Indiana State | Archive | December, 2007

By Chris May
Boys Basketball Coordinator

It’s Week 7 of the 2007-08 Indiana high school boys basketball season, time for the fifth set of “Tickling the Twine” Top 15s rankings. Each week, I’ll update my rankings to reflect how well (or poorly) a team has played of late. Prior to postseason play, you’ll see my final rankings.

The Twine Tops 15s from Dec. 30 …

CLASS 4A
1. New Albany (8-0)
The Bulldogs have vaulted from the No. 5 spot after their victories at the Hall of Fame Classic in New Castle, where they beat
previous No. 1 Marion 51-46 and then 3A No. 2 Batesville 67-51. Jim Shannon’s team plays its biggest rival, Jeffersonville, on Friday, then has a big showdown with No. 3 Evansville Reitz at home Saturday.
2. Marion (7-2)
The Giants were far from their best at the Hall of Fame Classic, losing to New Albany and Edgewood. Julius Mays’ Mr. Basketball stock fell considerably that day. Just 3-2 since my last rankings, Marion beat
Oak Hill 81-66 then took out Fort Wayne South and Jasper in the Marion Tournament. The Giants play four straight home games starting with Eastbrook and Indianapolis Manual this weekend.
3. Evansville
Reitz (6-0)
Welcome to a proving week for the Panthers. Undefeated so far against decent competition, they’ll be facing tough competition and racking up the travel miles. It starts against No. 7 Chesterton Tuesday in the Region Roundball Rumble in Valparaiso and continues at No. 1 New Albany on Saturday. Next week will be their conference tournament, followed by a conference game against currently undefeated Evansville Memorial the next week. Over the holidays, Mike Adams’ team beat Madison and Vincennes Lincoln.
4. Lawrence
North (7-1)
Despite winning a pair of games since our last rankings, LN slips after a win
over No. 5 Warren Central and a four-point
win over 3A No. 3 Howe. The Wildcats have height and coaching to rely on, but getting better guard play will be what makes or breaks this team as a state championship contender. The Wildcats are making a road trip to No. 11 East Chicago Central this week leading into the Marion County Tournament.
5. Carmel (6-0)
With a light schedule around the holidays, the Greyhounds notched a win, 68-38 at Ben Davis, in their lone contest. Mark Galloway’s team has won the last three games without 6’5” post Jordan Brewer and continues to get solid contributions from Daniel
Moore, Charlie
Hansen, Stuart
Douglass, and Morgan
Newton. This weekend includes a MIC game against 6-2 Center Grove and a rescheduled home game against 3A No. 8 North Montgomery.
6. Warren
Central (7-1)
The Warriors lost
67-45 to Lawrence North Dec. 18 but have bounced back to beat
Franklin Central, East Central, and LaPorte. LN exposed that if Warren’s Josh Jones and Jarrin Forte can be pressured on the perimeter – not exactly an easy task – and forced into contested jumpers, they’re a lot less dangerous, and that will happen again this season. This week, the Warriors look at the surprising 7-2 Terre Haute South Braves before beginning the Marion County Tournament early next week.
7. Chesterton (8-0)
Tom Peller’s Trojans added three wins over the holidays, beating LaPorte, Munster, and Valparaiso. Unsigned senior Zack
Novak is working his way into the Mr. Basketball conversation and has a couple of good platforms to perform on this week, facing No. 3 Evansville Reitz in the Region Roundball Rumble on Tuesday and taking on 6-2 Crown Point this weekend.
8. Bloomington
South (7-0)
The Panthers added a 65-39
win over Jeffersonville as well as victories over Vincennes Lincoln and Noblesville over the past couple of weeks to continue their unbeaten streak. This week’s game occurs at crosstown rival 5-3 Bloomington North against Ray McCallum Jr. & crew.
9. North
Central (Indianapolis) (6-2)
The Panthers have notched four straight wins, including their most recent, an 80-69 win over No. 11 East Chicago Central. Going to 2-3 Ben Davis will be their tuneup prior to the Marion County Tournament.
10. Indianapolis
Cathedral (6-0)
The Irish took care of Brebeuf and 3A No. 3 Howe by large margins over their holiday break, and a group of juniors including Errick
Peck, Kelsey
Barlow, Patrick
Poligraf, and Jarrett
Hamilton are working with senior Sean
Esposito to keep things perfect for Scott Hicks’ team. They’ll face Indianapolis Northwest and Muncie South, both on the road, this week.

The next five:

11. East Chicago Central (5-2)
The Cardinals have suffered both of their losses in Indianapolis against Indianapolis teams (Warren Central and North Central), but this week they’ll play two Indy teams in “The Region.” 3A No. 3 Howe comes up to play them in the Region Roundball Rumble on Wednesday, then Friday it’s No. 4 Lawrence North coming to play Angel Garcia, Kawann Short, & crew at their place. Both games should be a real challenge and it’s very possible they’ll be 5-4 at this point next week.
12. Lafayette
Jefferson (8-1)
Scot Bunnell’s team beat Logansport and Kankakee Valley in successive days over the holidays and are hosting Hoosier Crossroads Conference foe Zionsville this weekend. The Bronchos aren’t in a particularly tough stretch of their schedule.
13. Fort
Wayne South (7-2)
The Archers suffered two holiday losses, both in tournaments. They fell 64-60 to then-No. 1 Marion and lost the Summit Conference Tournament Championship to 2A No. 1 Fort Wayne Luers, 63-61. Ryan Bond’s team has beaten 3A No. 13 Fort Wayne Dwenger twice and is 1-1 against Luers this season. A matchup up 7-2 teams comes up this week with South’s game against Warsaw.
14. Terre Haute South (7-2)
Mike Saylor’s team has caught many by surprise, coming off back-to-back 16-loss seasons. The Braves have rattled off five straight wins – four of them in their championship run through the Wabash Valley Classic – but will be challenged playing at No. 6 Warren Central Friday, followed by an easier game at Bedford North Lawrence.
15. Plainfield (6-2)
The Quakers fell from the ranks of the unbeatens over the holidays with road losses to county rivals Brownsburg and a quickly improving Danville team, but they bounced back with a victory over Lebanon. 6’5” junior Brock
Cox has returned to the team after a brief hiatus with a scoring streak as he put up 26 and 30 points in the two losses.

CLASS 3A
1. Edgewood (7-1)
The Mustangs went 1-1 amongst an extremely talented field at the Hall of Fame Classic, losing
66-65 to 3A No. 2 Batesville then beating
4A then-No. 1 Marion 65-60. Despite the loss to the No. 2 team, Edgewood maintains the top spot based on the talents of Mr. Basketball candidate Garrett Butcher (36 and 25 points in the Hall of Fame games), Tommy Weakley, and what I feel to be a little better overall depth. A game at 1-8 South Vermillion is the only thing between Edgewood and Bloomington South’s meeting next Friday.
2. Batesville (6-2)
In my “Game of the Year III,” Batesville took a 66-65 win over 3A No. 1 Edgewood at the Hall of Fame Classic in New Castle, then lost in the championship to 4A now-No. 1 New Albany 67-51 after getting down big early. Batesville will be involved in the Ripley County Tournament this week, which should conclude with a rematch against 1A No. 4 Jac-Cen-Del, who handed the Bulldogs a season-opening loss at home.
3. Indianapolis
Howe Academy (5-3)
The Hornets lost
to 4A No. 4 Lawrence North – with Larry
Stone’s performance among the most impressive I’ve seen – and 4A No. 10 Cathedral over the holidays, but all three losses have come to 4As, and they haven’t played a 3A yet this season. Stone is on fire, scoring at least 24 points in six straight games and now averaging 27 points and 8.8 assists per contest. Howe may be the most athletic team in the state and the Hornets’ speed will cause every opponent difficulties. Controlling tempo versus Howe is huge, making potential postseason meetings with teams like Edgewood, Batesville, or Washington very, very intriguing.
4. Washington (6-2)
If someone else wants to win Mr. Basketball, Tyler Zeller needs to be stopped soon. The Hatchets added wins over Loogootee, Mount Vernon (Posey), and 2A No. 2 Winchester during the past couple of weeks, and Zeller has been nearly unstoppable – he’s averaging 32.3 points per game and 9.3 rebounds on the season. He’s surpassed the 40-point mark three times so far, with games of 42, 43, and 47. He scored 43 of his team’s 65 in the win over Winchester. Washington goes to 2A No. 6 Evansville Mater Dei this week.
5. Northwestern (6-0)
The Tigers are still unbeaten after adding a win over Frankfort just before Christmas. They’ll take on Delphi and go to Clinton Central this week in advance of next week’s Howard County Tournament.
6. Evansville
Memorial (6-0)
Memorial has been perfect so far, but the Tigers will be challenged over the next couple weeks. Mr. Basketball candidate Kyle
Kuric is averaging a consistent 25.7 points a game and is also grabbing 7.7 rebounds, but the upcoming schedule includes a game against 5-2 Castle this week, the Southern Indiana Conference Tournament next week, and a meeting with 4A No. 3 Evansville Reitz the week after.
7. South Bend St. Joseph’s (10-0)
One of the biggest secrets in the state, the Indians are still unbeaten. Led by nine seniors, St. Joe’s handed South Bend Washington its first loss of the season in the last weekend of 2007 and will battle St. Joseph (MI) this week.
8. North
Montgomery (7-1)
The Chargers won the Sugar Creek Classic with a
66-55 win over Western Boone and 76-63 win over Crawfordsville, and Purdue recruit D.J.
Byrd continues to impress. The junior scored a career-high 41 points in the win over county rival Crawfordsville and had 35 in the previous game, and he’s among the state leaders with averages of 28 points and 7.9 rebounds. This week could be the week from **** – or maybe the best week ever – for North Montgomery, depending on how a trip north to take on 6-1 Hammond Noll, a home game with 1A No. 5 Lafayette Central Catholic, and a trip to 4A No. 5 Carmel go.
9. Plymouth (7-2)
Plymouth went 1-1 at the DeKalb Shootout in late December, taking its record to 7-2 after a loss to DeKalb and win over Carroll (Fort Wayne). The Pilgrims take on Mark Barnhizer’s 5-1 Elkhart Memorial Chargers on the road Friday.
10. Rochester (7-1)
The Zebras have now won six in a row after victories over Knox and Tippecanoe Valley during the holidays. With Kory Barnett and Bruce Grimm Jr., they’ll take on 3-5 Whitko and 4-2 2A No. 12 Cass this weekend.

The next five:

11. Yorktown (6-1)
Storming
back in the second half to beat Shelbyville 41-37, Yorktown stayed perfect in Hoosier Heritage Conference play and picked up its sixth win behind 6’11” Emerson
Kampen’s 12 points and six rebounds. Kampen now averages 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers, who host 1-6 Blackford this week.
12. Harding (8-1)
After rattling off eight straight wins, Al Gooden’s team lost to 2A No. 1 Fort Wayne Luers 81-57 in the Summit Conference Tournament for its first setback of the season. The Hawks will host 3-3 Muncie South this weekend before embarking on four straight conference games.
13. Fort Wayne Dwenger (5-3)
The Saints may have fallen to 5-3 on the year, but they have lost to two impressive teams. Their most recent loss came to Fort Wayne South, 60-48 in the Summit Conference Tournament, which was their second of the year to the Archers – their other loss is to 2A No. 1 Fort Wayne Luers. A mid-week meeting with Carroll (Fort Wayne) is the only game scheduled this week.
14. Beech
Grove (7-1)
The Hornets have now won seven straight heading into their game against sectional opponent Roncalli. The game against the Rebels will be a measuring-stick game as it is only their second game against 3A competition so far, their first being a season-opening loss at Edgewood.
15. Danville (6-2)
The Warriors have turned things around with six straight wins, including recent ones against 4A No. 15 Plainfield, Indianapolis Tindley, and Mooresville. 6’8” sophomore Travis
Carroll is averaging a double-double of more than 19 points and almost 11 rebounds, including scoring more than 30 against Mooresville. Danville takes part in this week’s Hendricks County Tournament with a reasonably easy path to the championship game – an opener against 2-5 Cascade with the winner looking at 1-5 Tri-West Hendricks.

CLASS 2A
1. Fort
Wayne Luers (7-2)
The Knights won games over Fort Wayne Northrop, 3A No. 12 Harding, then 4A No. 13 Fort Wayne South on their way to winning the Summit Conference Tournament after Christmas and have won six in a row. Sophomore DeShaun
Thomas is among the state’s top scorers and rebounders with averages around 30 points and 11 rebounds. James Blackmon’s team will face Fort Wayne Wayne this week.
2. Winchester (7-1)
It wasn’t a win, but the Golden Falcons did play reasonably well against 3A No. 4 Washington, losing 65-53 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the Super Hoops event Dec. 29. Battling the Hatchets’ height, junior Tyler
Koch scored 19 and Daniel
Maggart had 17 in the loss. Winchester is participating in the Region Roundball Rumble New Year’s Day against 6-2 Crown Point, then taking part in the Randolph County Tournament later in the week.
3. Tipton (7-0)
The Blue Devils took the holidays off and are returning to action Friday at 4-3 Hoosier Conference opponent West Lafayette.
4. Westview (7-1)
The Warriors have won six straight, adding Ws over East Noble and Lakeland since the last rankings. Westview is 4-0 in Northeast Corner Conference games so far and should continue that perfect conference mark when hosting winless Hamilton this weekend.
5. Jimtown (6-2)
The Jimmies beat Central Noble, Fairfield, and Bremen in the last couple of weeks to up their win total. A Northern State Conference game against fellow 6-2 team Knox comes on Friday.
6. Evansville Mater Dei (5-1)
Winners of four straight and just a four-point overtime loss to 4A No. 3 Evansville Reitz away from being unbeaten, the Wildcats get a big-time test just ahead of the Southern Indiana Conference Tournament as 3A No. 4 Washington comes to the Pocket City.
7. Forest Park (4-2)
The Rangers lost twice to Southridge in an eight-day span, but they also managed to beat Loogootee 74-51 Dec. 29. Tom Beach’s team goes to 1A No. 7 Barr-Reeve on Friday, then hosts 7-2 Perry Central the next night.
8. Hauser (6-1)
The Jets are now the lone unbeaten in Mid-Hoosier Conference play after beating North Decatur twice during the holiday break. Bob Nobbe’s team beat North Decatur 70-44 in their conference game, then beat the Chargers 48-34 a week later in tournament play. (The Jets also topped 3A Greensburg 54-53 in that tournament.) Hauser looks for its seventh straight win against 3A Brown County on Saturday.
9. Triton
Central (7-1)
Since my last rankings, the Tigers lost their first game, a 52-49 overtime loss on the road to another top-notch Mid-Hoosier Conference team, North Decatur. Triton Central came back with a win over Knightstown and this weekend plays in the Shelby County Tournament, opening against 1-5 Morristown.
10. Oak
Hill (8-1)
After losing
to then-4A No. 1 Marion 81-66, Kevin Renbarger’s team came back to win the Grant Four Tournament by beating Madison Grant 66-54 and Mississinewa 59-52. The Golden Eagles have a nice complement of players, with senior Bryant
Blair (16.8 ppg) and junior post Derrick
Pond (14.6 ppg) taking on most of the scoring load.

The next five:

11. Bluffton (8-0)
The Tigers beat 3A Norwell then 4A Connersville over the holidays to protect their perfect mark. Wayne Barker’s team faces its third Allen County Conference game Saturday, 3-5 Woodlan.
12. South Knox (7-2)
The Spartans were beaten by 20 by 1A North Daviess on Saturday, meaning both their losses have come to 1As (Shakamak the other). They’ll host Northeast Dubois on Friday.
13. Guerin
Catholic (8-1)
Pete Smith’s team beat Lapel, Franklin County, Knightstown, and Indianapolis Washington in a six-day span around Christmas, and their lone loss on the season is 65-47 to 4A Hamilton Southeastern on Dec. 8. The Golden Eagles face 6-0 Indianapolis Chatard on Friday and 4A Zionsville on Saturday. Want balanced scoring? Guerin has five
players averaging between 11.7 and seven points per game.
14. North Miami (5-2)
The Warriors have jumped into the rankings after wins over Maconaquah and 2A No. 15 Cass, with their two losses coming to ranked teams 1A No. 1 Triton and 3A No. 10 Rochester. Zach Henson’s team visits 3-6 Manchester this Friday.
15. Cass (4-2)
After beating Hamilton Heights 63-58, the Kings had no answer against North Miami in a 40-27 loss. Basil Mawbey’s team sees both ends of the spectrum this weekend in going up against winless Tri-Central and 3A No. 10 Rochester.

CLASS A
1. Triton (8-0)
The Trojans finished their 2007 schedule before Christmas with wins over LaVille and Culver. Saturday night brings a conference game against 4-4 Northern State Conference opponent Glenn, which is coached by Travis Hannah. His teams at Oregon-Davis narrowly defeated Triton each of the last two seasons in sectionals.
2. Fort
Wayne Blackhawk Christian (6-0)
Gary Merrell’s Braves beat up on Westville, 70-49, in their lone game since mid-December. A game at sub-.500 Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran is on the schedule for Saturday.
3. Orleans (9-0)
The Bulldogs beat Mitchell, Crothersville, and Wes-Del – all by double digits – to take a perfect record into 2008. 5’1” senior guard Jacob
Smith continued his consistent scoring with games of 21, 22, and 24 points in those three wins, showing Central Indiana his abilities in the win over Wes-Del at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Tom Bradley’s team faces 6-1 3A Salem this weekend.
4. Jac-Cen-Del (6-0)
A long break ends this week for the Eagles, who take part in the Ripley County Tournament. Should they beat 2-4 South Ripley in the opener, they should get a second game against the 3A No. 2 Batesville Bulldogs, whom they beat early in the season.
5. Lafayette
Central Catholic (4-4)
The Knights stand .500 on the season with wins over 3A Andrean and 4A Zionsville and a loss to 4A Franklin Central in late December. Central Catholic goes to 3A No. 8 North Montgomery on Friday.
6. Rockville (8-1)
The Rox beat up on previously ranked Shakamak 59-34 Dec. 21, then went 3-1 in the Wabash Valley Tournament with the lone loss 53-46 at the hands of eventual champion 4A Terre Haute South. Junior R.J.
Mahurin continues to lead the team as he scored 40 points in one of the tournament games. Rockville goes to 1-7 South Putnam this weekend.
7. Barr-Reeve (6-3)
The Vikings went 2-1 over the holidays. The loss was to 4A Evansville Harrison at its tournament, while they beat Northeast Dubois and 4A Floyd Central. In the 62-40 win over Floyd Central, sophomore Trey
Hughes hit seven 3-pointers and scored 30 points. This week sees a Friday game against 2A No. 7 Forest Park.
8. Tecumseh (7-2)
The Braves added three wins and one loss to their record over the holidays with the loss coming to 2A Tell City, 51-40. Among the wins was a 58-54 overtime win over North Daviess. This week a challenge should be presented by 6-2 3A Southridge, followed by a trip to Cannelton on Saturday.
9. North Daviess (8-2)
The Cougars lost by four in overtime to Tecumseh before running off three straight wins over Evansville Day, Brownstown, and a 20-point win over 2A No. 12 South Knox. With games this weekend against Loogootee and Pike Central, Brent Dalrymple’s team could likely have double-digit wins entering next week.
10. South
Newton (5-2)
The Rebels went 1-1 in a holiday tournament, but their one loss was to 4A unbeaten Richmond, which lessens the blow slightly. Chris Enyeart’s team eases into 2008 with a game against 2-6 Covington on Friday.

The next five:

11. Indianapolis Lutheran (8-1)
The Saints made it to 8-0 before losing to Covenant Christian (Indianapolis), 67-56. Lutheran travels to Trinity Lutheran this week for a Friday game.
12. Wes-Del (4-3)
After a 60-41 loss to 1A No. 3 Orleans, Wes-Del has games this weekend at Madison-Grant and at Daleville.
13. West Central (6-3)
The Trojans split a pair of games over the holiday break, losing to Argos 55-51 in overtime while beating Westville 49-21. A trip to 1-6 Caston this weekend should help their record.
14. North Central (Farmersburg) (3-1)
The Thunderbirds have had a light schedule early, but they’ll pack in the games in the next two months. They’ll play nine games in January, including this week’s Greene County Invitational, and have another seven scheduled for February.
15. Northeast Dubois (4-3)
The Jeeps beat Loogootee and 3A Southridge Dec. 29 to get above .500, but the road so far has not been easy. Their losses have come to 1A No. 3 Orleans (67-57), 2A No. 7 Forest Park (47-45), and 1A No. 7 Barr-Reeve (55-46). A tough stretch continues with games against 7-2 2A No. 12 South Knox and another turn at 6-2 Southridge this weekend.

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The Indiana High School Swim Coaches Association (IHSSCA) has released its latest 2007-08 girls swimming poll, and there is some slight shakeup among the first five. With 21-time defending state champion Carmel staying at No. 1 and Hamilton Southeastern right behind in second, this week we see Center Grove swapping with Homestead for third while Fort Wayne Snider switches with North Central (Indianapolis) for fifth.

New to the poll this week are Shenandoah (27th) and Hamilton Heights (34th).

The rankings are determined by scoring a theoretical 16-place meet using times/scores of the returning Top 20 individual event times from last year’s sectionals and state finals as well as figuring in the fastest reported times this season. Teams are listed by rank followed by school and number of votes.

Here’s your Top 54 from Dec. 26:

1. Carmel 340
2. Hamilton Southeastern 329
3. Center Grove 205
4. Homestead 184
5. Fort Wayne Snider 138
6. North Central (Indianapolis) 130
7. Columbus North 68
8. Chesterton 60
8. Noblesville 60
10. Crown Point 57
10. Mount Vernon (Posey) 57
10. Northridge 57
13. Yorktown 56
14. Lawrence North 51
15. Norwell 44
16. Bloomington South 43
17. Harrison (West Lafayette) 40
18. Penn 35
19. Western 33
20. Pendleton Heights 30
21. Kokomo 28
22. Bremen 26
23. Southridge 22
24. Mishawaka Marian 19
25. South Bend St. Joseph’s 17
26. Southmont 16
27. Plymouth 14
27. Shenandoah 14
29. Fishers 13
29. Highland 13
31. Anderson Highland 11
31. Bloomington North 11
31. Lowell 11
34. Hamilton Heights 9
34. Westfield 9
36. Roncalli 8
37. Heritage Christian 7
37. Lafayette Jefferson 7
39. Evansville Reitz 6
39. Pike 6
39. Portage 6
39. Richmond 6
43. Muncie Central 5
43. South Bend Riley 5
45. Bedford North Lawrence 4
45. Terre Haute North 4
47. Brebeuf 2
47. Danville 2
47. Seymour 2
50. Columbia City 1
50. Covenant Christian (Indianapolis) 1
50. Elkhart Memorial 1
50. Fort Wayne Northrop 1
50. Lafayette Central Catholic 1

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The Indiana High School Swim Coaches Association (IHSSCA) has released its latest 2007-08 boys swimming poll and, while co-leaders Hamilton Southeastern and North Central (Indianapolis) remain at No. 1, Lake Central is this week’s big mover. The Indians bump up from ninth to sixth this week, trailing No. 3 Chesterton, Carmel, and Homestead.

New to the week-after-Christmas poll are Bloomington South (28th), South Bend Riley (34th), Franklin Central (42nd), and South Knox (53rd).

Teams are listed by rank followed by school and number of votes. Rankings now include relays as well as the top returning times from last year’s state and sectional meets and the fastest reported times of the young season.

Here’s your Top 55 from Dec. 29:

1. Hamilton Southeastern 250
1. North Central (Indianapolis) 250
3. Chesterton 235
4. Carmel 196
5. Homestead 177
6. Lake Central 98
7. Northridge 97
8. Concord 82
9. Crown Point 67
10. Penn 62
10. Westfield 54
12. Castle 44
13. Bremen 42
14. Carroll (Fort Wayne) 40
15. Crawfordsville 39
15. East Central 39
17. Yorktown 34
18. Seymour 33
19. Fort Wayne Northrop 31
20. Kokomo 30
21. Brebeuf 27
21. Lawrence North 27
23. Muncie Central 26
24. Munster 25
25. Mount Vernon (Posey) 22
26. Lebanon 20
26. Wheeler 20
28. Bloomington South 18
28. Fort Wayne Snider 18
30. Fort Wayne Dwenger 17
30. Plainfield 17
30. Terre Haute South 17
30. Zionsville 17
34. Center Grove 12
34. Maconaquah 12
34. South Bend Riley 12
37. Frankfort 11
37. Michigan City 11
37. Whiteland 11
40. Pike 9
40. Portage 9
42. Franklin Central 8
43. West Lafayette 7
44. Brownsburg 6
44. Heritage Christian 6
44. Lafayette Jefferson 6
47. Lawrence Central 5
47. NorthWood 5
49. Norwell 4
49. Terre Haute North 4
49. Tri-West Hendricks 4
49. Wawasee 4
53. Greencastle 3
53. South Knox 3
55. Noblesville 2

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By Bret Shambaugh
Contributing Writer

INDIANAPOLIS – In a Dec. 29 preview of the Jan. 14-19 Indianapolis City Tournament that makes a possible rematch a must-see, Class 4A No. 13 Indianapolis Cathedral outgunned 3A No. 4 Indianapolis Howe Academy, 100-83.

The visiting Fighting Irish torched the Howe nets at a 67-percent clip from behind the 3-point arc and shot 58 percent overall from the floor before a nice crowd at the Eastside school, allowing them to overcome a stellar 41-point outburst by Howe senior guard Larry Stone.

Prior to the contest, Howe Athletic Director Danny Wilson reminded me that sponsoring varsity sports was still in the new-beginning phase at Howe.

“We are very proud of how quickly our boys basketball program has brought athletic recognition to our school,” Wilson said. “Having this many people come out and support our kids is wonderful to see.”

Without question, the Hornets put on a terrific show. The house lights are dimmed to announce the starting lineup. The music sound system is handled marvelously, and the public address announcer is first-class and very enthusiastic.

For those of us who have been missing a good NBA tilt from the local team, this game satisfied those cravings. Cathedral (6-0) used a 15-4 run midway through the first period to set the tone for the contest: the Irish catching fire, the Hornets (5-3) relentlessly coming back.

Howe’s senior backcourt tandem of Larry Stone and Greg Foster continually reminded the Irish, as well as the packed house, that the Hornets were never out of it.

Cathedral connected on all six of its 3-point attempts in the second quarter and, with 3:01 remaining in the half, the Irish led 40-23. In the final three minutes of the half, however, Stone, Foster & Co. cut the lead to a manageable 10 at 48-38.

Howe had its best opportunity to make up lost ground early in the second half when Cathedral junior big men Kelsey Barlow (6’5”) and Errick Peck (6’6”) each picked up his fourth personal foul. But fellow junior Barry Flynn came off the Irish bench to provide very intense inside play in their absence, and the Hornets could only make up one point by trimming the lead to nine at 60-51 with 3:02 remaining in the third quarter.

Flynn was not the only Cathedral player to make significant contributions off the bench – junior sparkplug Jarrett Hamilton (5’8”) scored a team-high 26 points. Howe consistently lost track of Hamilton when the Irish would run their break, and he made the Hornets pay dearly by going 9 of 12 from the floor.

The beginning of the fourth quarter meted out the ultimate downfall for the Hornets. Howe, which did not make a field goal over the first three minutes of the final stanza, desperately fell behind 88-64 at the 5:13 mark.

Beside the terrific scoring punch of Hamilton, Barlow (20 points), senior Dave McMahon (15 points), junior Pat Paligraf (12 points), and senior Sean Esposito (10 points) had the necessary answers for each Hornets’ run over the final five minutes.

The Irish executed their spread offense very well for incurring a late start to their season due to an excellent football campaign. Handling the Howe speed and high-wire acts will go a long way over the next two months in boosting the confidence of the Irish, who get no relief with their next matchup Jan. 2 at unbeaten Indianapolis Northwest (6-0).

On the other hand, Howe’s Mr. Basketball candidate and preseason All-State selection (Stone) along with his running mate (Foster) are worth the price of admission by themselves. And when the Hornets’ younger players learn how to play alongside the unbelievable speed of Stone, 3A defenses will want no part of this club in March.

Stone can score a variety of ways as the 5’9” jet shot 17 free throws (making 13) and was 6 of 12 from behind the arc. The 6’1” Foster, who added 25 points in going 10 of 12 from the floor, cannot be left alone – the swingman has an uncanny nose for the basketball.

Howe next competes Jan. 2 vs. East Chicago Central (5-2) at the Hammond Civic Center.

Click here to check out the Indianapolis Public Schools Conference home page!

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By Rhett Cochran
Contributing Writer

INDIANAPOLIS – Three North Central (Indianapolis) players combined for 68 points Dec. 28 to lead the Class 4A ninth-ranked Panthers to their fifth consecutive North Central Holiday Tournament crown, this one an 80-69 victory over 4A No. 7 East Chicago Central in a rematch of last year’s 4A state championship.

North Central sophomore Terone Johnson led all scorers with 26 points, while junior Evan Gordon and senior James Hollowell chipped in 21 points apiece for coach Doug Mitchell’s Panthers (6-2).

The Panthers came out with guns blazing in the first quarter. Hallowell’s trey started a 13-3 run over the next 3:06 during which North Central would build a game-high 14-point lead over East Chicago.

The Cardinals would stage their offensive in the second. Spurred by senior guard Derrell Conner, East Chicago Central (5-2) countered with a 15-4 stretch to take its first lead of the game at 30-29 with 2:04 left in the half.

North Central regained the lead when Johnson hit one of his six 3-pointers, however, enabling the hosts to lead 36-31 at the half.

The game remained close throughout the third quarter with the lead changing hands three more times, but North Central took the lead for good with its first shot of the fourth quarter.

East Chicago stayed within striking distance until the final couple of minutes of the game. With 2:40 to go, NC center Chris Toler slammed Conner’s breakaway layin attempt against the backboard glass, bringing the crowd to its feet.

A field goal would have pulled the Cardinals within one and perhaps changed the momentum of the game. As it was, however, that would be as close as East Chicago Central would get the rest of the way.

Next up for North Central is a Jan. 4 Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference tilt at Ben Davis (2-3).

East Chicago Central had four players scoring in double digits, led by the 16 points (and 13 rebounds) of senior forward Kawann Short. The Cardinals will face 3A No. 4 Indianapolis Howe Academy Jan. 2 at the Hammond Civic Center.

Click here to check out the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference home page!

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By Mike McGraw
Executive Director

MONTICELLO – Let’s review some of the definitions of a great basketball team. First, a great basketball team can play at less than its best and still beat a good opponent. Secondly, a great basketball team always has multiple weapons. Thirdly, a great basketball team can force you to play its style, or beat you playing yours.

I respectfully submit, then, that Twin Lakes has a great girls basketball team. The Class 2A second-ranked Indians will enter the new year undefeated after triumphing over arguably the state’s strongest holiday field in their own invitational Dec. 27-28.

Twin Lakes captured the crown with three victories in two days, including a hard-fought 44-41 win Thursday over 4A No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern in the semifinals. The Indians (13-0) came back Friday evening to topple a solid Logansport squad 52-43 in an effective, if not artistic, championship effort. The Indians are emerging as a legitimate contender in 3A and they are doing it, if you will, by definition.

Taking the court for the championship game just six hours after their highly anticipated – and emotionally draining – clash with Hamilton Southeastern (10-2), the Indians quickly passed the first definition test against the Berries. Tired legs slowed their fearsome running game, a lack of attention to detail led to many early turnovers, and Logansport’s zone defense that was packed in tighter than a school cafeteria worker’s hair bun stopped the penetration of star player Betsy Adams.

Still, the Indians led at the end of one quarter, 9-7. It was in large part due to the fact that they passed the second definition: multiple weapons. With Adams frustrated by Logansport’s defense, guard Laura Ward took charge by dropping two field goals late in the quarter from the outside.

The tempo was clearly in Logansport’s favor, but the scoreboard read for Twin Lakes (see the third definition).

Midway through the second quarter, the hosts connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 19-13 lead. Twin Lakes took the opportunity to spread the court and bring Logansport (8-4) out of the zone. Although they succeeded, the Indians failed to take advantage and led only 21-16 at the half.

Perhaps most disturbing for the hometown fans was that Adams had been held to only five points in the first 16 minutes. How big an accomplishment was this for the Berries? Consider that Thursday evening, the prolific Twin Lakes guard had dropped a tidy 45 on Western in a 73-47 victory.

And yes, I said 45.

The third quarter was the deciding time in this one. After Logansport scored to cut the lead to three, Twin Lakes went on a 12-0 run to blow it open. And the Indians did so despite the continued lack of scoring from Adams.

No, this run was fueled by yet another of the Indians multiple weapons, 6-foot post player Emileah Manihan. Manahan scored six points during the stretch and was a one-woman wrecking crew on the boards.

Despite the efforts of Logansport to close the gap, when Adams hit a two-thirds-court bomb at the end of the quarter, Twin Lakes took a 36-24 cushion into the final period.

The Berries would get no closer than seven. Adams and Ward controlled the action with their deft ballhandling, and Ward canned five of six free throws down the stretch to ice the contest.

Let’s review, shall we?

Twin Lakes was not at its best and still defeated an opponent that was coming off a victory over Indianapolis Cathedral. The Indians’ leading scorer was held to eight points through three quarters, yet they were in control going into the fourth. They played the game at Logansport’s tempo and won comfortably.

I repeat: This is a great basketball team.

In spite of her troubles, Adams led Twin Lakes in scoring with 15 points, seven of them coming in the fourth quarter to keep the Berries at bay. Manahan added 11 points, and Ward chipped in a very valuable 10.

(I spoke with that Twin Lakes trio after the game. Be looking for the video in the next couple of days!)

Logansport was led by the 17 points of Jasmine Penny.

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By Colin Altevogt
Girls Basketball Coordinator

FORT WAYNE – It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t pretty. But in the end, the near-dream season of Class 3A No. 3 Fort Wayne Elmhurst kept rolling as the Trojans got their first-ever Summit Conference Tournament championship by downing 4A No. 7 Fort Wayne South, 60-58, in the Dec. 29 final at Wayne High School.

The Trojans (12-1) shot an abysmal 20-of-70 from the field and turned the ball over 19 times. Their opponent, however, was an even-worse 18-of-70 from the floor, gave up 21 turnovers, and failed to hit shots down the stretch in an effort to draw close.

In the first quarter, Elmhurst could not clear the defensive glass. (Part of the Trojans’ rebounding woes can be attributed to the absence of 6’2” Liza Clemons, the freshman center who rode the bench for much of the game and eventually fouled out with 2:09 remaining in the game.)

That didn’t seem to matter too much, though, as the Archers were hardly able to convert inside the paint. South attempted eight more shots in the period but went only 3 of 20.

Those roles reversed in the second quarter with the Trojans hoisting up one wayward shot after another and South unable to grab the boards. Elmhurst attempted 11 more shots than the Archers in the second but converted only four of their 25 attempts in the period.

At intermission, Elmhurst led 26-25. The teams had combined to be 17 of 71 from the field with 25 turnovers.

The second half was just as close as the first, with neither team able to pull out of striking distance from the opposition. The biggest run after halftime was a 7-0 burst by Elmhurst at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarters, and that proved to be the difference.

Lecretia Smith’s layup gave the Trojans a 44-43 advantage at the beginning of the fourth period, and South would never lead again.

The outcome wasn’t decided until the waning seconds, however. The Archers tied the game three times in the final three minutes, including as late as with 1:16 remaining after a pair of foul shots from senior Normalyn Smith.

Eleven seconds later, Smith intercepted the inbounds pass following her free throws. But after she missed an off-balance attempt, Trojan senior Teirenney Fincher nailed a shot outside the 3-point arc at the other end to put the Trojans up by three with 1:05 remaining.

Smith then missed a triple with 45 seconds to go, and Elmhurst senior Ebony Robinson split a pair from the stripe to make it a two-possession game.

Smith again was off the mark from long distance, but the Trojans turned the ball over after grabbing the rebound. Shavonda Price helped the Archers capitalize by rattling home a three with 16 seconds on the clock, cutting the deficit to a single point.

Fincher, who led all scorers with 16 points, sank two free throws to push the lead back to three. After faking a three, Smith drove into the lane and hit a runner after drawing contact. What appeared to be a potential three-point play, however, was ruled a foul on the floor. Smith knocked down both foul shots to again trim the deficit to one, but the Archers could not foul until 1.8 seconds remained in the game.

South’s last-second, desperation attempt was off, and the top-seeded Trojans, who came in as the only team never to have won the tournament, celebrated their first title.

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By Colin Altevogt
Girls Basketball Coordinator

FORT WAYNE – In the Dec. 28 second semifinal of the Summit Conference Tournament, Class 4A No. 7 Fort Wayne South made a run in the closing stages of the first half, carried that momentum into the third quarter, and quickly turned a close game into a rout against an old nemesis. As a result, the second-seeded Archers beat 2A No. 9 Fort Wayne Luers, 81-58.

The Archers advance to play 3A No. 3 Fort Wayne Elmhurst in Saturday’s championship after the Trojans came from behind to beat Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, 56-49, in the first semifinal.

South, defending its crown after dismantling the Knights in last year’s title game of this tournament, got 13 points from senior Jarvisha Jackson. Indiana State-bound senior Amanda Pedro scored 14 for Luers, but the Knights were outshot by the Archers 46 percent to 37 percent from the field.

With the game tied at 27 and just under a minute on the clock in the first half, South went on a quick 8-0 burst to widen the lead. Luers sophomore Gabby Denning hit a short jumper in the paint to end the run, but the Knights still trailed 35-29 and had lost a good deal of momentum heading into the locker room.

The Archers were nearly maniacal out of the gates in the third quarter, hitting 10 of their first 11 shots and forcing turnovers on Luers’ first two possessions. In just three minutes of game time – from a minute left in the second quarter until two minutes into the second half – South turned a 27-all deadlock into a 45-31 advantage.

Luers never got back into a rhythm after that, and the South lead grew as large as 27 in the fourth quarter as bench players took over most of the minutes.

The Archers’ full-court defense, one that has given the Knights trouble the past few years, was relentless in its attack. South forced 11 second-half turnovers, turning many of those into easy baskets at the other end.

The victory pushes South’s record to 12-1. The Archers have not lost since a 73-65 defeat Nov. 8 against 4A No. 1 defending state champion South Bend Washington. Luers, in its first year under coach Greg Friend, falls to 9-5.

Unlike in the other semifinal, a big third quarter wasn’t enough to propel Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran to an upset of top-seeded Fort Wayne Elmhurst as the Trojans prevailed, 56-49.

The Cadets built a double-digit lead in the penultimate period, taking a 43-33 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. But Elmhurst answered quickly, opening with an 11-0 spurt to regain the lead.

Concordia didn’t score until 3:30 remained in the game when senior Alissa Goeglein’s free throws put the Cadets back on top. Elmhurst senior guard Teirenney Fincher knocked down a three from the top of the key on the next possession, however, and the Trojans never trailed again.

With 1:14 remaining, Goeglein’s shot was blocked by menacing 6’2” Trojan freshman Liza Clemons. Much to the dismay of the Elmhurst crowd, a foul was called, and Goeglein again knocked down a pair from the line to tie the game at 49.

But a pretty move and conversion by senior April Cotton put the Trojans back in front after Goeglein’s free throws, and a couple foul shots by Cotton with 27.6 seconds left doubled that lead as Concordia never scored again.

Clemons’ defensive prowess proved to be the difference down the stretch as she almost single-handedly kept the Cadets out of the interior with a multitude of steals and blocks in the fourth quarter.

The win gives 3A No. 3 Elmhurst a record of 11-1, while the Cadets drop to 6-6.

South and Elmhurst – the two least-winningest programs in the history of Summit Conference Tournament play – will square off Dec. 29 for the title. South won its only championship last season, while Elmhurst has finished runner-up twice but never won.

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By Bret Shambaugh
Contributing Writer

NEW CASTLE – The 29-4 run that Class 4A fifth-ranked New Albany made in the opening half of the 2007 City Securities Hall of Fame Classic championship game Dec. 28 was all the class of the Hoosier Hills Conference needed to achieve a most-decisive 67-51 victory over 3A No. 2 Batesville in a battle of Bulldogs at New Castle Fieldhouse.

New Albany (8-0), which surely will fly up in Chris May’s next “Tickling the Twine” Top 15s following this win and a 51-46 upset earlier in the day of 4A top-ranked Marion, put on an outstanding shooting display in the first half against Batesville (6-2).

New Albany shot 71 percent over the opening 16 minutes, including a torrid 9-of-12 effort from behind the 3-point arc. Batesville, the pride of the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference, shot a disappointing 28 percent over the same span.

Making matters more difficult for already fatigued Batesville (the Bulldogs may have used up all their energy in a 66-65 morning barnburner over 3A top-ranked Edgewood) was New Albany’s bench, which outscored Batesville’s 23-5.

New Albany senior reserve Matt Lynch was simply unstoppable from 3-point range on this Friday night following Christmas. Lynch converted on all five of his first-half trey attempts and, at one point, the 6’4” guard scored nine consecutive New Albany points.

The gun-slinging Lynch finished with a game-high 20 points.

Also in double figures for New Albany was sophomore sensation Donnie Hale. The 6’7” left-handed center finished with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting while adding a team-high seven boards. Hale’s best memory of this day will be his resounding dunk to close the first half – a slam at the horn that made the halftime score New Albany 44, Batesville 17.

Batesville placed three players in double figures. Senior guard Tony Narwold led the way with 13 points (including three 3-pointers), while preseason All-State selections Colt Ryan (junior) and Alex Grimsley (senior) finished with 12 each.

Just like with Terre Haute South in the girls tourney one day earlier, the third time proved to be the charm for New Albany in the Hall of Fame Classic.

Winners of both the 1980 consolation (after losing in the semifinals to Winston Morgan/Stew Robinson-led Anderson Madison Heights) and the 2001 consolation (following a semifinal loss to Bloomington North and Sean May) contests, the Bulldogs were not to be denied in their third trip to this terrific 31st annual late-December event.

New Albany should be the clear-cut favorite to win the Seymour Sectional in early March.

Batesville, on the other hand, should re-group quickly. The Bulldogs’ tremendous fan support will remind them come March that fatigue cannot be allowed to enter into the equation. The 3A southern semistate is loaded with high-powered programs, and Batesville should be one of the noise-makers.

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By Bret Shambaugh
Contributing Writer

NEW CASTLE – Marion will long remember Dec. 28 as a turning point in its 2007-08 season. The Class 4A Giants came to New Castle Fieldhouse and the 2007 City Securities Hall of Fame Classic undefeated and the top-rated team in the state.

But following their 65-60 Hall of Fame consolation game loss to 3A top-ranked Edgewood, Marion departed as a loser in both of its tournament contests.

In the battle for third place, Edgewood (8-1) executed its offense as well as any team can.

“I am very proud of our kids and their effort following the tough loss this morning,” Edgewood coach Jay Brown said of his Mustangs, who had dropped a fanatical 66-65 clash to 3A No. 2 Batesville in an earlier semifinal. “This is a tough day with a very tough field.

“We believe this was excellent preparation for our kids’ play this March.”

A consolation game is always a difficult undertaking and, as Brown indicated, this contest was no exception – for either team. Edgewood (8-1) basically won the game from the free throw line, going 20 for 28 compared with the Giants’ 4-of-7 effort.

Both teams took care of their possessions with precision. North Central Conference juggernaut Marion (7-2) only turned the ball over seven times, and Edgewood was even better – the Mustangs turned it over just five times.

Per usual, the Mustangs were led in scoring by preseason All-State selection Garrett Butcher (a game-high 25 points). The Edgewood offense goes through Butcher, who drives to the basket as aggressively as anyone who has played in this state.

The senior, therefore, shoots a lot of free throws, and this game was no exception as the 6’7” swingman connected on 15 of 19 free throws. Butcher’s 19 attempts were a consolation game record, breaking the old mark of 18 shared by Cloverdale’s Chad Tucker (1982) and New Washington’s Jamie Matthews (’88).

As teams in Southern Indiana are discovering, collapsing on Butcher can pose a problem if the Mustangs’ guards bring their shooting touch. On this evening, senior guard Tommy Weakley brought his 20/20 vision.

Weakley torched the Giants by making 7 of 11 from the floor, including 6 of 10 from behind the 3-point arc. The 6-foot guard finished with 23 points, and he also had a game-high four assists.

In the second stanza alone, Weakley flirted with being superhuman by making five straight threes and converting on all three foul shots when he was fouled in the act of shooting. If your math skills are good, you just deduced that Weakley scored 18 of his 23 points in the second period!

Marion’s led 15-11 after one quarter when preseason All-State selection senior Julius Mays’ 38-foot 3-pointer beat the buzzer. But the Giants trailed 35-29 at the half following Edgewood’s Weakley-fueled 24-14 second-period edge.

Edgewood took its final lead with 2:08 remaining in the third period. Two free throws by Mr. Basketball candidate Butcher gave the Mustangs a lead they would not give back at 42-41.

Jennings Scholars Award Winner senior Caleb Bragg came off the bench at the end for Marion to score the game’s final four points, but it wasn’t enough.

Six-foot-four senior swingman Jay Edwards Jr. improved his all-star stock by playing another complete game, finishing with 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds. And junior sharpshooter Scott Wood regained his touch and kept things interesting by going 7 of 12 from the floor – including 5 of 10 from 3-point range – in scoring a team-high 19 points.

But Marion seemed out-of-sync all day – especially Mays, who struggled again from the floor (5 of 13) in scoring just 12 points.

How the Giants regroup will determine the importance of this day as it relates to the outcome of their season. Yet there are 63 days until March – plenty of time to climb back up the mountain.

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