Every January, Delaware County high school teams prepare for the Delaware County tournament.
Six of the eight high schools in the county, excluding Muncie Burris and Central, compete in the three-round tournament. Two first-round matchups, with the winners moving on to play one of the two teams receiving a bye to the semi-finals, culminate in the championship game.
The games on the boys' side of the bracket will be hosted by Delta while the first two rounds of the girls’ bracket are hosted at Yorktown. The championships of both brackets take place at Delta.
DCAA Boys’ Bracket
Last season, Wapahani and Delta made postseason runs, with the Raiders finding themselves in Gainbridge Fieldhouse at the class 2A championship game. Those teams will play each other in the opening round.
Delta (9-2) and Wapahani (10-0) hold the best records and the Raiders are the #2 team in class 2A. Delta head coach Mark Detweiler knows his team will have to perform at a high level if they want to take down the Raiders. After losing to New Pal Jan. 11, Detweiler saw things he wanted his team to tune up.
“We have got to be better than what we were in the first half against New Pal,” he said. “We have to play like we did in the second half. We have to trust each other and I hope we come in with a little more focus and more sense of urgency.”
Wapahani is one of the best shooting teams in the field, shooting the ball at an impressive 52 percent from deep. Defending that offense is a challenge for any team, and Detweiler’s Eagles know that.
“They put a ton of shooters on the floor,” he said. “They can spread you out and so that's a team that you've gotta be there on the catch and you gotta stay in front of guys and stay attached to guys.”
Wapahani is a talented team, but Delta has its fair share of talent on its side of the court. Wapahani head coach Matt Luce anticipates a competitive opening game.
“Delta has a great program,” he said. “They returned some guys that have waited their turn and they've got another outstanding team. I've watched them play for years, and they play well together. It'll be a great opening-round game.”
Luce sees the tournament as a challenging mid-season check-up on his team. Being able to compete for a county title while also seeing where his team stands against a competitive field.
“Winning in the Delaware County tournament is very difficult,” he said. “It’s a true mid-season test to go to Delta and play the host school. Our guys will have to continue to do the things that we're good at. We're excited to have a mid-season test that will make our team better win or lose.”
The first-round match-ups included Delta vs. Wapahani Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. and Yorktown (3-7) play Wes-Del (5-5) at 7:30 p.m. The Wapahani and Yorktown took victories and will play Daleville (2-6) and Cowan (0-10) respectively. Semi-final games will tip-off at the same times Jan. 17. The championship game is Jan. 18 at 8 p.m.
DCAA Girls’ Bracket
Only two of the area girls’ teams have records below .500. Four have at least ten wins.
Based strictly on record, Yorktown and Wapahani are the top two teams. Yorktown sits at 11-4 and Wapahani at 15-2, with Delta (10-4) and Daleville (10-5) close behind. Cowan (3-12) has struggled this season, and Wes-Del (0-16) has had its share of hardships as well. The Warriors are coming off a season in which they were unable to complete all of their games due to not having a full roster.
Yorktown, one of the top teams in the county and the Hoosier Heritage Conference, has been strong as of late. The Tigers have won six of their last seven and five consecutive games. If the Eagles can beat Wes-Del, the table is set for the Eagles to avenge the loss they suffered earlier this season and halt the Tigers’ win streak.
“We’ve just been working on ourselves,” Delta head coach Tryonda Benning said. “Things that we're not so good at. So we feel pretty good going into the next week. I feel pretty confident about it and as long as we execute everything that we've been doing, we will be fine.”
Yorktown has momentum on its side. Head coach Leigh Ann Barga wants her team to take that momentum into the tournament and take the trophy back to Yorktown with them.
“It's nice to have some momentum going into county,” Barga said. “The girls want to play well and it’s probably the second biggest thing for us this season behind sectionals and postseason play.”
The bracket is lined up for a rematch of Delta and Yorktown. If the Eagles can handle Wes-Del, the rivalry will be renewed. Being in the same county and conference, Yorktown vs. Delta is a big game no matter the sport. For Barga and the Tigers, it will be business as usual.
“Come Monday, it all changes,” she said. “The focus is on county and preparing. We're just going to do what we do. We go in, work hard every practice and just start preparing for whoever our opponent may be on Thursday.”
The girls’ bracket opened with games at Yorktown High School Jan. 14. Delta beat Wes-Del 92-9 and Daleville defeated Cowan 55-25. In the second round, Delta defeated Yorktown Jan. 15 and Daleville fell to Wapahani. The championship game will be played Jan. 18 at Delta High School at 7 p.m.
Contact Logan Connor via email at logan.connor@bsu.edu or via X @_loganconnor
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