Can you feel it in the air? 

You can almost taste it. No, it’s not pumpkin spice, everything nice . . .  it’s tournament football!

The IHSAA playoffs get under way at several sites with sectionals on Friday night.

So are you ready for high school football when it really counts?

The one-and-done format will be a heart-breaker for many schools. But it is what it is: Lose and you can start thinking about 2020; win and those advancing still have another shot at a title.

The Lady Royals were able to win a pair of matches on Saturday to capture the Class 4A Sectional 8 championship. 

In the first match The Lady Royals defeated Zionsville 25-12, 25-23, 25-15 to advance to the sectional final. The Royals were led by Delaney Garner with 16 kills and Abby Weber with 12 kills., ten digs and two aces. Defensively, Carly Mills had 20 digs and two aces. Kyla Berg added ten digs and two aces. Lillian Leiner collected 11 digs of her own.

What a Saturday it was for the Miller soccer program. Both teams were able to take home the Regional title as the boys team defeated Carroll 2-1 while the girls shutout McCutcheon 5-0. 

The day started for both teams by playing in their respective regional semi-final matches as the girls defeated Carroll 1-0. 

The Boys were victorious in their matchup against Harrison also by a 1-0 final score. 

Five of the top eight teams from the final regular season poll from the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association on are in this weekend’s fi eld to determine the 2019 boys tennis state champion.

Four quarterfinal matches will be played Friday at at Carmel and Center Grove high schools with the four winning teams advancing to the semifinal matches on Saturday at 10 am ET at North Central High School followed by the state championship match at 2 pm ET.

I grew up idolizing high school basketball.

And in the early years I also looked up to many great basketball coaches, and marveled over their success and the way they maintained poise and commanded respect, how they handled the striped shirts, and how they seemed to set high standards on and off the court.

I’m just sorry that I never had an opportunity to spend time around some of the old-timers such as Frankfort’s Everett Case, Columbus’ Bill Stearman, Martinsville’s Glenn Curtis, Madison’s Ray Eddy, St. Bend Central’s Elmer McCall, Crispus Attucks’ Ray Crowe, East Chicago Washington’s Johnnie Barotto, Muncie Central’s Dwight Tallman, Lebanon’s Jim Rosenstihl and Lafayette Jeff’s Marion Crawley.

Purdue may be the Cradle of Quarterbacks but that cradle rocks thanks to some talented receivers, four of whom are on this week’s countdown of the top 150 players in Boilermaker history.

For good measure, a member of the Cradle also is on this list as well as a standout on Purdue’s first Rose Bowl team.

No. 90
Chris Daniels

Daniels was one of many record-setting wide receivers during the Joe Tiller era. In 1999, Daniels set Purdue and Big Ten Conference records with 121 receptions to go with 1,256 yards and seven touchdowns. 

His biggest day came against fifth-ranked Michigan State in 1999, hauling in 21 passes for 301 yards – both Purdue and Big Ten marks. He left Purdue ranked fourth on the school career receptions list (158) and 10th in receiving yards (1,742).