My View/Your View: Nothing comes easy this time of year

A sign in front of Hamilton Southeastern High School reads: SECTIONAL CHAMPS. "We Believe! . . . Good Luck at Hinkle.'' That says a lot. Actually, that pretty well says it all. They are fired up for the school's first boys basketball regional. Yep, things are at fever pitch along Olio road these days. Understandably so. HSE, a high school since 1967, added a first to its resume by winning the Noblesville Sectional, putting a whoopin' on Carmel, which eliminated the "new'' Fishers High School, a fourth-year school, the night before. The "old'' Fishers High School won the town's first sectional more than 40 years ago. For so many years, the likes of the Carmels, the Noblesvilles and the North Centrals have been too great a hurdle for the Royals to clear. No more. Welcome to primetime, Royals! It's time to take center stage, and the spotlight will be on HSE like never before when the Royals meet four-time state champion Lawrence North, which has won three state titles this decade, in the 10 a.m. opener at Hinkle Fieldhouse. And that next mountain facing HSE will be anything but easy to scale. Lawrence North (22-4) is long on experience, size and skilled returnees. The Wildcats have been in the spotlight this season since winning the T-Mobile Invitational at Ball State University in December. They know what it takes to move on. They think they are the best team still alive in the 99th annual Indiana high school basketball tournament. And, for all practical purposes, they act like they are ready to prove it. The swagger is there. Make no mistake. Second-game opponents Franklin Central and Pike also boast tournament-tested Class 4A programs, though HSE does own a victory over Pike. Still, having a little Lady Luck on the end of the bench couldn't hurt a newcomer to the always-tough Hinkle Regional. For what it's worth, strength of schedule based by class lists Lawrence North No. 1, Franklin Central No. 8 and HSE and Pike No. 15 and 16, respectively. So what. That doesn't carry much weight when you are only three wins from playing for a state championship. Keep in mind that heart can play a major role in any outcome. It's something you cannot measure. Nor can you put a price tag on emotion and adrenaline. The Royals (15-7), winners of 11 of their past 13 games, certainly proved that in the Noblesville Sectional, first knocking off the host Millers. Royals coach Brian Satterfield's kids played their hearts out in the sectional. Now, Saturday's formula for success will call for much the same. Not only is it likely that the Royals will need to play their hearts out, it's probable they'll also have to play their butts off. More state tournament facts: Of those teams representing Class 4A in Saturday's regionals, the Hinkle field leads the way with two teams with the most losses - Pike eight and HSE seven . . . Kokomo also has seven losses going into its game against North Central rival Marion (20-3) . . . No. 2 New Albany and No. 1 Bloomington South, who collide in the opener at Seymour, are the only unbeaten 4A teams still in the hunt . . . Marion is playing at Kokomo and Anderson is playing at Marion. That means that for the second week in a row Anderson's Wigwam, the state's second-largest gymnasium, has been left in the dark . . . Covenant Christian, a 2A team, is enjoying its first sectional title. The Warriors, led by 6-10 Butler-bound Andrew Smith 23 points and 17.1 rebounds per game), meet Forest Park (18-5) in the Southridge Regional . . . Only four schools still playing have a better record than North Central in 4A. The Panthers, who used to play in the Noblesville Sectional, which is now an all-Hamilton County sectional, bowed out of the tournament with a 22-2 record after losing to Marion County opponent Lawrence North at Arlington, an inner city site, of all places. Go figure.