With fields including defending IHSAA champions on both the girls’ and boys’ sides, another illustrious lineup is set for the 2022 Raymond James Hall of Fame Classic on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 at the New Castle Fieldhouse.

The prestigious event, spotlighting the best in Indiana high school basketball, will be held for the 39^th time for girls and 46^th time for the boys.

On Dec. 29 in the girls tournament, Bedford North Lawrence will face Mishawaka Marian at 11 a.m. Noblesville takes on East Central in the second semifinal game.

The consolation game tips off at 6 p.m. with the championship game to follow.

Selecting from the best teams in the state, the girls’ tournament has included 19 teams that went on to win a state championship that season, including 12 class champions and eight class runner-up teams in the past 20 years.

Bedford North Lawrence finished 24-3 this past season and has a strong returning cast from their Class 4A regional finalist squad.

That roster will include Karsyn Norman, who has been named an Indiana Junior All-Star after averaging 15 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game.

This will be the Lady Stars’ fifth appearance in the event, tying Rushville for the most appearances. Bedford North Lawrence won the 1990 and 2013 events, one of four programs to have won two championships.

Led by a high-scoring duo from a 20-6 season, the Knights have high expectations for the 2022-2023 season.

Nevaeh Foster averaged 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 steals her junior season while Makaya Porter averaged 19 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks this past season. Porter was named an Indiana Junior All-Star.

This will be Mishawaka Marian’s first appearance in the Hall of Fame Classic.

Noblesville, the reigning Class 4A state champions, will likely enter the 2022-2023 season with its entire roster returning.

Led by Ashlynn Shade, a University of Connecticut recruit who averaged 20.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 4.1 assists per game, the Millers also will have Reagan Wilson (10 ppg, 4.4 apg), Meredith Tippner (9.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Kaitlyn Shoemaker (9.1 ppg) back from a 25-4 squad.

Shade has been named an Indiana Junior All Star and will be a strong candidate for the Miss Basketball honor.

The Lady Millers will make their third appearance in the Hall of Fame Classic – finishing runner-up in 2015 and as consolation game winner in 2007.

With four straight 4A sectional titles and averaging over 20 wins in that span, East Central will make its first appearance in the event.

Indiana Junior All-Star Josie Trabel (17.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.5 spg) returns for a program that has won 199 games over the past 11 seasons.

Head coach Kevin Moore (221-88 in 13 seasons at East Central) has been named an assistant coach for the 2022 Indiana Girls All-Star Team.

The boys take center stage on Dec. 30 with defending Class A state champion North Daviess taking on NorthWood in the 11 a.m. semifinal contest.

Ben Davis will take on Penn in the second semifinal.

The consolation game will tipoff at 6 p.m. with the championship game to follow.

Head coach Brent Dalrymple loses just two seniors from North Daviess’ 27-3 squad that won its first Class A state title Saturday morning at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Led by Jaylen Mullen (16.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.0 apg), Lance Wilson (9.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Logan Wilson (8.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg), the Cougars will represent Southern Indiana and small schools in the 2022 event.

NorthWood returns a majority of the squad that rattled off 13 consecutive late-season wins, reaching the No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press Class 3A poll. The Panthers finished the season 25-3 and a regional finalist.

NorthWood will feature Cade Brenner, who averaged 19.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 3.3 apg.

Both North Daviess and NorthWood will be making their first appearances in the Hall of Fame Classic.

Ben Davis expects to return its top five scorers from a 22-7 regional finalist squad.

The Giants were led this season in scoring by K.J. Windham at 12.7 ppg.

Ben Davis will make its third appearance at the Hall of Fame Classic after winning the event in 1984 and finishing runner-up in 1994.

Led by a dynamic scorer, Penn returns nearly 90% of its scoring and four starters from a 24-3 regional finalist team.

Markus Burton was among the state leaders in scoring at 26.9 ppg. He set the single-season Penn scoring record with 734 points and has compiled 1,364 career points in three seasons.

Head coach Al Rhodes, a 2010 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, is the 11^th winningest coach in Indiana boys high school basketball history. His career mark of 665-318, includes a 211-126 record in 14 season at his alma mater, Penn.

This will be the second appearance for the Kingsmen in the boys event. Penn won the consolation game in 2014.

Including entrants in the 2022 Hall of Fame Classic, 100 different IHSAA-member girls programs and 110 different IHSAA-member boys programs have been included in tournament history.

Asher Balting delivered a three-run home run in the first inning to jump start Shelbyville’s 2022 baseball season.

Balting’s home run made it 3-0 Wednesday in the season opener against Hauser at Arthur Barnett Field. The Golden Bears added five more runs in the home half of the second inning and never looked back in a 12-1 win in five innings.

Caden Tackett earned the win on the mound, going four innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out seven Jets.

Luke Brinkman pitched a scoreless fifth inning to close out the game.

After Balting staked the Golden Bears to the lead, Luke Jackson, Charlie Rife, Tackett and Balting drove in runs in the second inning to extend the lead to 8-0.

Koby Johnson took the loss for Hauser (0-1). He allowed nine runs (six were earned) on three hits and walked five in two innings of work. The Jets’ defense committed four errors.

Holden Pittman pitched the final two innings, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks.

Balting finished the game 2-for-2 with two runs scored and four runs batted in.

Shelbyville will get its first look at a potential sectional opponent Friday when it travels to East Central.

In other prep events Wednesday:

Boys track

Westfield 104, Shelbyville 27

At Westfield, three Golden Bears had successful 2022 debuts with first-place finishes.

Sam Price won the 400 meters in 54.15 seconds. He also was runner-up in the long jump at 21 feet.

Beau Kenkel took first place in the 800 in 2:10.59.

And Jacob Harker won the discus with a best throw of 113-8. Harker also placed third in the shot put (36-2).

Also for Shelbyville, Eugene Jones finished third in the discus (105-9).

Girls track

Westfield 104, Shelbyville 16

At Westfield, Stefanie Howard started out her final campaign with a win in the 3,200. She crossed the finish line in 12:42.97.

Kilikina Schultz scored runner-up points in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles (50.88).

Hannah Wright finished third in the 3,200 (14:24.24) and Ashlynn Stout placed third in the discus (79-9).

The Golden Bears travel to Franklin Tuesday for a triangular meet with East Central.

Duke salvaged a win in its series with Florida State Sunday with an 11-2 victory in Tallahassee, Florida.

Damon Lux, a Shelbyville graduate, went 1-for-4 at the plate for Duke with a walk, run scored, a solo home run and two runs batted in.

Florida State won the ACC series opener Friday, 4-0. The Seminoles returned Saturday and defeated the Blue Devils, 7-2. Lux went 2-for-4 in the loss.

With the Sunday win, Duke improved to 12-12 this season and 3-6 in ACC games.

On Tuesday, Liberty visited the Durham Athletic Ball Park and defeated Duke, 9-2. Liberty scored six runs in the top of the ninth to seal the win.

Here is a look at other Shelby County graduates competing at the collegiate level.

Katie Mathies

The Shelbyville graduate went 1-for-1 with a run scored and an RBI Tuesday in No. 10-ranked DePauw’s 4-0 win at Redlands in Redlands, California.

The win was the Tigers’ ninth straight and pushed their record to 12-5 this season.

DePauw opened the California swing in its schedule Saturday with a doubleheader sweep at Pomona-Pitzer in Pomona, California.

DePauw won game one, 6-1. In the second game, Mathies went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run to lead the Tigers to an 11-1 victory. She had four RBIs in the game.

Addisenn Weaver

The Shelbyville graduate went 1-for-2 Sunday for Valparaiso in an 8-0 loss at Missouri State.

The Beacons were swept in the Missouri Valley Conference series, falling 8-0 and 3-2 Saturday.

On Tuesday, Valparaiso traveled to Western Michigan and lost, 3-0.

Valparaiso is 9-15 this season and 1-5 in the MVC.

TeAnn Bringle

The Shelbyville graduate went 0-for-1 at the plate Monday in Indiana State’s 5-4 win over Bradley to secure the Sycamores’ first series win over Bradley since 2017.

The Sycamores lost 9-1 in the series opener Sunday then rebounded for a 7-6 victory.

Indiana State is 16-12 this season and 4-2 against MVC opponents.

Hannah File

The Shelbyville graduate had pinch-hit appearances in all three Louisville games at Clemson. The outfielder with the Cardinals is working her way back into the lineup after suffering a knee injury.

After taking 5-2 and 8-0 losses to No. 16 Clemson, Louisville bounced back for a 4-2 win Sunday in eight innings.

The Cardinals are 18-12 overall and 2-4 in ACC contests.

Elizabeth Kemper

The Triton Central graduate finished tied for 21^st overall for Taylor’s 18^th-ranked golf team at the Wolfpack Invitational On March 21-22 at Bayou Oaks at City Park on the South course in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Taylor carded rounds of 80, 85 and 84 to help Taylor finish third in a field that featured six ranked programs.

Eighth-ranked Loyola won the team title (950) with No. 3 Dalton State (959), Taylor (963), No. 10 William Carey (977), No. 19 Campbellsville (987) and No. 22 Northwestern Ohio (987) following in the standings.

Hanover Invitational

Four graduates of Shelby County schools represented their respective colleges Saturday at the Hanover Invitational track and field meet.

Hanover’s Zaleeya Martin, a Shelbyville graduate, won the 100-meter dash in 12.61 seconds.

Franklin College’s Jill Anspaugh, also a Shelbyville graduate, finished 17^th in the 800 meters (2:54.66) and ninth in the 1,500 (5:36.66).

Dalen Williams, a Waldron graduate competing for Franklin, placed third in the discus (39.70 meters) and 10^th in the shot put (11.61 meters).

Rose-Hulman’s Kenneth Gipson, a Triton Central graduate, finished 14^th in the hammer throw (35.07 meters).

With a powerhouse offensive lineup and its top two pitchers returning, Shelbyville softball is primed for another explosive season.

The Golden Bears made their 2022 debut Tuesday at Seymour and pounded out at 12-0 victory over the Owls.

Karissa Hamilton, Kylee Edwards and Addison Stieneker combined for 10 hits and eight runs batted in to lead Shelbyville (1-0).

Hamilton, a senior and University of Kentucky recruit, went 4-for-4 at the plate with a double, a stolen base, three runs scored and four RBIs.

Edwards, a junior who is committed to Mississippi State University, finished 3-for-5 at the plate in the leadoff position, had a stolen base and scored three runs.

Stieneker, a freshman, debuted in the cleanup position hitting behind Hamilton and went 3-for-5 with a run scored and three RBIs.

Three Golden Bear pitchers limited the Owls (0-1) to two hits and collected 12 strikeouts.

Cheyenne Eads started in the circle, going three innings, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out five to earn the victory.

Hailey Pogue followed in relief and went three innings, allowing one hit and striking out four.

Aliyah Lewis pitched a scoreless seventh inning and had three strikeouts to complete the shutout.

Kendrick Sterling took the loss for Seymour, working three innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs (only four were earned).

Shelbyville returns to action Thursday at Mooresville. The Golden Bears’ home debut is Saturday at 11 a.m. against Jennings County.

Cathedral’s first Class 4A boys basketball state championship came in emphatic fashion.

The Irish dominated No. 1 ranked and previously unbeaten Chesterton in Saturday night’s final state championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, 65-31.

With the win, Cathedral became the first private school to win the 4A boys basketball state championship.

Head coach Jason Delaney made history becoming the first boys basketball coach to win state titles with three different schools. He led Waldron to a Class A state title in 2004 and directed Indianapolis Arsenal Tech to the 4A state title 10 years later.

for more on Jason Delaney's coaching career, go to https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/625911

Cathedral (26-6) jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back against Chesterton (29-1). Jaron Tibbs led the Irish with 15 points. Jaxon Edwards had 14. Xavier Booker finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. And Tayshawn Comer added 11.

Cathedral set 4A state championship records for largest margin of victory (34 points), most blocked shots (14) and the two teams set a record for most combined blocks (16).

Tyler Parrish and Carson Parrish each scored seven points to lead Chesterton.

Chesterton’s Chris Mullen was named the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award winner. The award is presented annually to a senior, who is nominated by his principal and coach, and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability during his four years of high school.

Mullen has a 4.1 grade point average and is involved in many different activities and volunteers for numerous organizations at the school. He also is a key contributor to basketball, football and baseball teams at Chesterton.

Mullen will attend the University of Indianapolis in the fall to study Exercise Science while playing football for the Greyhounds.

Class A championship game

North Daviess needed double overtime to secure a 48-46 victory over Lafayette Central Catholic in the first championship game Saturday morning.

With North Daviess leading 48-45, Lafayette Central Catholic’s Clark Barrett was fouled on a 3-point attempt as the clock expired. Barrett converted the first free throw and, after a North Daviess timeout, missed the second attempt to give the Cougars (27-3) their first-ever state championship in any sport.

Devin Collins led North Daviess with 15 points and Jaylen Mullen finished with 11.

North Daviess coach Brent Dalrymple is a former assistant coach at Shelbyville High School.

For more on Brent Dalrymple's time at Shelbyville, go to https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/626084

Barrett and Clark Obermiller led the Knights (20-10) with 13 points each.

Obermiller was named the Ray Craft Mental Attitude Award Winner. He will graduate with academic honors and attend Purdue University.

Class 2A championship game

In a battle between two schools making their first state finals appearance, Providence rolled to a 62-49 victory over Central Noble.

Providence (21-6) raced out to a 25-9 lead after one quarter and grew the lead as large as 21 points in the final quarter.

Casey Kaelin led Providence with 21 points.

Conner Essegian, a Wisconsin recruit, scored 18 points in his final game for the Cougars (28-3). Essegian closed out his career at No. 10 on the state’s career scoring list.

Cade Carver of Providence was selected the Arthur Trester Mental Attitude Award winner. He is a National Honor Society member and ranks No. 12 in his class with a 4.4 GPA.

Carver will attend Indiana University and study Intelligent Systems Engineering.

Class 3A championship game

Beech Grove overcame an 8-point second-quarter deficit to defeat Mishawaka Marian, 53-43, to claim the school’s first state title.

The Hornets scored 12 straight points in the third quarter to take the lead for good. The Knights recovered to tie the game in the fourth quarter but Beech Grove finished the game on a 17-6 run.

Anthony Ball led Beech Grove (22-6) with 17 points and 20 rebounds. Cameron Brown added 13 points and Jeremiah Tate finished with 12. Tate’s nine steals were the most in any state championship game since the category has been tracked since 1977.

Richard Brooks topped Mishawaka Marian (24-4) with 13 points. Deaglan Sullivan had 10.

Brooks was named the Arthur Trester Mental Attitude Award winner. He is a member of National Honor Society and will graduate with more than a semester’s worth of college credits.

Brooks has yet to select a college or university to study Pre-Dentistry.

After two decades of watching neighboring schools and sectional rivals make nine state finals appearances, North Daviess is reveling in its first state finals appearance.

Class A, No. 2 North Daviess (26-3) will face No. 11 Lafayette Central Catholic (20-9) in the first of four state championship games Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. Tipoff is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

“This has been a long time coming for this school and this community,” said North Daviess coach Brent Dalrymple. “It’s been a lot of fun. I tell people it’s been the most nerve-racking and anxiety-ridden fun I’ve ever had these last three or four weeks.”

Dalrymple (photo, right), who spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Shelbyville, is 315-213 in 22 seasons at North Daviess in southwestern Indiana. The Cougars are making their first state finals appearance after two decades of frustration watching Barr-Reeve and Loogootee succeed on the state’s biggest stage.

“It’s a blessing and a curse,” said Dalrymple of North Daviess’ sectional field. “This is something we have watched the teams in our sectional (Barr-Reeve has been there seven times, Loogootee has been there twice since the inception of class basketball) win state championships and they’ve beaten us by two or three points in the sectional to do it.

“So we stepped back and watched these teams and thought if we could just win our sectional, we could be doing this. We’ve always thought that and had it in our mind. We just understood the blessing part of it is you prepare all season to win the sectional, prepare all season to beat those teams in your sectional. That’s the only goal we’ve had to have because we understood if you can win your sectional, you can really do some damage in the state tournament. That’s what happened this year.”

Dalrymple considers himself fortunate to be in his third decade coaching at North Daviess. A sectional title in his first year (2001) paved the way for patience in building a program that presented him with career win No. 300 this season.

“That is a credit to all of the good teams and great players we’ve had throughout the years,” he said. “We have this program where it needed to be. My very first year we won the school’s first ever sectional and this place went nuts but we didn’t have the program where we needed it to be.

“We won seven or eight games the next three or four years. Thank goodness we won the sectional that first year. I’m not sure I still would have been here. There was some patience required with where our program was. Once we got it righted and got it going, we’ve had some really good basketball teams that have been awful close to taking this step.”

The Rush County native never saw himself spending 22 years at the small school. Dalrymple’s first teaching job came at Shelbyville Middle School in 1996 when he was hired as the seventh- and eighth-grade keyboarding teacher.

“One of the reasons I got the job, during the interview I told (principal Denny Ramsey) the whole reason I got into Education was to be a varsity basketball coach and win a state championship,” said Dalrymple. “He said, ‘What did you just say?’ And I said it again. We pretty much stopped the interview and he said the job is yours if you want it. He said when you get to that point you call me and I will be there.

“I haven’t talked to Denny in 20 years and I called him this week and touched base with him. He was super excited.”

Dalrymple immediately became Shelbyville High School’s freshman boys basketball coach for varsity head coach John Heaton. And when Gary Hamner retired one year later, Dalrymple was promoted to junior varsity coach which lasted four seasons.

The goal was to be the Golden Bears’ head coach and when Heaton, a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, retired the opportunity seemed perfect.

“I was 29 years old and I wanted the job badly,” recalled Dalrymple. “I interviewed for it and they told me I didn’t have any experience and that’s the reason they weren’t giving me the job.

“That lit a fire under me that I needed to get a head coaching job so I could get what I wanted. In 2000, I moved down to North Daviess and the rest is history.”

Being the head coach at North Daviess was only supposed to be a starting point for his coaching career.

“My first couple of years, my whole goal was to get down there and get that experience that Shelbyville told me I needed and get back north around my friends and family to coach,” he said. “About year three I met a girl and it was all over.”

Brent and Tina Dalrymple have now been married 15 years and have three children – Madde (age 19), Meah (15) and Hank (11), who serves as a student manager for this year’s squad.

“I fell in love with this place,” said Dalrymple. “I realized that coaching basketball was coaching basketball. I had some opportunities (to leave). Shelbyville was open a couple of times. They called me but I just wasn’t interested. I established something here at North Daviess and I wanted to see it through.”

North Daviess has won six sectional titles and three regional titles under Dalrymple’s direction but it took an outstanding player like Jaylen Mullen (16.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and twins Lance Wilson (9.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Logan Wilson (8.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg) – all three are juniors – to propel the Cougars to a 60-47 win over Jac-Cen-Del at the Seymour Semistate.

“We’ve just had a fire in us,” said Dalrymple, who also serves as North Daviess’ athletic director. “We kind of knew this group was coming. We have three juniors that have been together a long time. What separates them, we have a whole lot of talent. Jaylen is the best point guard, best basketball player, to come through here.

“They have a will to compete, the desire to win has been second to none. I have coached these guys for two or three years now and we have never, ever not been ready to play a basketball game. They are basketball players through and through. They have the heart and the toughness to get it done.”

Lafayette Central Catholic was the first Class A state champion in 1998. The Knights followed that with a state runner-up trophy in 1999 and the 2000 state championship. Three years later, Lafayette Central Catholic denied Southwestern its first state championship while capturing its third title.

This year’s team, led by head coach David Barrett (305-133 in his 17^th year), has five players averaging between 7-14 ppg.

Senior Clark Barrett leads the team in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding (10.2 rpg). Fellow senior Clark Obermiller averages 12.6 ppg and 7.2 rpg. Tanner Fields, a junior, nets 10.9 ppg.

North Daviess and Lafayette Central Catholic had one common opponent this season in Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian. The Cougars lost 48-41 on Dec. 28 while the Knights lost 70-66 on Dec. 11.

Dalrymple has stressed that his players and his community enjoy the accomplishment this week. It’s been long overdue in his mind.

“I can’t even describe it. It is the best thing about all of this,” he said. “We’ve watched our neighbors – Barr-Reeve is seven miles south of us and Loogootee is 15 miles east of us – we’ve watched those two schools and programs go to this thing and felt like we could do this and just never had. To get that done, to see our crowds the last couple of weeks and what it means to all of our folks is indescribable. Our fans and our community are so overjoyed.”

Dedication of the new Indiana State Historical Marker commemorating the “Milan Miracle” is set for Saturday, March 26, across the street from the Milan ‘54 Hoosiers Museum in Milan’s historic downtown.

The festivities begin at 12:00 pm.  The marker will be unveiled by Patty Marshall.  Marshall, the sole remaining cheerleader from the 1954 squad, and the current Milan High School cheerleaders.

This date coincides with the Indiana High School Boys Basketball State Finals.
Attending the event will be four of the eight surviving members of the 1954 Milan boys basketball team including Bobby Plump, Indiana’s Mr. Basketball 1954. Speakers will be Tom Kohlmeier President of Milan 54, Inc., Casey Pfeiffer Indiana Historical Bureau, Deb Shumate President of the Milan Town Board and Plump.

Following the dedication, there will be a reception in the Milan ‘54 Hoosiers Museum for all in attendance. Admission to the museum will be free all day. The Milan ‘54 Hoosiers Museum is located at 201 West Carr Street, Milan, Indiana. 

More information can be found at www.milan54.org

About the Milan Miracle
On a cold March night at Butler Fieldhouse in 1954, the Indians of tiny Milan High School (enrollment 162) defeated the mighty Muncie Central Bearcats (enrollment 1,662), to win the Indiana Boys Basketball State Championship and secure their place in Hoosier folklore.  The small town’s victory was immortalized in the 1986 film, “Hoosiers,” staring Gene Hackman. Today the whole family can experience the “Milan Miracle” at the Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum with dramatic displays and interactive exhibits. The museum contains the largest collection of props and uniforms from the movie “Hoosiers” in the world.  
  

In recognition of Ray Crowe’s profound life and legacy in Indiana, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) is proud to announce the formation of the IHSAA Ray Crowe Excellence in Leadership Award in his honor.

The award will recognize individuals who carry on the legacy of Ray Crowe (photo, right), exemplifying the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and moral character. Candidates will be considered on the merits of their achievements as a high school leader (coach, athletic administrator, etc.), civic contributions, and community impact, including significant and/or long-term contributions to the interscholastic athletic community.

This award will acknowledge the accomplishments and meaningful contributions of individuals who are worthy of statewide recognition as examples for others to emulate.

The inaugural award will be presented publicly to the family of Ray Crowe at halftime Saturday of the Class 4A Boys Basketball State Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Born and raised on a farm near Franklin, Indiana, in 1915, Crowe was one of 10 children. A standout student-athlete at Whiteland High School, he was a four-year letterman in basketball (twice the leading scorer and team captain), a three-year letterman in baseball, and the only Black player on both teams.

After high school, Crowe attended Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) where he earned a degree in education and lettered in basketball, track and baseball. He graduated in 1939 and worked at International Harvester before starting his career as an educator and coach at Indianapolis Public School 17.

Crowe became an assistant basketball coach at Crispus Attucks High School in 1948 and was appointed head basketball coach in 1950.

During his seven-year tenure as head coach, the Crispus Attucks Flying Tigers won the Indiana state basketball championship in consecutive years (1955 and 1956) – becoming the first all-Black school to win an open state championship in the country, the first Indianapolis team to win the state title, and Indiana’s first undefeated state champions. Crowe also was the first Black coach to win a state title.

His teams made tournament appearances every year he coached: the State Finals in 1951, Sectionals in 1952, Semistates in 1953 and 1954, and State Finals (runners-up) in 1957. His record as a head coach was 179-20.

While the team’s success brought great fanfare, it did not shield them from the racism and discrimination of the time. Despite facing racial tensions and hostile playing conditions, coach Crowe always emphasized the importance of good sportsmanship and taught his players to remain calm, take the high road, and overcome adversity through discipline and achievement.

Crowe coached numerous Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, including Oscar Robertson, and was inducted himself in 1968. Following the 1957 season, Crowe served as the school’s athletic director for 10 years, during which the school won its third state championship in 1959.

This summer, he will be inducted posthumously into the National High School Hall of Fame, becoming the first Indiana high school basketball coach to receive the honor.

Jason Delaney is on the brink of Indiana basketball history.

The two-time state championship coach has Cathedral in Saturday night’s Class 4A boys basketball state championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

With a win over top-ranked Chesterton, Delaney would become the first coach to win three state championships at three different schools and he would be the first coach to lead a private school to a 4A state championship.

“There are guys who have dreamed to be here and never even get the opportunity so I don’t take any of this for granted,” said Delaney. “I am beyond blessed with my career …  the young men I’ve been able to coach and be around who probably affected my life in more of a positive way than anything else. I just take time to really be thankful for that opportunity.”

No. 8 Cathedral (25-6) will take on No. 1 Chesterton (29-0) at approximately 8:15 p.m. Saturday in the final game of the IHSAA boys basketball season.

Delaney previously won state championships with Waldron in 2004 and Indianapolis Arsenal Tech in 2014.

Delaney burst onto the coaching scene in 2004 when he led Waldron to an undefeated season (27-0) capped off by a 69-54 win over Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian in the state championship game.

“It was one year that changed my life forever,” said Delaney, who now has 291 career wins after starting his coaching career with 28 straight victories. “It’s been really neat during this run to have some of those guys from that team reach out to say congratulations. In each and every one of those texts back to them I say thank you because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. They believed in a 27-year-old guy that was just getting started. I owe it all to them. This is a dream.”

In 2004, both Shelby Eastern Schools, Morristown and Waldron, had boys basketball head coaches to hire. Delaney and Scott McClelland were the finalists for the Morristown position and McClelland won out.

“I remember coming down to the final two and him getting it and talking to him on the phone,” recalled Delaney. “I remember thinking what now because it was the middle of September.

“Waldron opened and I went back in front of that same school board and interviewed. I can still picture and remember every bit of the interview process. They gave an opportunity to a young man and it was a great experience.”

The school system hired two state championship winning coaches that year. McClelland led Morristown to the 2018 Class A state title.

Delaney still has the fondest of memories from his one year at Waldron.

“Looking back to that season, the community stands out to me,” he said. “How much they embraced it, the sold out crowds, the school pride, all those things when I think back on it. What a great group of young men they were and now they are doing great things as husbands and fathers and employees. That’s the true measure of it all.”

Delaney moved on to Southport in 2005 and stayed four years before one-year stints at Anderson Highland and Indianapolis George Washington. He was named Tech’s head coach in 2011 and was there for five seasons.

The Titans went 37-10 in Delaney’s first two seasons but couldn’t get out of the sectional, including a 66-50 loss in the 2013 sectional to a Cathedral team that went on to play for the state title.

One year later, Tech finished on top with a 63-59 win over Lake Central in the 4A state championship game. After two more seasons at Tech, Delaney was hired at Cathedral, where he has averaged 18 wins a season over the last six years.

“The first (state title), I don’t even know if I knew what was going on because it was my first year,” said Delaney. “The second one with Tech, we had to go through two years of heartbreak to win that one.

“We endured five years of heartbreak with this one so when we got that first sectional win over North Central to open it up (this year), it was very emotional for the guys that have been here. Going through this again, the biggest thing is you try to stay in your routines because all these different things are pulling at you this week with meetings and media and the events you have to go to. For me, the biggest thing is I can use that experience to be the calming force for these kids.”

Cathedral is balanced – five players are averaging double digits in the scoring column – and led by Indiana Mr. Basketball candidate Tayshawn Comer (16.4 ppg, 6.4 apg).

“The ultimate leader. The ultimate teammate,” said Delaney of his senior point guard (photo, above). “I cannot say enough good things about that kid and his character. He makes your program better just by the kid that he is. He is so appreciative of everything you do for him.”

With wins over Terre Haute North and Ben Davis in the Southport Regional, Comer became Cathedral’s career scoring leader, breaking Scott Hicks’ mark set in 1983.

Chesterton is seeking to become the first undefeated state champion since Warren Central in 2018. The Trojans would be just the fifth unbeaten state champion since Waldron in 2004.

“They are a lot like us,” said Delaney. “They are a really good team. They know their roles and they are led by a really good point guard who makes everything happen.”

Chesterton senior point guard Thomas Grayson enters the title game averaging 19.5 ppg and 5.6 apg for head coach Marc Urban, making his first state finals appearance.

“They don’t get rattled,” continued Delaney. “We tell our kids we are the underdog. They don’t know how to lose. They have not experienced that yet.

“For us, we have to be ready to go. We have to close it out. We’ve got to understand it’s going to be a mountain to climb, and they are ready to do that. It will be the biggest challenge we’ve faced all season.”

New for Delaney this year is the special moments he shares with his 12-year-old son Jaxon.

“My son gives us scouting reports on everyone,” said Delaney. “I have never pushed him into basketball but he loves playing basketball. He’s a sixth grader now. I enjoy being around him and doing the basketball stuff with him. He loves going to games. He loves knowing all the players.

“He gets on You Tube and can tell me everything about the teams we are playing. He is really highly involved. That is fun for me and him.”

Delaney’s daughter, Jayda, was born eight months before the Tech state championship. Now she is one of Delaney’s biggest fans.

“She is eight years old now and she is fun to be around because she gets excited just because it’s dad,” said Delaney. “To experience it now with them is a little bit different because they are grown up.”

Delaney and his wife, Jamie, have been married 19 years.

Sitting at the Monday morning IHSAA meeting for the finalists, Delaney looked around and saw familiar looks from coaches make their first state finals appearances.

“The crazy thing is I looked at some of the ages of the other coaches and I remember being that young guy there,” said Delaney. “It’s almost to the point now that I’m an older veteran. I don’t know how I feel about that really.”

Delaney has already established himself as one of the state’s top coaches. On Saturday, a Cathedral win would put him in rarefied air.

“Cathedral is a football school. It’s kind of like being at Alabama or Notre Dame,” said Delaney. “To see the excitement now with basketball and see the kids show up, the fans show up, it’s pretty special.

“There has only been one state championship in basketball (at Cathedral) and that was in 1998 in 3A. We’ve talked since we got here about being the first team to put up a 4A banner, which is the hardest road there is when you look at what you have to go through, especially starting in Sectional 10. To have a chance to be the first private school to win a 4A state title, that’s pretty special too.”

Indiana’s collegiate track and field athletes moved outdoors for the first time in 2022 to set their standards for the season.

Rose-Hulman hosted the Early Bird Meet Saturday at William L. Welch Track Complex and five Shelby County graduates were in action for their respective schools.

Southwestern graduate Taylor Tatlock (photo) finished runner-up for Franklin College in the javelin with a best throw of 104 feet, nine inches. She also placed third in the discus at 105-1.

Shelbyville graduate Jill Anspaugh finished sixth in the 5,000 meters for Franklin College. She crossed the finish line in 20 minutes, 1.67 seconds.

Franklin College’s Dalen Williams, a Waldron graduate, placed third in the discus (124-2) and 14^th in the shot put (33-5.75).

Triton Central graduate Kenneth Gipson finished 13^th in the hammer throw (98-1) for the host Engineers.

And Shelbyville graduate Zaleeya Martin won the 100 meters (12.53 seconds) and finished second in the 200 (26.62) for Hanover. She also helped the Panthers win the 400 relay in 51.56.

Here is a look at other Shelby County graduates competing at the collegiate level.

TeAnn Bringle

The Shelbyville graduate went 1-for-3 Sunday for Indiana State’s softball team in a 1-0 loss to Valparaiso that closed out the three-game series.

The Sycamores opened its Missouri Valley Conference schedule with a 10-0 win over Valparaiso Saturday at Price Field in Terre Haute, Indiana. Bringle went 0-for-1 with a walk and hit by pitch.

In the first game Sunday, Indiana State rolled to a 9-0 victory.

With the series win, Indiana State is 14-11 this season and 2-1 in the MVC.

Addisenn Weaver

The Shelbyville graduate was part of the Valparaiso softball team visiting Indiana State.

Weaver went 0-for-1 with a walk in the series opener. She was hitless in game two and went 0-for-2 with a walk in game three.

Valparaiso is 9-11 this season and 1-2 in the MVC standings.

Erica Henry

The Shelbyville graduate went 3-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored and collected the win in the circle for Olney Central College in a 14-9 win Monday over Shawnee Community College.

Henry pitched the final 3.1 innings and allowed three hits and no runs to improve to 2-0 this season and give Olney the opportunity for the comeback win.

Shawnee led 9-1 going to the bottom of the fourth when Olney scored four runs. Henry didn’t allow Shawnee to extend the lead and Olney erupted for nine more runs in the bottom of the sixth to get the win.

In the second game of a doubleheader, Henry went 1-for-2 at the plate in a 6-5 victory that improved Olney to 16-9 this season.

Katie Mathies

The Shelbyville graduate collected her first collegiate run batted in Saturday for DePauw in a 10-2 win over Wartburg at Elizabethtown Sports Park in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

Mathies went 1-for-1 at the plate with a walk and RBI.

DePauw, ranked No. 11 nationally, defeated Trine Saturday, 3-0.

On Sunday against Washington University in St. Louis, DePauw prevailed 6-2. Mathies went 0-for-3 with a walk.

The Tigers then closed out the invitational with an 8-7 win over Spalding.

DePauw improved to 9-5 this season.

Austin Perry

The Shelbyville graduated teamed with Cameron Watson to secure a No. 3 doubles victory for Rose Hulman Saturday in a match against Manchester.

Perry and Watson defeated Blake Rentschler and Anna Hollingsworth, 8-7 (7-1), to contribute to Rose Hulman’s 9-0 team victory.

Perry is 2-0 in doubles matches for a Rose Hulman squad that is 4-6 this season.

Shelbyville High School has a new varsity volleyball coach, boys varsity tennis coaching staff and supplier for its soon-to-be-completed weight room.

On Wednesday at the Shelbyville Central Schools board meeting, Katie Winters was approved as the Golden Bears volleyball coach. She was an assistant coach for Andrew Fuller last season.

Winters played at Logansport High School in Indiana and the University of Northern Colorado. She was a head coach for two years in Colorado and was West Lafayette’s head coach in 2019.

She coaches club volleyball at The Academy in Indianapolis.

Steve Drake returns to the coaching ranks at Shelbyville as the new boys varsity tennis coach. Jacob Shively and Michael Claxton also were approved as Drake’s assistant coaches.

Drake is a former athletic director at Shelbyville High School.

Following the February hiring of Garrett Belden as the new girls varsity soccer coach, the school board approved Max Nugent as assistant soccer coach.

The board also approved middle school coaches for golf, baseball, track and field and eighth grade girls basketball.

Doug Brown was hired as boys and girls golf coach with Chase Yanzer as his assistant coach.

Scott Fitzgerald is the new baseball coach with Will Prine as his assistant coach.

Michael Johnson will lead the boys track and field program with Christopher Lux as assistant coach.

Eli Veach is the new girls track and field head coach with Mirka Ramos and Madison Hankins approved as assistant coaches.

Susan Bass was approved to be the eighth grade girls basketball coach next season.

Pro Industries, located in Franklin, Indiana, was awarded the equipment bid for Shelbyville’s new 8,000-square-foot sports performance facility (photo) that is currently under construction adjacent to J.M. McKeand Stadium on campus.

The weight room equipment will cost $207,864.

“It will be in the upper echelon of Indiana high school weight rooms, especially (for a school) our size,” said Shelbyville High School strength and conditioning coach Royce Carlton in a Shelby County Post article first detailing the proposal.

The new weight room will be four times bigger than the current one used by students and staff.

Originally slated to be completed in March, Carlton believes the facility will be ready by the start of the 2022-2023 school year.

Addisenn Weaver went 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a run batted in for Valparaiso Thursday in a 3-1 loss at the University of Louisville.

Valparaiso finished 1-3 at the Bluegrass Challenge.

Weaver, a Shelbyville graduate, helped the Beacons defeat Central Michigan Thursday, 5-0, at the University of Louisville before losing to the Cardinals.

On Friday at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Valparaiso lost to Eastern Kentucky, 4-1, before falling to ninth-ranked Kentucky, 10-2.

The Beacons are 8-9 this season.

Here is a look at other Shelby County graduates competing at the collegiate level.

Benny Thompson

The Shelbyville graduate pitched a scoreless inning of relief work for Anderson University’s baseball team Sunday in a 13-0 loss to Amherst in Auburndale, Florida.

Thompson walked one and struck out two while not allowing a run for the Ravens (6-7).

Cory Taylor

The Shelbyville graduate went 0-for-1 with a walk Sunday for Eastern Michigan in a 2-1 loss at Ball State in Muncie, Indiana.

The Eagles opened its Mid-American Conference schedule with a 1-3 weekend at Ball State.

Taylor went 0-for-2 in game two Sunday in Eastern Michigan’s 6-4 loss to the Cardinals.

The Eagles (3-10, 1-3 MAC) split Monday’s doubleheader, winning 4-2 in game one and falling 11-8 in game two.

Damon Lux

The Shelbyville graduate went 1-for-2 Sunday for Duke baseball in a 13-1 loss to Virginia.

The Cavaliers swept the Friday doubleheader with a 5-0 win in game one.

On Sunday, Duke dealt Virginia its first loss of the season, 7-6, to collect its first Atlantic Coast Conference win of the year.

Duke defeated West Virginia Tuesday night, 2-1, to improve to 10-7 this season.

TeAnn Bringle

The Shelbyville graduate went 1-for-3 with a run scored Monday in Indiana State’s 7-4 loss to Tennessee Tech in the final game of the Golden Eagle Classic in Cookeville, Tennessee.

Bringle had hits in three of the four games in Tennessee.

Indiana State opened the classic Sunday with an 8-7 loss to Bellarmine. Bringle went 1-for-2 with a run scored.

The Sycamores bounced back with a 6-3 win over Quinnipiac Sunday. Bringle again went 1-for-2 with a run scored.

Indiana State made it two straight wins over Quinnipiac Monday with a 9-0 victory. Bringle went 0-for-3 and had two stolen bases and a run scored.

With loss at Tennessee Tech, Indiana State dropped to 12-9 this season.

Erica Henry

The Shelbyville graduate pitched two innings for Olney Central College Monday in a 14-7 loss to Southwestern Illinois College. She allowed two hits, walked one and struck out two while surrendering four earned runs.

With the loss, Olney Central dropped to 13-6 this season.

Maya Chandler

The Triton Central graduate finished with a team-high 12 points and had one rebound, one assist and one steal for Loyola Friday in a 68-52 loss to Illinois State in the quarterfinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference postseason tournament in Moline, Illinois.

The Ramblers finished the season at 18-12.

Hayden Langkabel

The Morristown graduate scored eight points, pulled down two rebounds and had one assist for Marian University in a 90-67 loss Saturday to No. 23 Concordia University in Omaha, Nebraska.

With the loss in the NAIA Round of 32, the Knights finished the season 26-6.

On Friday, Marian advanced in the national tournament with a 66-64 win over Freed-Hardeman. Langkabel had two points, seven rebounds and one assist.

Brooklyn Langkabel

Marian University’s women’s basketball team advanced to the NAIA Round of 16 for the eighth-straight season Saturday with a 99-78 victory over the University of Rio Grande (Ohio).

The fourth-ranked Knights advanced to the Round of 32 Friday with a 97-66 win over Olivet Nazarene. Langkabel, a Morristown graduate, had one rebound for Marian.

The Knights (29-4) travel to Sioux City, Iowa, Friday to face Clarke University in the Round of 16.

Triton Central senior Josiah Blair has been selected to the Indiana Crossroads Conference All-Conference Boys Basketball Team.

The 12-player squad features seven seniors and five juniors representing all eight ICC member schools.

Blair averaged 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Tigers, who repeated as sectional champions in 2022.

Beech Grove junior Anthony Ball was named Player of the Year after averaging 15.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and leading the Hornets to their first semistate appearance.

Ball was joined on the All-ICC team by fellow Hornet Jeremiah Alexander, a junior who averaged 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

Also named All-ICC were Ritter senior Jordan Turner (ICC-best 19.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and junior Mikial Miller (10.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3 apg), Cascade senior Gage Alexander (14.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg), Lutheran senior Mitchell Lee, Monrovia senior Todd Camic (11.6 ppg, 3.5 apg), Speedway senior Reis Walker (13.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3 apg) and junior Nate Matelic (14.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Scecina senior Layden Adair (12.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2 apg, 2 spg) and junior Keaton Thibo (16.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg).

Beech Grove went undefeated against its ICC opponents to claim the conference title. The Hornets (20-6, 7-0 ICC) face Sullivan (25-2) Saturday at the Washington Semistate.

Lutheran (19-6, 5-2) and Ritter (11-11, 5-2) tied for the runner-up position with Triton Central (13-12, 4-3) in fourth. Completing the ICC standings were Speedway (7-15, 3-4), Scecina (12-11, 2-5), Cascade (8-15, 2-5) and Monrovia (6-17, 0-7).

Shelbyville junior Ollie Sandman has been selected to the Hoosier Heritage Conference All-Conference Boys Basketball Team.

The high-scoring guard was one of 12 players honored by the HHC.

Sandman (photo) averaged a HHC-best 20.5 points per game this season and averaged 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists for the Golden Bears.

The All-HHC squad included representatives from all eight conference member schools. Three of the seniors are committed to play college basketball next season.

IUPUI recruits Amhad Jarrard (14.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.8 apg) and Armon Jarrard (16.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.4 apg) of Mt. Vernon lead the all-conference selections.

Also named All-HHC were Delta senior Neil Marshall (15.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg), Greenfield-Central junior Dylan Moles (19.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.2 apg), New Castle senior Dawson Scott (11.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg) and junior Gavin Welch (13 ppg, 4.6 rpg), New Palestine senior and Indiana Tech commit Steele Brasfield (19.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and juniors Ian Stephens (12.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg) and Blaine Nunnally (13.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.4 apg), Pendleton Heights senior Jamison Dunham (18.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and Yorktown junior A.J. Dunn (13.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg).

New Castle head coach Daniel Cox was named HHC Coach of the Year.

Mt. Vernon was crowned HHC champion with a perfect 7-0 record. The Marauders finished the season 22-3.

New Palestine (18-7, 5-2 HHC) and New Castle (17-5, 5-2) were runners-up with Greenfield-Central (15-8, 4-3), Pendleton Heights (8-16, 3-4), Delta (12-12, 2-5), Yorktown (10-15, 2-5) and Shelbyville (5-18, 0-7) completing the standings.

When every opportunity counts, perfection is needed.

Trailing by 15 points going into the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon at the Class 2A Greenfield-Central Regional, Triton Central staged a furious comeback.

A Josiah Blair drive and score cut University’s lead to 52-49 with 99 seconds left in regulation but the Tigers got no closer, missing on key opportunities to flip the outcome.

Robert Russell and Sabien Cain each connected on a pair of free throws at the opposite end to secure the Trailblazers’ 56-49 victory and a spot in the regional championship game against No. 9 Eastern Hancock.

“In these games where it ended up being a seven-point game, pick any two or three possessions, whether it’s a loose ball we didn’t get or a missed box out or a good shot didn’t go in, at the end of the game it’s hard to say one thing didn’t work out for us,” said Triton Central head coach Kyle Ballard.

Larry Pierce led University (16-9) with 19 points, two rebounds and two assists. Cain finished with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocked shots.

The Trailblazers shot a very efficient 68% from the field (23 of 34), bolstered by hitting 11 of 12 shots in the second half.

A veteran Triton Central squad took the action to a much more inexperienced University team in the first quarter. Senior Caleb Miller scored nine of his team-high 16 points in the first eight minutes to help the Tigers build a 16-14 lead.

The Trailblazers settled down in the second quarter and started rolling, outscoring the Tigers 13-4 then doing it again in the third quarter, 16-8, to take a double-digit advantage.

“We got a little stagnant on offense,” said Ballard. “We kind of went away from some of the things that were working in the first quarter. And it didn’t help our defense at all. We were playing in transition more.”

After missing his first shot attempt of the second quarter, Pierce never missed again, connecting on his last eight shots.

With a more desperate attitude, Triton Central turned up the pressure on University and its youth started to show. The Trailblazers committed nine fourth-quarter turnovers and the Tigers gained momentum.

“We went to our pressure, they tried to slow it down, that’s not something we’ve done much of,” said Ballard. “We got a few steals and there were a couple of other loose balls where if we get on the floor a half second earlier and it’s our ball instead of theirs. We tried to claw back from a 15-point deficit. All those loose balls make a difference in the end, just one or two can make a difference between a seven-point game and a one-possession game with the ball.”

Two and-one plays from Blair and Isaac Morgan got the lead under double digits for good midway through the quarter.

Andre Ozlowski got a fast-break transition dunk with 3:29 to go to make it 50-41 but Josh Kemper hit a 3-pointer for Triton Central and the lead was down to six with just under three minutes to go.

Pierce answered again with a score in the low post for a 52-44 lead but Miller scored in the lane and was fouled. He converted the free throw to get the lead down to five and the Tigers got a stop that Blair turned into a drive to the basket.

University led 52-49 with 1:39 left but the Tigers never scored again.

Cain, a sophomore that was named Pioneer Academic Athletic Conference Player of the Year, hit two free throws with 1:33 left to all but seal the win.

Miller added four assists and two steals to his 16-point performance in his final game with TC. Kemper had 13 points and four steals (three in the fourth quarter). Blair finished with 10 points and three rebounds.

Eastern Hancock reached the championship game with a 63-47 win over Southmont (19-7) in the first semifinal game Saturday morning.

The Royals (22-5) went on to capture the program’s second regional championship with a 54-47 victory over University Saturday night. They will face Providence (19-6) in the Class 2A southern Indiana semistate championship.

Triton Central finished 13-12 in a season that saw the program win back-to-back sectional championships for the first time since 1997 and 1998.

Six seniors will graduate including Aiden Lindsey, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fifth game of the season. Along with Miller, Kemper, Blair, Alex Crouse and Mason Krebs, a foundation for success has been established for future seasons.

“If you look back, I don’t think it is too dissimilar to what our offseason looked like last year,” said Ballard of the coming months ahead. “We really believe in our offseason development process. The most important thing about these seniors is they bought in from day one when we got there. They have set a great example for the younger guys and I think if you look at where our seniors are now, they were in the same seats as some of our underclassmen were the last couple of weeks here.”

In addition to consecutive sectional titles, Triton Central also produced back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015 when Cary Chandler, TC’s current principal, was head coach.

“I think everyone understands what our expectations are now year to year,” said Ballard. “As much as we hate to turn the page, it will sting for a little bit here, in a couple weeks here we will get back to working with our younger guys.”

University 56, Triton Central 49

TC: Blair 4-11 1-1 10, Crouse 1-3 0-0 3, Miller 7-17 1-1 16, Palmer 1-3 0-0 2, Kemper 6-11 0-0 13, Morgan 2-6 1-1 5, Faust 0-0 0-0 0, Dewey 0-0 0-0 0, Stuckey 0-0 0-0 0, Krebs 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 21-51 3-3 49.

UN: Russell 2-2 2-2 7, Cain 7-11 2-2 17, Ozlowski 2-4 0-0 4, Pierce 9-11 1-2 19, Hogg 1-3 2-2 5, Jeffery 1-2 0-0 2, Bracey 1-1 0-1 2, Gray 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 23-34 7-9 56.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

TC (13-12)  16    4    8  21  --  49

UN (16-9)   14  13  16  13  --  56

Three-point field goals: TC 4-14 (Blair 1-3, Crouse 1-3, Miller 1-5, Palmer 0-2, Kemper 1-1), UN 3-10 (Russell 1-1, Cain 1-5, Ozlowski 0-1, Hogg 1-3). Rebounds: TC 13 (Blair 3, Crouse 2, Miller 2, Palmer 1, Kemper 1, Morgan 3, Faust 1), UN 21 (Russell 5, Cain 4, Ozlowski 1, Pierce 2, Hogg 4, Jeffery 1, Bracey 3, Gray 1). Assists: TC 10 (Blair 1, Crouse 2, Miller 4, Palmer 1, Kemper 1, Morgan 1), UN 13 (Russell 2, Cain 2, Ozlowski 1, Pierce 2, Hogg 1, Jeffery 3, Bracey 2). Steals: TC 8 (Crouse 1, Miller 2, Kemper 4, Morgan 1), UN 3 (Cain 1, Hogg 1, Jeffery 1). Blocks: TC 1 (Blair), UN 6 (Cain 2, Ozlowski 2, Pierce 1, Bracey 1). Total fouls: TC 10, UN 7. Turnovers: TC 9, UN 15.

The sky was the limit for Triton Central senior Aiden Lindsey.

The leading returning scorer for a veteran squad that captured its first sectional title in nine seasons was primed for a breakout year to showcase his skills and get him to the next level.

As a junior, the six-foot, five-inch forward was a proven scorer, rebounder and facilitator with the goal of averaging a double-double as a senior while improving his assists average as well.

Triton Central started the season 4-0, defeating all four Shelby County opponents by an average of 22 points per game.

COVID-19 protocols kicked in for the basketball program and the Tigers arrived at Greenfield-Central on Dec. 8 with two starters out and two more varsity players unavailable. Lindsey was on the floor, though, just not for very long.

On a fast-break opportunity, Lindsey jump stopped to prepare to shoot and his left knee gave away.

“I got the ball maybe off a steal. I had the ball up toward the 3-point line,” he explained. “It was a fast break and it was me and a kid. I drove in and jump stopped right about the volleyball line and right when I jump stopped and went back up my knee gave out and I felt a pop.”

Lindsey had been dealing with a cranky knee throughout the summer and figured it was something similar.

“The pain didn’t go away,” he lamented.

Lindsey never returned to the court this season. He partially tore the medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in the knee, slightly tore the meniscus, tore his anterior cruciate ligament and fractured a bone in his knee when the bones collided.

“I had my hopes up when I went to the doctor initially because they didn’t think it was the ACL,” said Lindsey. “I kept thinking it will be fine … it will be fine.”

Triton Central went into a tailspin as it tried to get healthy from COVID-19 and playing without Lindsey, who was averaging 15 ppg. The Tigers lost four straight going into the Shelby County Tournament where it was the defending champion.

Triton Central could not repeat, falling to Waldron in the championship game. Three straight wins followed including a 49-33 victory at Milan on Jan. 15, the day Lindsey had surgery to repair his knee.

Lindsey quickly returned to the bench to assist in any way possible.

“He is such a good teammate throughout this whole process,” said Triton Central head coach Kyle Ballard. “He is such a good leader. The kids have so much respect for him and his voice. He brings another set of eyes and if he wants to coach, he will be a great coach.”

The Tigers stayed competitive in the Indiana Crossroads Conference standings until late-season losses to Ritter and Beech Grove dashed any hope of winning an ICC title. The team closed the season with four losses in its last six games.

All the while, the team was learning.

Triton Central surprised North Decatur, 62-57, Friday night to return to the sectional championship. Starting point guard Alex Crouse did not travel with the team due to illness but junior Jameson Palmer, averaging less than 4 ppg, stepped up and scored 15 points in the win.

In the championship game against South Ripley Saturday, the Tigers fell behind early to a hot-shooting squad but never wavered. A 10-0 run gave TC the lead in the fourth quarter and its experience took over down the stretch to produce a 40-35 victory.

“I really just think it was learning to play together more,” said Lindsey of his team’s struggles this season. “This summer, our offense was more like a lot of people trying to do their own thing. And it starts on defense. Our defense was the best it’s looked all year in that last game.

“That translates to a win. I think it’s just learning to play together is how we got back to the regional.”

TC regional preview at https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/623936

That sectional title meant a return trip to Greenfield-Central where the Tigers lost to Parke Heritage in the 2021 regional semifinal round and the site of Lindsey’s season-ending knee injury.

Triton Central and Lindsey traveled to Greenfield Tuesday for a team practice.

“It was weird because it seems like only bad stuff happens there,” said Lindsey. “We lost the regional there. And the knee, obviously. It was good going back there for a good reason. Hopefully, we will have more good memories there.”

Lindsey is in the toughest portion of the rehabilitation process now two months removed from surgery. He is walking normally and feels great.

“It feels like a normal leg at this point,” he said. “It feels normal. Obviously, this stage of the recovery is terrible because I feel like I can do everything. It’s also the most important part of the recovery because you have to get stronger.”

There is a larger goal ahead. Lindsey wants to fuel his competitive fire playing at the collegiate level. The options would have been plentiful with a strong senior season. Now, he only has four game films as a senior to entice college coaches.

“Coach Ballard has reached out to a lot of schools,” said Lindsey. “And it’s hard with just four games of film but he said there is a lot of good stuff in that and stuff from last year which will help a little bit I guess.”

Lindsey is entertaining the idea of going the junior college route to get immediate playing time.

“We will see who takes a chance on him,” said Ballard. “A couple of schools have some interest.”

Lindsey is considering a Political Science major with law school possibly in his future. There is always coaching as well since the injury has forced him to see the game from a different perspective.

“It’s so fun being around the sport. I don’t think I cannot be around it,” he said.

On Saturday, Lindsey will be where he has been much of the season, in a coaching role trying to help his teammates succeed.

“I am learning my teammates more. I am learning their mindsets more,” he said. “I am thinking how can I help the team? How can I produce points? How can I produce help on defense?

“Now I am learning what is going through my teammates’ heads because I talk to them like a coach.”

A coach the Tigers value input from because they know how much he wants to be on the court, in uniform, helping them out.

A real sense of accomplishment washed over Triton Central head coach Kyle Ballard as he watched the game tape from Saturday night’s 40-35 win in the championship game of the South Ripley Sectional.

Ballard’s veteran squad made smart decision after smart decision over the final eight minutes to collect the program’s eighth sectional championship and secure back-to-back sectional titles for just the second time in program history – the last time coming in 1997 and 1998.

“Our goal always for us on the court is to compete for championships. We want to be there and have a chance,” said Ballard. “This is the first time we’ve won back-to-back (sectionals) since a few years before these players were born. The players have bought in. The parents have bought in. The last two years have been unbelievable. I’m happy for the kids. I’m happy for the seniors but the kids are hungry for more.”

For the second straight season, Triton Central will compete in the Greenfield-Central Regional. At 10 a.m. Saturday, Southmont (19-6) will face Class 2A, No. 9 Eastern Hancock (20-5). Triton Central (13-11) will take the floor at noon against University (15-9) in the second semifinal contest.

The championship game is slated for 8 p.m. Saturday.

Ballard sees familiarity in University.

“They are comparable to a couple of teams in our conference,” he said. “They remind me of Lutheran in the way that they play. The way they are built.”

The Trailblazers (photo), in their first regional since 2018, are led by sophomore guard Sabien Cain (16 ppg, 2.6 apg, 1.9 spg) and senior forward Larry Pierce (13 ppg, 4.8 rpg) – both Pioneer Academic Athletic Conference First Team selections. Cain was named PAAC Player of the Year.

“They do a really good job spacing the floor and getting to the basket,” said Ballard. “It is not a new experience (for us) playing a team like that. This is where our (Indiana Crossroads Conference) games help us with games like this.”

Ballard talked of a honeymoon experience his team felt after winning a sectional title in 2021 for the first time in nine seasons. The Tigers ended up losing to Parke Heritage, 47-30, in the regional semifinal round. For a team that will rely heavily on five seniors and three juniors to lead the way, Ballard sees a different mindset in place.

“All of them understand there is another job to do this week,” he said. “The second one feels a little bit different. It feels like something we’ve done before. It doesn’t seem different.”

That experience and roster versatility is carrying Triton Central through the postseason. Eight different Tigers have scored at least 15 points in a game this season. Five are averaging between 5-11 points per game.

“They are a really well-coached team. They are really disciplined. It only took me watching about a quarter to learn that,” said University head coach Brandon Lafferman. “As I was watching them more, they play together. They play as a unit. They don’t have anybody that is selfish. They understand how to defend as a team and they definitely understand how to score as a team.”

While the two programs have not met on the hardwood before, there are crossover Indiana Crossroads Conference opponents on their schedule. University defeated Scecina, 77-55, on Dec. 10 and lost to Ritter, 56-51, on Jan. 15. Triton Central also defeated Scecina (65-47) and lost to Ritter (56-44).

The other common opponent is Heritage Christian. The Tigers lost 64-42 on Dec. 30 while the Trailblazers won 50-48 on Feb. 5 and 67-57 in Saturday night’s sectional championship game.

“Being able to watch them play some teams that we also played definitely helps you understand who they are and what their capabilities are,” said Lafferman, who led University to a Class A regional appearance in 2018 where it lost to Morristown, 55-53.

Lafferman agrees his team is young, comprised of mostly sophomores and juniors with almost no postseason experience.

“We are young, and not just young but we have very little experience of guys that have played in the postseason,” he said. “Last year, we got knocked out by Heritage Christian in the first game of the sectional so none of them have played in Friday or Saturday sectional games (until this year).

“But I think young teams also can push through these moments and not even realize how big they are. I think we had a little of that Saturday night because we went out in that sectional final and played one of our best games of the year.”

Triton Central will return to Greenfield-Central Saturday morning with nearly its full roster in good health. Sophomore guard Levi Dewey is clearing concussion protocol and is expected to be available.

Starting point guard Alex Crouse did not play Friday in the semifinal win over North Decatur because of illness and was not yet 100% Saturday night but still contributed six points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal in the win over South Ripley.

“Our preparation this week, the seniors have been here before,” said Ballard. “They are pretty excited to still be playing and they haven’t forgotten what it felt like going out last year.”

Eastern Hancock vs. Southmont

Eastern Hancock is making its first regional appearance since 2008 led by senior Landon O’Neal (16.5 ppg) and the twin sons of head coach Aaron Spaulding.

Six different Royals have made at least 23 three-pointers this season. Neal shoots 44.7% from the arc with a team-high 71 made 3s.

Juniors Jacob and Silas Spaulding follow at 34.7% and 34.2%, respectively.

No player on the roster is listed taller than 6-3. The leading rebounders are Cole Rainbolt (4.6 rpg), Cyrus Burton (4.3 rpg) and Edric Miller (4.1 rpg).

Southmont defeated Parke Heritage Saturday night, 65-48, to secure the program’s second sectional title and first since 1994.

The Mounties are led by 6-6 senior Avery Saunders (19.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.5 apg) and 6-2 senior Logan Oppy (12.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg).

2A Around the State

At the Southridge Regional, Forest Park (14-10) takes on Paoli (16-9) and Providence (17-6) faces No. 5 Linton-Stockton (22-4).

At North Judson-San Pierre, No. 4 Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (22-4) takes on North Judson-San Pierre (21-5) and Hammond Bishop Noll (11-12) will try to upset No. 3 Central Noble (25-2).

And at Lapel, Tipton (17-6) opens against No. 1 Monroe Central (24-0) while Rensselaer Central (12-12) takes on No. 6 Carroll (Flora) (22-1).

Semistate sites in the south are Washington and Seymour. North host sites will be Lafayette Jefferson and Elkhart.

Damon Lux continues to have a breakout season as the starting centerfielder for Duke University’s baseball team.

The Shelbyville graduate went 2-for-4 at the plate Wednesday with a stolen base in Duke’s 5-4 win over the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Lux has started all 13 games for the Blue Devils, who are 8-5 this season.

Lux went 1-for-5 in Tuesday’s 9-4 win over UMass Lowell.

The Blue Devils finished 2-1 over the weekend in a series with Bucknell.

On Friday, Duke pounded Bucknell, 17-1. Lux went 0-for-3 with a stolen base and a run batted in. He also was hit by a pitch in all three games of the series.

Bucknell rebounded to defeat Duke, 8-6, on Saturday in Durham, North Carolina. Lux went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run that tied the game at 6-all in the fourth inning.

On Sunday, Duke again routed Bucknell, 18-1. Lux went 1-for 3 with a walk and a solo home run. It was the first time in his collegiate career to hit a home run in back-to-back games.

Here is a look at other Shelby County graduates competing at the collegiate level.

Cory Taylor

The Shelbyville graduate went 2-for-5 Saturday with a solo home run for Eastern Michigan in a 15-14 loss at Morehead State.

Taylor opened the three-game series Friday with a 2-for-5 performance in Eastern Michigan’s 6-4 win. It was the first multi-hit game of his collegiate career.

In the series finale Saturday afternoon, Morehead State swept the doubleheader with a 5-4 win. Taylor went 0-for-4.

Benny Thompson

The Shelbyville graduate pitched a scoreless ninth inning Sunday for Anderson University in a 6-2 win over St. Norbert at Championship Park in Kokomo, Indiana.

The Ravens swept St. Norbert in a three-game series with 11-4 and 20-11 wins in the first two meetings.

Zaleeya Martin

The Shelbyville graduate lowered the Hanover track and field 60-meter dash record to 7.82 seconds Saturday at the NCAA Final Qualifier at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio.

Martin was the top seed going into the championship race but finished third with a time of 7.85.

She also placed third in the 200 meters with a time of 27.13.

Jill Anspaugh

The Shelbyville graduate finished eighth in the one-mile run for Franklin College Saturday at the NCAA Final Qualifier in Ada, Ohio.

Anspaugh posted a time of 5:59.33.

Elizabeth Kemper

The Triton Central graduate finished tied for 13^th place at the Showdown at Legends golf tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Kemper and the 12^th-ranked Taylor women’s golf team finished seventh in the first tournament of the 2022 season. The sophomore posted rounds of 81, 78 and 80 at the Legends Resort – Parkland for a three-round score of 239.

Maya Chandler

The Triton Central graduate closed out the regular season schedule Saturday with 15 points and three rebounds in Loyola’s 60-42 win over Missouri State.

The Ramblers finished 18-11 overall and 10-8 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The 18 wins is the most for the program since a 21-win season in 1989.

The win also earned Loyola the fifth seed and a bye in the MVC Championship tournament. Loyola will face No. 4 seed Illinois State Friday at 3:30 p.m. (EST) at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois.

Rylie Stephens

The Triton Central graduate had two points, two rebounds and one blocked shot Saturday in Evansville’s 83-56 loss to Northern Iowa.

The Purple Aces closed out the regular season at 8-21 (2-16 MVC) and will be the No. 9 seed in the MVC Championship tournament.

Evansville will face No. 8 seed Indiana State today at 5 p.m. in Moline, Illinois.

TeAnn Bringle

The Shelbyville graduate went 1-for-3 Sunday in Indiana State’s 4-3 loss at the University of Memphis to close out the Blues City Classic.

The Sycamores finished 2-3 in the invitational and are 10-8 this season.

Indiana State opened the event with a 3-2 win over IUPUI and 6-1 loss to Iowa. On day two, the Sycamores defeated Butler, 7-1, and lost to the University of Tennessee Martin, 10-4.

Erica Henry

The Shelbyville graduate pitched 3.2 innings Monday for Olney Central College in a 9-8 win over Bryant & Stratton in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Henry allowed five hits, walked two, struck out three and gave up three runs (two earned) to help OCC stay unbeaten on its trip.

Olney defeated Rochester University, 9-1, and Hagerstown Community College, 8-0, Wednesday to close out its spring break road swing a perfect 9-0 to improve to 12-5 this season.

Addisenn Weaver

The Shelbyville graduate went 2-for-3 with a double and run batted in Saturday for Valparaiso in a 10-1 win over Western Illinois at the Hoosier Classic in Bloomington, Indiana.

On Friday, Weaver went 1-for-4 in the Beacons’ 2-1 win over Western Illinois. Weaver finished 0-for-1 against Indiana University later that day in a 9-4 loss.

Valparaiso closed out the classic Saturday with a 9-0 loss to IU. Weaver went 0-for-2 in the loss and the Beacons dropped to 7-6 overall.

Katie Mathies

The Shelbyville graduate went 0-for-1 Sunday in DePauw’s 2-1 win over Piedmont in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia.

On Saturday, Mathies played second base for DePauw and scored a run in a 13-9 win over Texas Lutheran.

DePauw went 3-3 at the classic and is 5-5 this season.

Shelbyville High School’s baseball program will conduct a Youth Baseball Skills Clinic Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the high school.

The clinic will cover fielding, hitting, pitching, throwing and base running with every participant leaving with measured individual results using Rapsodo/Blast reports that identify such factors as launch angle, distance, exit velocity, pitch speed, spin rate and pitch break.

The camp is designed for baseball players in grades 3-8. The cost of the clinic is $20.

The clinic will be directed by Shelbyville High School varsity baseball coach Royce Carlton.

Participants should enter the high school through Gate 4.

For more information, contact Carlton at racarlton@shelbycs.org.

Triton Central High School’s Lady Tiger Basketball Camp has opened registration for the 2022 sessions.

The camp environment offers girls the opportunity to learn and improve on the fundamentals of basketball.

Each camper will receive a T-shirt and a basketball for participating.

There will be two separate camps based on age group.

The first camp for girls in kindergarten and grades 1-4 runs from May 2 through May 5 after school until 5 p.m. at TC’s Fieldhouse.

Deadline to register is April 27. Camp registration fee is $35.

A second camp for girls in grades 5-8 runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m. beginning June 13 and ending June 16.

Camp registration also is $35 with a deadline date to sign up of May 25.

Bryan Graham, Triton Central athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach, will serve as camp director.

For more information, contact Graham at 317-410-1206 or email him at bgraham@nwshelbyschools.org.

One year older and one year wiser equaled back-to-back sectional championships for Triton Central.

A veteran Triton Central squad, hampered all season by injuries and illness, produced a poised second half Saturday night to defeat South Ripley on its home floor, 40-35. The Tigers, now 13-11, will face University (15-9) in the second semifinal game at the Class 2A Greenfield-Central Regional on March 12.

After starting the season 4-0, Aiden Lindsey, TC's leading returning scorer, suffered a season-ending knee injury at Greenfield-Central. Then COVID-19 protocols affected a large portion of the varsity roster. The Tigers went 1-6 as they tried to figure out how to play with Lindsey.

"One of the biggest lessons you learn in sports is how to fight through adversity," said Triton Central head coach Kyle Ballard. "When Aiden went out, that was obviously a big hit for us. It really took our kids about a month to adjust to the idea of him not being out there. That happens when you lose an important player like that.

"Our message has always been it's not just one guy, it's our team. Our team has to be better than the other guys. Like Jameson (Palmer) last night in the semifinal, he was our eighth player to score 15 or more points in a game this season. I've never been a part of a team that has had that kind of depth."

On Saturday night with Lindsey on the bench in the recovery phase from ACL surgery and sophomore guard Levi Dewey still recovering from a concussion, the Tigers did not have a single player score in double digits.

Instead, five guys scored between 6-8 points. Caleb Miller, who was named Sectional 44 Most Valuable Player, scored eight points and grabbed two rebounds. Palmer and Josh Kemper also had eight points apiece and combined for seven rebounds. Josiah Blair and Alex Crouse, who missed Friday's semifinal win over North Decatur due to illness, had six points each.

"I had a fever and was throwing up all day. It was rough," said Crouse, who was not in the starting lineup Saturday but contributed a three-pointer that cut South Ripley's lead to 27-25 after three quarters and was a steadying influence for his team in the fourth quarter. "I was glad I was able to get out here tonight."

South Ripley head coach Tyler Thiesing, a former assistant coach at Shelbyville, started three seniors and two freshmen against Triton Central. Once that lineup settled in and started hitting 3s (5 of 10 in first half), the Raiders built a 17-7 lead. 

Triton Central steadied, though, and scored the final seven points of the first half to cut the lead to 17-14 by halftime.

Blake Volz added two more threes in the third quarter and Zach Gentile buried a 17 footer to make all eight of the Raiders' field goals coming from 17 feet or beyond.

"We knew it would be a defensive game coming in and someone was going to have to make a couple more shots," said Ballard. "We were able to get to the free-throw line, first into the bonus and that helps you close out games ... if you hit them. And we hit them and the kids were able to string together stops. I thought our kids executed on that end as well as we have all year."

Crouse's 3 near the end of the third quarter sparked a 10-0 run for Triton Central that carried past the midway point of the fourth quarter. For the first time in the game, South Ripley trailed, 32-27, and now there was pressure to hit shots.

The Raiders missed all five 3-point attempts over the final eight minutes and Triton Central connected on 11-of-18 free-throw attempts to seal the win.

"You watch our bench during a game it is so obvious how much our kids care about winning and care about each other and they play for each other," said Ballard. "Those are the things you try to teach and preach and these are the moments you hope it comes out on the right side."

Gentile led South Ripley with 13 points and five assists. Volz finished with eight points and South Ripley's starting five accounted for all 35 points on 12 of 35 shooting (7 of 19 3s).

Triton Central shot 10-of-25 from the field (5 of 11 3s) and made 15 of 26 free throws.

"This means a lot. Our boys basketball team went a long time without winning a sectional so to go back-to-back years is really awesome," said Crouse.

Greenfield-Central Regional

University defeated Covenant Christian in overtime and Heritage Christian in the championship to earn a regional spot against Triton Central at noon on March 12. The two teams did not meet this season.

In the first semifinal Saturday morning, Class 2A, No. 9 Eastern Hancock (20-5) and Southmont (19-6), who defeated Parke Heritage in the sectional championship game, will battle for a regional championship game appearance. Parke Heritage defeated Triton Central in the 2021 regional and advanced to the state championship game before falling to Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian.

Triton Central's only regional championship came in 1989.

Triton Central 40, South Ripley 35

TC: Blair 2-7 0-0 6, Miller 2-3 3-6 8, Morgan 0-3 2-4 2, Palmer 2-3 3-6 8, Kemper 1-4 6-6 8, Crouse 2-4 1-2 6, Stuckey 0-0 0-0 0, Faust 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 10-25 15-26 40.

SR: Schwarte 2-7 0-0 5, Gentile 4-9 4-4 13, Ward 2-8 0-0 6, Volz 3-9 0-0 8, Henry 1-2 0-0 3, Patrick 0-0 0-1 0, Bradley 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 12-35 4-5 35.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

TC (13-11)    6  8  11  15  --  40

SR (13-11)    9  8  10    8  --  35

Three-point field goals: TC 5-11 (Blair 2-3, Miller 1-1, Morgan 0-1, Palmer 1-2, Kemper 0-1, Crouse 1-3), SR 7-19 (Schwarte 1-4, Gentile 1-3, Ward 2-6, Volz 2-5, Henry 1-1). Rebounds: TC 16 (Blair 3, Miller 2, Morgan 1, Palmer 3, Kemper 4, Crouse 2, Stuckey 1), SR 15 (Schwarte 7, Gentile 2, Ward 2, Volz 2, Henry 2). Assists: TC 6 (Miller 1, Palmer 1, Kemper 2, Crouse 1, Stuckey 1), SR 8 (Schwarte 2, Gentile 5, Volz 1). Steals: TC 4 (Blair 1, Kemper 2, Crouse 1), SR 3 (Ward 1, Volz 2). Blocks: SR 1 (Henry 1). Total fouls: TC 11, SR 16. Turnovers: TC 11, SR 13.

Shelbyville High School gymnast Kaliyah Brown missed qualifying for the state championship vaulting finals by .05 Friday night at the Franklin Central Regional.

Brown, who finished runner-up at the Connersville Sectional in the vault, scored 9.15 Friday in the regional and finished seventh. The top six finishers in each event advanced to the state finals.

Franklin Central’s Austyn Dykes won the vault event with a score of 9.575. Also advancing to the state championship meet were Columbus North’s Reese Euler (9.4) and Emily Moore (9.35), Richmond’s Elizabeth Ruger (9.35), Martinsville’s Gabrielle Grubb (9.225) and Bloomington North’s Hope Taylor (9.2).

Brown competed in all four events at the regional and placed 12^th in the all-around scoring.

The sophomore finished 21^st on the uneven bars (7.9) and 22^nd in the floor exercise (8.525) and on the balance beam (8.225).

Brown’s all-around score was 33.8.

Dykes won the uneven bars event with a score of 9.6 and was the all-around champion at the regional with a 38.5.

Moore took first place in the floor exercise (9.725) and on balance beam (9.775). She was the runner-up in the all-around with a 38.45.

The top three teams also advance to the state finals. No. 10 Columbus North captured the regional title with 110.2 points. No. 5 Bloomington North was runner-up at 107.225 while No. 7 Richmond finished third at 106.7.

The IHSAA Gymnastics State Meet is March 12 at Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie.

Playing with a depleted backcourt Triton Central still managed to build a double-digit lead and then staved off a North Decatur rally Friday to advance to the South Ripley sectional championship game, 62-57.

Triton Central’s victory in the sectional semifinal came despite missing the services of starting point guard Alex Crouse (illness) and backup sophomore guard Levi Dewey (concussion protocol).  (Crouse's availability for Saturday's championship is unknown as of this posting)

The Tigers built a double-digit lead and sustained it during most of the middle quarters.  After a 9-9 first quarter, Triton Central took a halftime lead to the locker room, 29-18.  Triton Central still led by 11 after three quarters, 45-34.

A big catalyst for the Tigers was the offensive play of a junior getting his first varsity start.  Jameson Palmer averages 2.4 points / game.  He scored 15 against North Decatur to tie teammate Caleb Miller for team-high scoring honors.

Triton Central head coach Kyle Ballard.

Triton Central (12-11) had two other players in double-figures.  Josiah Blair scored 13 points, 11 in the second half.  Josh Kemper added 11.  Six of those came in the final quarter.

The Tigers suffered without Crouse and Dewey while trying to get through the final minutes.  Triton Central was plagued by ball handling miscues, dangerous passes and turnovers that turned into North Decatur points.  A Kaden Muckerheide driving layup and free throw for a three-point play brought the Chargers back to within three late in the fourth before the Tigers managed to run out the clock.

Free throw shooting cost the Tigers a few times this season.  Triton Central was 7-for-22 in a county championship loss to Waldron.  Even in the regular season overtime loss at North Decatur on December 18, the Tigers missed the front end of a one-and-bonus that was followed by a North Decatur offensive rebound and putback with a foul that forced the overtime session.

But that wasn’t the case in the sectional semifinal.  Triton Central shot 6-for-8 in the final period and 15-for-20 at the free throw line for the game.

North Decatur (13-11) was led in scoring by shooting guard Blake Spears 20 points.  15 came in the second half.  6’5” junior Lance Nobbe scored 17.

Up next for Triton Central, the host South Ripley Raiders (13-10).  South Ripley defeated South Decatur in Friday’s first semifinal, 61-44.

Coach Ballard says he sees a lot of similarities.

GIANT fm Sports will have live coverage of tonight's Triton Central - South Ripley sectional championship game beginning at 7:00 pm.  It is a 7:30 pm tip-off in Versailles.

Waldron tried to slow the pace and stay efficient while attacking Class A, No. 10 Jac-Cen-Del Friday night in the first semifinal game of Sectional 60 at Southwestern High School.

Missed opportunities led to quick transition points for an experienced Eagles squad that slowly pulled away and defeated the Mohawks, 74-60.

Four players scored in double digits  to propel the Eagles to their first sectional championship game appearance in six years.

Wyatt Day led the way with 20 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Caleb Simon finished with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists while Matt Dickman and Devin Grieshop added 13 and 12, respectively.

Jac-Cen-Del’s depth and experience, four seniors were in the starting lineup Friday, was too much for Waldron to overcome.

“It is a tough matchup for sure,” said Waldron head coach Beau Scott, who led the program to its first winning season in seven years. “I don’t think we executed defensively nearly as well as we wanted. In transition, they did a really good job and Day is so tough to guard because it seems like he makes the right decision every play and that’s hard to guard.”

Jac-Cen-Del (19-5) will face Hauser (11-13) in the sectional championship game tonight at Southwestern. The Jets defeated Oldenburg Academy, 61-28, in the second semifinal contest Friday.

Waldron (12-11) took an early 4-3 lead on close-range scores from Lucas Mitchell and Bryce Yarling but the Eagles used a 7-0 run to get a 10-4 lead it never relinquished.

Mitchell and Yarling, both juniors, scored all 13 first-quarter points for Waldron while five different Jac-Cen-Del players scored to build a 20-13 lead at the break.

That balanced scoring was something Waldron could not match.

An 8-0 run to start the second quarter extended the Eagles’ lead to 28-13 before Yarling hit his first three-pointer of the game. A 6-2 run by Waldron to close out the first half cut the lead to 34-24.

Mitchell opened the third-quarter scoring with a 3 from the top of the key to make it 34-27 but Jac-Cen-Del went on a 10-0 run to deny the Mohawks any momentum.

“We wanted to try and control the pace and slow it down a little because we know they like to run,” said Scott. “At times, that looked OK but we missed a couple ones we normally get and it seemed like they were already back on the other end scoring.”

The Eagles’ lead doubled to 20 points after three quarters and Waldron never threatened again.

Mitchell finished with a game-high 26 points and added seven rebounds and three assists.

Yarling scored nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to push his career scoring total to 991 points.

Bryant Becker, one of Waldron’s two seniors, had seven points, five rebounds and four assists in his final game.

Fellow senior Caden Sheaffer had two points, one rebound and one assist before injuring his right knee in the fourth quarter and missing the rest of the game.

Waldron shot 43% from the field in the loss and was 8 of 20 from the 3-point line but Jac-Cen-Del was better at 59% from the field and 46% from the arc.

The Mohawks return a pair of dynamic scorers in Mitchell and Yarling but must build depth around them to become a sectional threat in 2023. There are plenty of players to develop as a large freshman class arrived this year and allowed Scott to have a varsity, junior varsity and freshmen team this season.

“We have a long offseason,” said Scott. “I think we will have plenty of options beside (Mitchell and Yarling) next year. Those two are good at sharing the ball and trusting their teammates. We trust all of our guys to shoot and make plays.

“Our young guys, our freshmen, we are really excited about them. It seems like each one has one thing that they are really good at. We are trying to harness that and develop that and gain confidence with these guys. That comes from spending hours in the gym.”

Jac-Cen-Del 74, Waldron 60

WA: Mitchell 9-16 5-6 26, Yarling 7-17 1-4 17, Shaw 0-3 0-0 0, Sheaffer 1-4 0-0 2, Becker 3-9 0-0 7, Lindsey 2-4 0-0 6, S. Jones 1-1 0-0 2, Bennett 0-0 0-0 0, Adkins 0-0 0-0 0, Kellems 0-0 0-0 0, Douglas 0-0 0-0 0, M. Jones 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 23-54 6-11 60.

JCD: Day 9-14 1-2 20, Wilson 1-5 0-0 2, Hoffman 1-2 0-1 2, Swinney 3-8 0-0 8, Simon 7-8 1-2 17, Grieshop 4-7 4-4 12, Dickman 4-5 4-7 13, Groth 0-0 0-0 0, White 0-0 0-0 0, Hodgen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 29-49 10-16 74.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

WA (12-11)   13  11  14  22  --  60

JCD (19-5)     20  14  24  16  --  74

Three-point field goals: WA 8-20 (Mitchell 3-6, Yarling 2-4, Sheaffer 0-1, Becker 1-5, Lindsey 2-4); JCD 6-13 (Day 1-2, Wilson 0-1, Swinney 2-5, Simon 2-3, Grieshop 0-1, Dickman 1-1). Rebounds: WA 21 (Mitchell 7, Yarling 3, Shaw 3, Sheaffer 1, Becker 5, Lindsey 1, Jones 1); JCD 23 (Day 4, Wilson 2, Hoffman 2, Swinney 2, Simon 6, Dickman 6, Hodgen 1). Assists: WA 10 (Mitchell 3, Yarling 1, Sheaffer 1, Becker 4, Bennett 1); JCD 12 (Day 3, Simon 6, Grieshop 3). Steals: WA 2 (Becker 1, Lindsey 1); JCD 7 (Day 3, Grieshop 3, Dickman 1). Blocks: WA 1 (Mitchell); JCD 3 (Day 1, Swinney 1, Dickman 1). Total fouls: WA 10, JCD 11. Turnovers: WA 10, JCD 7.

Morristown and Southwestern bowed out of Class A, Sectional 60 Wednesday night at Southwestern to bring an end to their seasons.

Hauser led Morristown 29-16 at halftime, surrendered the lead in the third quarter when it failed to hit a field goal but recovered with a 23-point fourth quarter to eliminate the Yellow Jackets, 56-45.

Bryce Bates, Eli Miller and Ledger Gelfius combined for 17 points over the final eight minutes to stave off Morristown (3-18). Bates finished with a team-high 14 points while Gelfius had 13 and Miller added 12 to improve the Jets to 10-13 this season.

Nolan Laster had two field goals and five made free throws in the first half to score nine of Morristown’s 16 points. The junior hit five field goals in the third quarter and scored 14 points then added nine more in the fourth to close with a game-high 32 points.

Nick Stidham had nine points and Cade Mahin and Chase Theobald each had two in the loss.

With the win, Hauser advanced to tonight’s semifinal round to face Oldenburg Academy.

The Twisters reached the semifinals with a 56-46 win over Southwestern Wednesday.

The host Spartans struggled to record a field goal early and fell behind 20-3 after one quarter.

The Twisters (6-15) only scored seven points in the second quarter but extended the lead to 27-8.

Jordan Jones and Aiden Hartsell each connected on a pair of three-pointers in the third quarter to start the comeback but Oldenburg Academy hit 9-of-10 free throws over the final eight minutes to seal the win.

Nick Folop finished with a team-high 18 points for the Twisters. Frank Moorman had 10. Nathan Schuman and Abe Streator each scored nine and C.J. Grote had eight.

Hartsell scored 16 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter of his final game as a Spartan. Jones, also a senior, had 12 points.

The Spartans finished the season 9-13.

SEMIFINALS

Oldenburg Academy defeated Hauser, 64-57, on Feb. 15. A second-straight win over the Jets would return the Twisters to the sectional championship game for the first time since 2020.

Hauser is seeking its first sectional championship game appearance since 2019.

Waldron finally makes its postseason debut after receiving a bye into the semifinal round. The Mohawks (12-10) face No. 10 Jac-Cen-Del (18-5), who defeated Rising Sun, 62-48, on Tuesday at the Southwestern Sectional.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The Eagles defeated Waldron, 90-64, on Jan. 15 – just seven days after the Mohawks won the Shelby County Tournament. Five Eagles scored in double digits that night led by Caleb Simon’s 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Wyatt Day finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Bryce Yarling and Lucas Mitchell combined for 48 points in the loss. Mitchell also had nine rebounds and seven assists.

Waldron has secured its first winning season since 2015 and has not won a sectional title since 2009.

Jac-Cen-Del last won a sectional title in 2015.

The Indiana High School Athletic Association will use enrollment totals for member schools to reclassify sectional assignments.

The enrollment figures, the total of boys and girls in grades 9-12, were submitted by the schools to the Indiana Department of Education and will be utilized to determine the classifications in the sports of baseball, boys and girls basketball, football, boys and girls soccer, softball and volleyball for the next two years.

Sectional assignments will be announced in the spring following committee meetings made up of school administrators from around the state. Their final recommendations will be presented to the IHSAA Executive Committee for approval on May 3, 2022.

The top five schools in terms of total enrollment are Carmel (5,327 students), Ben Davis (4,557), Warren Central (3,868), North Central (3,709) and Fishers (3,611).

The bottom five IHSAA-member schools by enrollment are Lighthouse Christian Academy (62), Indiana School For The Blind (55), Medora (51), Central Christian Academy (48) and Smith Academy of Excellence (40).

Shelbyville is the 88^th largest at 1,133 students (244 seniors, 285 juniors, 289 sophomores and 315 freshmen). In the two-year cycles started in 2015-16, Shelbyville has been ranked 93^rd, 91^st, 87^th and now 88^th.

The three schools above Shelbyville are Indianapolis Crispus Attucks (1,143), New Palestine (1,167) and Jennings County (1,181). The three schools below Shelbyville are Columbia City (1,127), East Chicago Central (1,109) and Roncalli (1,080).

Triton Central is ranked as the 218^th largest school system with 462 students (116 seniors, 111 juniors, 106 sophomores and 129 freshmen). The ranking is the highest for the school system in the last four cycles after being 229^th in 2015-16, 224^th in 2017-18 and 220^th in 2019-20.

Above Triton Central are Sullivan (472), Wabash (471) and Bluffton (471); below TC are Providence (460), Eastern (Greentown) (456) and Lighthouse Charter School (455).

Shelby County’s three smallest schools fall between 364th and 374th in the most recent cycle.

Morristown is 364^th with 189 students (59 seniors, 50 juniors, 37 sophomores and 43 freshmen). The school system is climbing the enrollment list based off being ranked 375^th in 2015-16, 372^nd in 2017-18 and 368^th in 2021-22.

Above Morristown are Argos (192), Blue River Valley (191) and Faith Christian (190); below Morristown are Evansville Christian School (185), Rock Creek Academy (176) and Southwestern (Shelby) (176).

Southwestern of Shelby County is 376^th, just as it was in 2016-16. The school system reported 176 students this cycle (37 seniors, 49 juniors, 45 sophomores and 45 freshmen).

Southwestern has been ranked 367^th (2015-16), 360^th (2017-18) and 372^nd (2019-20) before this cycle.

Above Southwestern are Morristown (189), Evansville Christian (185) and Rock Creek Academy (176) while below Southwestern are New Washington (174), Greenwood Christian Academy (170) and Attica (170).

With 161 students, Waldron is ranked 374^th overall. The school system reported 32 seniors, 37 juniors, 47 sophomores and 45 freshmen.

Over the last four enrollment cycles, Waldron has been ranked 368^th (2015-16), 382^nd (2017-18), 381^st (2019-20) and now 374^th.

Above Waldron are Christian Academy of Indiana (169), Elkhart Christian Academy (168) and Shakamak (167); below Waldron are Randolph Southern (159), Bethany Christian (155) and Lakewood Park Christian (154).

The Indiana High School Athletic Association set the sectional host sites for the spring sports of baseball, softball, girls tennis and boys golf at its Executive Committee meeting Feb. 18.

Bloomington North will host the six-team Class 4A baseball sectional. Shelbyville, Bloomington South, Columbus East, Columbus North and East Central will compete at the home of the Cougars.

In Class 2A, Triton Central will travel to Scecina for a five-team sectional that also features Eastern Hancock, Heritage Christian, and Knightstown.

Morristown will again host the Class A sectional that includes Edinburgh, Greenwood Christian Academy, Lutheran, Morristown, Southwestern and Waldron.

Regional sites for those three sectionals will be Jasper (4A), Park Tudor (2A) and Morristown (A).

Bloomington North also will be the host site for a 4A softball sectional in 2022. Shelbyville captured its first softball sectional title at Bloomington North in 2017.

Eastern Hancock is the host site for a 2A sectional featuring Heritage Christian, Scecina, Knightstown and Triton Central.

Lutheran will host the Class A sectional that includes Edinburgh, Greenwood Christian, Morristown and Waldron.

The sectional champions at Bloomington North and Eastern Hancock will host a one-game regional. The Lutheran Sectional champion will travel to the Rising Sun Sectional champion.

Shelbyville High School is the host site for an all-Shelby County girls tennis sectional tournament.

Morristown, Southwestern, Triton Central, Waldron and the host Golden Bears will compete for a berth in the Center Grove Regional.

Hawk’s Tail of Greenfield is the host course for the Greenfield-Central Sectional that features Shelby County’s boys golf programs.

Traveling to Hawk’s Tail will be Blue River Valley, Eastern Hancock, Greenfield-Central, Knightstown, Morristown, Mt. Vernon, New Castle, New Palestine, Shelbyville, Shenandoah, Southwestern, Triton Central and Waldron.

The regional tournament will be at The Players Club in Muncie.

In other notes from the committee meeting:

• There were 2,728 transfers granted full eligibility from June 1, 2021 to Feb. 10, 2022. That number represented 92.98% of the transfer cases. Another 185 athletes were granted limited eligibility while 21 were deemed ineligible;
• Assistant commissioner Sandra Walter reported coaching ejections were up 23% and student-athlete ejections were up 15%. There have been 402 total ejections (43 coaches, 41 fans, 318 players) in 2021-2022, up from 356 one year ago.
• Boys soccer leads those statistics with 150 ejections with football (117), boys basketball (55), girls basketball (35), girls soccer (28), wrestling (16) and volleyball (1) completing the list.

Shelbyville's basketball season ended much the way it will be defined overall. 

Often outsized, difficulty consistently scoring and too many open looks for opponents were all concerns.  And all reared their head in a season ending 63-39 sectional quarterfinal loss to Franklin at Greenwood High School Tuesday night.

Shelbyville head coach John Hartnett, Jr. showed his hand on the Golden Bears offensive strategy on the opening possession.  Sophomore guard Luke Brinkman crossed center court after Franklin failed to score off the tip.  From there, he waited for the Grizzly Cub defense to commit.

     Photos in this story contributed by Steve Bush

Head coach John Hartnett, Jr. after the game on the GIANT fm Sports Cagney's Pizza King Postgame.

Deliberate offensive possessions kept Shelbyville (5-18) in the game through the first half even when Franklin entered into a more aggressive, trapping zone topped by 6'6" Dylan Beverly.  Shelbyville trailed 13-3 after one quarter.  The Golden Bears scored the opening five points of the second period to pull within five, 13-8.  Franklin answered with a 6-0 run to re-establish a double - digit lead.

Franklin led by eight at halftime, 23-15.

The second half saw Shelbyville again pull to within five as Jakob Heaton opened the scoring with a three-pointer.  That's the last time Shelbyville would be close.  Turnovers mounted  (22 for the game) against increased ball pressure and Franklin went on a 16-0 run to gain control.

The Grizzly Cubs benefitted from the hot hand of sophomore shooting guard Wyatt Nickleson.  Nickleson made four of his seven three-point field goals in the third quarter to finish with a game-high 23 points.

Sophomore Micah Davis added 14 for Franklin (9-13).

Senior Jakob Heaton topped the SHS scoring effort with 13 in his final game. Classmate Nolyn Smothers scored eight in his final game in a Golden Bear uniform.

Triton Central senior Olivia Faust garnered another postseason honor Tuesday when she was selected Small School All-State by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Faust, who averaged 13.3 points and 6 rebounds per game this season for the Tigers, was one of 15 players bestowed the All-State status.

Joining Faust on the Small School All-State squad are Frankton’s Lauryn Bates, Lafayette Central Catholic’s Karsyn Cherry, Union City’s Mariah Claywell, South Knox’s Macie Couchenour, Pioneer’s Hailey Cripe, Bremen’s Ella Foster, Oregon-Davis’ Madilynn Hudspeth, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian’s Hailee Kline, Tecumseh’s Kaybree Oxley, North Knox’s Graycie Poe, Rensselaer Central’s Jessie Ringen, Abigail Tomblin of South Central (Union Mills), North Putnam’s Kyla Willis, and Tipton’s Ella Wolfe.

Bella Larrison and Nichole Garner of Waldron were named Small School All-State Honorable Mention.

Other notables on the Small School Honorable Mention list are Delanie Gale of South Central (Union Mills), Cascade’s Christina Lamb, Rushville’s Annika Marlow, Heritage Christian’s Grace Marshall, New Castle’s Maddy Meek, Speedway’s Camiell Perry, Tri-West’s Isabelle Saylor and Adrie Thompson, Mt. Vernon’s Maddie Swingle, Ritter’s Kelsey Waggoner and Jac-Cen-Del’s Annabelle Williams.

Shelbyville junior Kylee Edwards was selected Honorable Mention Large School Underclass All-State.

The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association selected 15 seniors and 15 underclass girls basketball players for IBCA/Franciscan Health “Supreme 15” All-State honors for 2021-2022.

The IBCA also named Large School All-State teams (15 seniors, 15 underclass) and Small School All-State teams (15 seniors, 15 underclass).

The “Supreme 15” is the top honor awarded, and players were voted to that group without regard to school size. The Large School and Small School all-state teams are secondary accolades – the Large School group including players from Class 3A and Class 4A schools and the Small School group including players from Class A and Class 2A schools.

Players who make the Supreme 15 are not considered for Large School or Small School honors.

In addition, 90 more seniors and 90 more underclass players were selected honorable mention all-state.

The Supreme 15 Senior All-State squad consists of Franklin’s Kuryn Brunson and Ashlyn Traylor, Crown Point’s Jessica Carrothers and Lilly Stoddard, Carmel’s Kate Clarke, Westfield’s Alyssa Crockett, Columbus East’s Koryn Greiwe, Blue River Valley’s Ally Madden, McCutcheon’s Teresa Maggio, Silver Creek’s Kynidi Mason-Striverson, Homestead’s Ayanna Patterson, South Bend Washington’s Mila Reynolds, Terre Haute North’s Zoe Stewart, Washington’s Alaina Thorne and North Central’s Tanyuel Welch.

Honored as Large School All-State are Culver Academy’s Taylor Bowen, East Central’s Hope Fox, North Central’s Destinee Hooks, Tri-West’s Kenna Kirby, Washington’s Kencia Levasseur, Fort Wayne Snider’s Jyah Lovett, Northridge’s Julia Mantyla, Maconaquah’s Lilly Maple, Garrett’s Morgan Ostrowski, Penn’s Jada Patton, South Bend St. Joseph’s Kelly Ratigan, Warsaw’s Abby Sanner, Fort Wayne South’s Olivia Smith, Benton Central’s Kennedy Tolen and Plainfield’s Ellie Wilkerson.

The Supreme 15 Underclass All-State squad is Pioneer’s Ashlynn Brooke, Ben Davis’ Cristen Carter, Mishawaka Marian’s Nevaeh Foster and MaKaya Porter, Zionsville’s Laila Hull, South Bend Washington’s RaShunda Jones, Amiyah Reynolds and Kira Reynolds, Northwestern’s McKenna Layden, Bedford North Lawrence’s Karsyn Norman and Chloe Spreen, Fort Wayne Snider’s Jordyn Poole, Noblesville’s Ashlynn Shade, East Central’s Josie Trabel and Jennings County’s Juliann Woodard.

The Underclass Large School All-State team is Lake Central’s Aniyah Bishop, Hamilton Southeastern’s Olivia Brown and Riley Makalusky, Fort Wayne Snider’s Destini Craig, Hobart’s Asia Donald, New Palestine’s Isabella Gizzi, Garrett’s Bailey Kelham, Lawrence Central’s Jaylah Lampley, Mt. Vernon’s Ellary Minch, Fishers’ Hailey Smith, Jay County’s Renna Schwieterman, Columbus East’s Saige Stahl, Homestead’s Alison Stephens, and Noblesville’s Meredith Tippner and Reagan Wilson.

The Underclass Small School All-State team is Winchester’s Caitlyn Campbell, Kouts’ Ally Capouch, Blue River Valley’s Maci Chamberlin, University’s Kelsey DuBois, Bethesda Christian’s Kenzie Fulks, Fairfield’s Brea Garber, Alli Harness and Madison Wagner of Carroll (Flora), Tri’s Bailey Parham, Tipton’s Ashlee Schram, University’s Payton Seay, Frankton’s Emma Sperry, Trinity Lutheran’s Bailey Tabeling, Forest Park’s Amber Tretter, and Lanesville’s Linzie Wernert.

Other notable underclass honorable mentions joining Edwards are Greenfield-Central’s Chaney Brown, Tecumseh’s Jenna Donohoo, Olivia Marks of South Central (Union Mills), Cascade’s Abby Parsons and Sydney Warran, Eastern Hancock’s Grace Stapleton, Pendleton Heights’ Kaycie Warfel and Whitney Warfel, and Greensburg’s Mylie Wilkison.

Gary 21^st Century, Monroe Central, John Glenn and Chesterton finish the boys basketball regular season as the No. 1 teams in the Associated Press poll.

In Class A, Gary 21^st Century (18-4) jumped over North Daviess to become No. 1 for the third time this year.

North Daviess (21-3) is No. 2 and has not been lower than No. 3 all season.

Loogootee (18-6) was ranked No. 2 in the first AP poll of the season and is No. 3 in the last poll followed by Barr-Reeve (16-7), North White (19-3), Tindley (16-7), Edinburgh (20-3), Bloomfield (18-6), Lutheran (16-5) and Jac-Cen-Del (18-5).

Monroe Central (21-0) finished the regular season unbeaten to earn the No. 1 ranking in Class 2A.

Eastside (23-1) is No. 2 ahead of Central Noble (23-2), Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (20-4), Linton-Stockton (20-4), Carroll (Flora) (20-1), Wapahani (18-4), South Spencer (18-3), Eastern Hancock (17-5) and Lake Station (19-3).

John Glenn (23-1) remained No. 1 in Class 3A followed by Mishawaka Marian (19-3), NorthWood (22-2), Sullivan (21-2), Brownstown Central (20-3), New Castle (17-5), Norwell (20-4), Leo (17-5), Connersville (18-6) and Greensburg (20-4).

Greensburg opens the postseason tonight at Connersville.

Chesterton (23-0) also closed out the regular season without a loss and the No. 1 ranking in Class 4A.

Fishers (21-3) is No. 2 with Carmel (17-5), Homestead (20-5), Ben Davis (19-6), Penn (21-2), Mt. Vernon (19-2), Cathedral (19-6), Valparaiso (19-4) and Anderson (19-4) completing the top 10.

Hannah File had a two-run home run to jump start Louisville on the way to an 8-4 victory at No. 8 Arkansas Monday.

The win was the first for the Cardinals over a ranked team since April 23, 2021, and the first road win over a top-10 team since May 7, 2016.

The home run was the second of the season for File, a Shelbyville graduate.

On Sunday in Fayetteville, Arkansas opened the three-game set with an 8-5 win. File went 1-for-3 at the plate in the loss.

The Razorbacks closed out the series with a 14-0 win in game two Monday. File went 1-for-1 at the plate to stretch her hit streak to five consecutive games. She has reached base safely in seven straight games.

Here is a look at other Shelby County graduates competing at the collegiate level.

Cory Taylor

The Shelbyville graduate went 1-for-4 Saturday in Eastern Michigan’s 13-5 loss at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tennessee.

Eastern Michigan was swept in the three-game series to fall to 1-5 to start the season.

Erica Henry

The Shelbyville graduate pitched three innings, allowed four hits and two runs, both unearned, Saturday in Olney Central College’s 11-3 loss at Iowa Central Community College in Burlington, Iowa.

Olney Central is 2-4 this season.

Damon Lux

The Shelbyville graduate went 4-for-8 for Duke in a doubleheader Sunday at Baylor.

Lux went 2-for-4 with a double and a run batted in during a game one loss to the Bears, 12-3.

In game two, Lux again went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run batted in during Duke’s 4-2 victory to close out the three-game series in Waco, Texas.

Baylor defeated the Blue Devils Friday, 4-2. Lux went 0-for-3 with a walk.

Duke lost to East Carolina, 12-2, Tuesday in Durham, North Carolina. Lux went 0-for-3 with a walk as Duke dropped to 4-4 this season.

Maya Chandler

The Triton Central graduate had 20 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals Friday in Loyola’s 66-52 win at Valparaiso.

The Ramblers (17-10, 9-7 Missouri Valley Conference) have won five straight and the 17 wins is tied for the most since the 2012-13 season.

Rylie Stephens

The Triton Central graduate had two rebounds for Evansville Thursday in a 99-57 loss at Missouri State.

The Purple Aces were defeated Saturday by Southern Illinois, 80-66 to fall to 8-19 this season and 2-14 in the MVC standings.

Taylor Heath

The Triton Central graduate was named Honorable Mention All-Conference by the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Heath completed her freshman season at Hanover averaging a team-high 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

The Panthers finished 13-10 overall and 10-7 in the HCAC standings.

Heath also was selected to the HCAC Newcomer Team.

Hayden Langkabel

The Morristown graduate finished with seven points, three rebounds and one assist Tuesday in Marian’s 86-85 loss to Grace College in the Crossroads League Tournament championship game.

Marian is 25-5 this season and will find out who it plays in the 64-team NAIA Tournament Thursday when the NAIA Selection Show airs at 8 p.m.

On Saturday, Marian reached the championship game with a 75-71 win over Huntington. Langkabel had six points and five rebounds.