided by the IHSAA and very few rotate. Soccer has fewer schools and is still one class."

The IHSAA receives the gate receipts from hosting venues after expenses and stipends are paid, said Wynns.

Okay, so now we know the score, are other schools even interested in hosting them? New Albany athletic director Donnie Unruh said it may seek to host the girls' sectionals in the future, now that its field has improved, while Providence girls’ coach Dave Smith, who believes it should be determined on a rotating basis, said the Pioneers hope to apply to host tournaments once it meets the criteria laid down by the IHSAA.

They have taken some steps already, added Smith, like introducing, floodlights, World Cup standard goals, nets and a new concession stand, while a new Bermuda grass field is also in the pipeline.

“We also have plans to upgrade the spectator area and build a new press box where we can video games,” said Smith.