March 15, 2025
Lots of big time games were happening in every corner of the state on Regional Saturday in Indiana. Some local southern Indiana teams had their dreams of a state championship end and others continued marching on. Top players throughout the state played their last game and many made it through to next weekend. It’s a bittersweet time of year because of high school careers coming to a close and and new players emerging in the most important time of the year. In the end only one team from each class can end their season with a win. By the looks of the photos and being at Seymour, high school basketball in Indiana is still alive and well. The dream is getting to cut down the nets @ Gainbridge in Indy but the journey is what is remembered. Let’s take a look at some regionals, preview and call some semi states, and who made the statewide 5 Stars of the Week.
4A Notes
- From what I heard from people at SB Washington the game of the week in the entire state was Warsaw v. SB Riley. In what looked like a packed and noisy gym, Riley and Warsaw played an instant 2 OT classic. At the end of the first OT Tiger Sr. Robbie Finlinson nailed a 3 with about 5 seconds left to force the 2nd. The Tigers just wouldn’t go away all year, even after one of their best players, Luke Bricker went out with a season ending injury. I was told another Warsaw starter, Brandt Martin fouled out with a few minutes to go in regulation also. In the end it was Riley senior guard Marvin Schindler (8 pts) and the junior sensation, Tyrese Jones who helped carry Riley to a 77-71 win over Warsaw. Jones scored an unreal 45 pts on 18/21 shooting, solidifying himself as a junior all star.
- The Jeffersonville Red Devils continued their familiar March path towards Indy with a 65-40 win over Evansville Harrison. It was the ‘big 3’ again that helped lead the way for the Red Devils. The more unsung of the 3, PJ Douglas had his breakout game of 17 pts, 3 rbs, 2 assists, and 2 steals while Cooper and Singleton added in 13 pts and 12 pts. Jeff is looking like that team again down south as their team has gotten healthier and is playing their best at the right time of the year. Jeff led in the rebounding category 21- 12 and the assist category 20-6. Harrison senior guard Shane Sims led Harrison with 22 pts. Last season Jeff defeated the same Harrison club at the same location (Huntingburg). I know plenty of 4A teams in southern Indiana that will be happy to see Jeff’s extremely good and success class of seniors graduate.
- Less than a month ago the Portage Indians defeated the Crown Point Bulldogs by 24 pts. Usually that would mean bad news for Crown Point. But the Bulldogs had the talent all year and experience to compete with some of the best teams in the state. The junior duo of Dikembe Shaw and Mason Darrell continue to be one of the best combos in the class of ’26. The game went back and forth throughout and even into OT. It was another junior that helped put Crown Point over the top. 5’9 junior guard Kingston Rhodes put in 20 pts, 6 rbs, 4 assists, and 6 steals in the biggest game of the season to go along with Shaw’s 27 pts, 8 rbs, 3 assists, and 3 blocks to help seal the game for CP. The Bulldogs advance to next week’s semi state with Fishers, Homestead, and SB Riley with a 68-62 win over Portage
3A Notes
- The upset of the day may have been Delta’s win over Kellen Pickett and FW Blackhawk. Delta came into this season after a semi state run last year where they lost a 3OT heartbreaker to St. Joe’s and lost much of their starting lineup. Credit to Coach Mark Detweiler and his staff for reloading this Eagles team and getting them back to a semi state for the third consecutive year. Senior Bronson Edwards led Delta with 19 and hitting the game winning layup on a drive overtop of Blackhawk’s Kellen Pickett. Delta will once again not be favored to win next weekend, but they rarely are and have alot of success as of late.
- Jennings County came into the day as one of the few with a sub .500 record but were a trendy upset pick. Panther senior guard Carter Kent has been an all- time great Panther during his 4 year career. After being in a brutal 4A sectional with New Albany and Jeffersonville since the inception of class basketball in 1998, the Panthers moved down to 3A and took care of business in their new class. Princeton came in 23-2 and having one of their best seasons since the 2009 state runner up team. In the end it was Tiger senior Jace Jenkins finished with a team-high 20 pts while junior all star candidate Edwin Holmes put up 19 pts and 12 rebounds leading Princeton to a regional title. This Tigers team has come a long way from their 3-21 record just 3 years ago.
- One of the state’s winningest programs in the last few years, the Brownstown Braves were at the Hatchet House for yet another regional appearance. The senior duo of Chace Coomer and Colby Hall have done alot of winning in the black and red (4 sectional titles, 3 regional titles, along with a state title) and once again refused for their high school careers to end. Evansville Memorial is a very good team who had a solid year led by senior guard Luke Ellsperman, who scored 14 pts, 5 rbs, and 4 assists. Hall and Coomer along with juniors Lane Pendleton and Micah Sheffer were just too much for the Tigers as Brownstown won their 3rd straight regional title in 4 appearances. Coomer put in 19 pts while Hall scored 12 pts and grabbed 8 rbs. The reward; a semi state with Attucks, Princeton, and New Pal. along with 4A ball next year.
2A Notes
- Another upset on paper took place @ Seymour on Saturday night as the Forest Park Rangers beat the 2A #2 South Ripley Raiders. The Rangers are coming off their 4th consecutive sectional title along with last year’s semi state appearance. Kamdon Partenheimer has been reminding FP fans of the Hopf days as the 6’8 sophomore scored a career-high 28 pts in last weekends sectional championship game. His matchup in this one against SR’s 6’7 senior Cole Henry was fun to watch. The sophomore held his own scoring 12 pts to Henry’s 13 but the difference was SRs backcourt of sophomore Drew Volz and Blaine Ward were held to a combined or 13 pts while FP seniors Jared Burger and Reece Wolf put up 28 pts combined to seal the 56-53 win. SR had two shots in the end to tie it but neither could go down. The point of the game was a 18-2 third quarter in favor of FP after being down 9 going into half.
- One of the most highly anticipated games of the day featured two top 5 teams in Gary 21st Century and Fort Wayne Luers. Luers Knights came with D1 backcourt brothers, Drelyn and Dereon Truesdale. 21st has a likely Junior All Star (and possibly core 6 kid) Terrence Hayes Jr. Many, including myself expected Luers to be playing @ Gainbridge in a couple weeks but 21st Century had other plans. The Cougars big Lemetrius Williams put in his 1000th point of his high school career in this one. Century’s 6’8 sophomore Kayleb Young is a wide load and a name to know for the future going forward.
1A Notes
- After dropping down from 2A to 1A the Hauser Jets came into the year as a team not many outside of Hope, IN. knew about, but with a healthy group of Jets, the team has gone 24-3 including yesterday’s decisive win over a hot Indy Lutheran team. The Saints came into the regional round with a sub .500 record but having the talent to win it all in 1A. Two of the seniors, Cayden Loescher and LJ Ward are state champions after winning in 2023. Hauser features a very good group of Taeshaun Tungate, Gavin Keller, Collin Buck, Ledger Gelfius, Stryker Gill, and Kameron Blair. I thought this one would be one of the better games in the state Saturday, but Hauser made sure that wasn’t the case. The Jets left little doubt they’re a legit 1A title contender with a 70-52 win over Lutheran
- The 1A game at Seymour matched up two top 10 teams in CAI and Orleans. The Bulldogs came into the season as an under- the radar team having graduated 3 or 4 of their starters from last year’s really good group. Senior Rylan Crocker stepped up his game this year and others that got some time on varsity and jv have become solid varsity players under Coach Bradley. CAI started four seniors and this was the class for the Warriors have been planning on now for four years. Joshua Chancey, David Cook, Cooper Loosey, and Joshua Renfro along with sophomore Noah Vance. Junior Bulldog Alex Dewitt stepped up and had a career day for Orleans scoring 28 pts. in a 56-47 win. David Cook got going early for CAI and Renfro came on late both scoring 15 each.
5 Statewide Stars of Regional Week;
Jr. Tyrese Jones- South Bend Riley. 45 points on 18/21 shooting in a 2OT W v. Warsaw
Jr. Alex Dewitt- Orleans. 28 pts in a W v. CAI
Jr. Dikembe Shaw- Crown Point. 27 pts, 8 rebound, 3 assists and 3 blocks in a W v. Portage
Sr. Julius Gizzi- New Palestine. 28 pts and 10 rebounds in a W v. Guerin Catholic
Sr. Josiah Ball– Maconaquah. 32 pts in a W v. Marion
Semi State Previews
1A North @ Lafayette Jeff
Kouts (23-4) v. Monroe Central (19-6)
Key Player- Sr. Easton Foster- Monroe Central
Our Call- Monroe Central
Triton (23-4) v. Clinton Prairie (24-2)
Key Player- Sr. Jake McGraw- Clinton Prairie
Our Call- Clinton Prairie
Champion- Clinton Prairie
1A South @ Seymour
Orleans (22-4) v. Hauser (24-3)
Key Player- Sr. Collin Buck- Hauser
Our Call- Hauser
Liberty Christian (18-8) v. Clay City (25-1)
Key Player- Sr. Ethan Edwards- Clay City
Our Call- Hauser
Champion- Clay City
2A North @ Michigan City
Gary 21st Century (20-6) v. Wapahani (26-1)
Key Player- Jr. Terrence Hayes- Gary 21st
Our Call- Gary 21st Century
Manchester (23-2) v. Jimtown (16-10)
Key Player- Sr. Branden King- Jimtown
Our Call- Jimtown
Champion- Gary 21st Century
2A South @ Washington
Parke Heritage (24-4) v. Forest Park (19-6)
Key Player- Jr. Treigh Schelsky- Parke Heritage
Our Call- Parke Heritage
University (18-9) v. Linton (21-6)
Key Player- Jr. Paul Oliver- Linton
Our Call- Linton
Champion- Parke Heritage
3A North @ Logansport
Maconaquah (21-5) v. South Bend St. Joe’s (24-3)
Key Player- Sr. Chase Konieczny- SB St. Joe’s
Our Call- SB St. Joe’s
East Chicago Central (20-8) v. Delta (17-7)
Key Player- Dominique Murphy- East Chicago Central
Our Call- Delta
Champion- South Bend St. Joe’s
3A South @ Southport
New Palestine (25-3) v. Brownstown (24-2)
Key Player- Sr. Julius Gizzi- New Pal.
Our Call- Brownstown
Princeton (24-2) v. Indianapolis Attucks (20-6)
Key Player- Sr. Dez Briscoe
Our Call- Attucks
Champion- Attucks
4A North @ Elkhart
South Bend Riley (22-4) v. Fishers (28-0)
Key Player- Sr. JonAnthony Hall- Fishers
Our call- Fishers
Homestead (22-5) v. Crown Point (22-2)
Key Player- Jr. Dikembe Shaw- Crown Point
Our call- Fishers
Champion- Fishers
4A South @ New Castle
Terre Haute North (21-5) v. Lawrence North (21-6)
Key Player- Sr. Azavier Robinson- Lawrence North
Our call- Lawrence North
Jeffersonville (21-5) v. Mount Vernon (Fortville) (21-5)
Key Player- Sr. Tre Singleton- Jeffersonville
Our call- Jeffersonville
Champion- Jeffersonville
