McCutcheon leads loaded sectional race, Kokomo among challengers

McCutcheon entered Class 4A Sectional 7 as the team to beat, but this bracket looked less like a coronation and more like a pressure test. The field of McCutcheon, Lafayette Jefferson, Harrison (West Lafayette) and Kokomo had enough recent history to suggest that one clean night, or one bad one, could change everything.

The Indiana High School Athletic Association’s 2026-27 and 2027-28 sectional assignments grouped those four schools together again, locking in a sectional that already carried real edge. That setup mattered because the same names had been colliding in tight games and uneven blowouts, a reminder that seeding only tells part of the story once the bracket starts shrinking.

McCutcheon had earned the top spot by winning the 2025 sectional championship game over Lafayette Jeff, 51-43, then surviving another close call in the 2026 semifinals, 56-54. Those two results explained why the Mavericks were the favorite and why they were also under the heaviest scrutiny. If a program has to keep beating the same opponent by thin margins, the line between control and vulnerability gets very short.

Lafayette Jefferson still had the clearest proof that McCutcheon was not invincible. In the 2005-06 state tournament series, Lafayette Jeff beat McCutcheon 62-61, a result that fit the larger case for this sectional as one where possession matters more than reputation. Harrison (West Lafayette) brought its own warning signs into the conversation. The Huskies beat Kokomo 42-20 in the 2026 sectional, a lopsided result that showed how quickly one matchup can tilt when a team gets comfortable on the defensive end.

Kokomo, though, remained the most interesting challenger because the Wildcats had already shown they could matter in this kind of setting. The 2005-06 tournament series included Kokomo’s 71-35 win over Harrison, a result that cut the other way and reinforced the deeper point: these programs have all taken turns looking dangerous, and none of them can assume the bracket will play out on paper.

That is why McCutcheon’s edge is real, but fragile. The Mavericks have the strongest recent track record, yet this may be the state’s most vulnerable favorite sectional. Lafayette Jeff knows McCutcheon can be pushed. Harrison knows one game can turn a bracket cold. Kokomo knows a single swing can still open a door.