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10/30/2009
Dominant Decade
Reprinted with permission from The News Dispatch
Adam Parkhouse
The News-Dispatch
For the past decade, Marquette playing for a state championship has been as guaranteed as death and taxes.
The Blazers have appeared in the state title match in 10 consecutive years - winning eight of them - and have now won 13 consecutive sectionals.
Class A No. 2 Marquette looks to take the next step toward title No. 9 during Saturday's Caston Regional in Fulton.
"(The seniors) have been told for four years now that this is their moment," Marquette coach Troy Campbell said.
This may very well be one of the best regional fields Marquette has faced, but it might not matter much. The Blazers have been utterly dominant against Class A this season, dismantling the state's top teams in the annual Blue River Valley Tournament, or the "Class A Shootout", and rolling through last weekend's Triton Sectional without breaking a sweat.
The Blazers open the regional against Elkhart Christian Academy at 9:30 a.m. while the second semifinal pits No. 6 Washington Township against No. 8 Pioneer. The championship match is set for 3 p.m. The field is exactly the same as it was a year ago.
A sibling rivalry could be renewed in the championship as Scott Campbell - Troy's brother - is the head coach at Washington Township.
Marquette's Campbell downplayed the possibility.
"It would just be my team against whoever's across the net," Campbell said. "I have a history with a lot of coaches in Indiana. No matter who it is. We'll be hyped up for the match.
"We're there to take care of business and they know that."
Campbell said Elkhart graduated their best players, a 6-foot-1 middle, from a year ago, but maintained that his team's focus always lies on its side of the net.
"You can put any team in the state across the net from us and as long as we play hard, we're gonna be there," Campbell said.
But at the same time, if challenged, Marquette has shown an ability to make the necessary in-game adjustments to deal with whatever might come at them.
"That's what's great about this group in particular," Campbell said. "Even if a team plays really hard and sticks with us, we still have confidence we're gonna pull it out in the end."
Campbell also noted the strength of his team's service game. For the first time, the Blazers have four players - Amber Cerrillos, Brianna Gannon, Ashley Edmond and Katie Clancy - with more than 100 aces on the season. Under Campbell, there's never been more than two.
Contact Sports Editor Adam Parkhouse at aparkhouse@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 461.
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