The 93rd Annual IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals

March 29, 2003, Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

 

 

Bishop Chatard Runs Away From Elmhurst In 3A Final

Second-ranked Indianapolis Bishop Chatard came up with big games by three players on route to capturing their first boys basketball state championship over Fort Wayne Elmhurst, 78-44, in Class 3A.

 

Bishop Chatard, coached by Dan Archer, finished 22-2 on the season, while unranked Elmhurst, in the state finals for the first time in any sport, finished with a 22-6 record. Elmhurst was coached by Keith Edmonds.

 

Bishop Chatard took command of the game during a 7-0 run in the first quarter, breaking Elmhurst’s press. In addition to that first quarter streak, Chatard went on two other major runs in the game, 9-0 in the second, and 12-0 in the third. The presence of Dan Cage and Mike Dury plugged up the middle, forcing Elmhurst to rely on perimeter shooting much of the game.

 

Like Elmhurst, Chatard was making its initial appearance in the boys basketball state finals. But it was the first time the Trojans had captured an IHSAA championship in a sport other than football. Seven players from last November’s Class 3A football champs were on this team’s roster helping the Trojans become just the second school to win a football and basketball title in the same school year joining Lafayette Central Catholic in 1999-00. Bishop Chatard finished the season on a 10-game win streak, while the Elmhurst’s nine game streak ended following last week’s semi-state upset of top-ranked Gary Roosevelt.

 

Bishop Chatard had four players in double digit scoring. Mike Dury led Chatard with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Dan Cage added 17 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists for the champions. Ryan Baker scored 16 points and Jamaal Wade had 11. Leading Elmhurst was James Hardy with 14 points, eight points below his average. He also pulled down 10 rebounds. Joseph Poindexter added 11 points for Elmhurst.

 

Michael Dury Wins Trester Award for Mental Attitude

Michael Dury of Indianapolis Bishop Chatard was named winner of the Class AAA 2003 Boys Basketball Tournament Arthur L. Trester Award for Mental Attitude.  Members of the IHSAA Executive Committee present the award to the outstanding senior participant in each classification of the boys basketball state finals.  The recipients of this award, who were nominated by their principals and coaches, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in basketball.

 

For only the second time in IHSAA history, Mike became a dual mental attitude award winner, having also captured the Phil N. Eskew Mental Attitude Award for AAA football this past season.  He joins Sherry Hoover of Woodlan, who won the honors in cross country and track and field during the 1984–85 season.

 

Athletically, Mike was a three-year varsity letter winner and a two-year varsity starter for the Trojans.  As mentioned, he was also a starter on the football and baseball teams and will attend the University of Notre Dame on a baseball scholarship.

 

Academically, he ranks 39th in his senior class of 185 and is a member of the National Honor Society.  He was also active as a Retreat Team Leader, Liturgy Committee and French Club.  His extracurricular activities include participation in Students Against Drunk Driving, Riley Hospital Dance Marathon and St. Augustine Nursing Home “Prom”, as well as being a volunteer with the Holy Family Shelter.

 

Mike is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Dury of Indianapolis.

 

Farm Bureau Insurance, IHSAA corporate partner, presented a scholarship check for $1,000.00 to Indianapolis Bishop Chatard High School in the name of Michael Dury.

 

 

Game Notes

 

·         First Basketball Championship For Bishop Chatard

This is the first IHSAA state title for Bishop Chatard in a sport other than football. The Trojans, like Elmhurst in making their initial appearance in the basketball state finals, have previously won six football titles: 1983-84 (2A), 1984-85 (2A), 1997-98 (3A), 1998-99 (3A), 2001-02 (3A) and 2002-03 (3A).

 

·         Football, Basketball State Champions

With today’s win, Bishop Chatard becomes just the second school to win a football and basketball state championship in the same school year joining Lafayette Central Catholic (1999-00). Other schools which competed in a championship game in both sports in the same school year are listed below:

Year

Football

Basketball

1992-93

5A: FW Snider 24, Ben Davis 21

Jeffersonville 66, Ben Davis 61

1999-00

A: Laf. Central Catholic 59, Perry Central 7

A: Laf. Central Catholic 82, Union (Dugger) 70

2000-01

5A: Penn 21, Center Grove 0

4A: Pike 56, Penn 42

2000-01

2A: Ev. Mater Dei 56, FW Bishop Luers 10

2A: Muncie Southside 81, Ev. Mater Dei 78 (OT)

2000-01

A: Adams Central 29, Attica 21

A: Attica 64, Blue River Valley 62 (A)

2001-02

4A: Jasper 35, Delta 20

3A: Delta 65, Harding 54

 

·         Largest Margin of Victory In Class 3A

The 34 point margin of victory was the largest in a Class 3A championship game and the widest in a state championship contest since Indianapolis Crispus Attucks defeated Kokomo, 92-54, in 1959.

 

·         First Appearance For Elmhurst

An IHSAA member school since 1931, today’s appearance in the state finals is the first for the school in any team sport.

 

·         Elmhurst’s Hardy Held In Check

Elmhurst’s 6-7 junior forward James Hardy finished with 14 points, eight below his average of 22.8 for the season coming into the game. He finishes the season with a 22.5 per game average to rank 14th on the state’s scoring leaders list for 2002-03. He also pulled down 10 rebounds and had a pair of assists.

 

Team Posters And Individual Action Photographs Available

Visit 20-20 Photographic, the IHSAA’s photographer and the Midwest’s Leader in Sports Action Photography, for images captured during Saturday’s four championship games! Action photos as well as 20-20’s Ultimate Sports Poster will be available for purchase later in the week following the state finals.

 

IHSAA State Championship Merchandise

For t-shirts and sweatshirts commemorating the 93rd Annual IHSAA State Finals or for any of our events, visit our friends at Morris, Inc.

 

State Finals Programs Available

Couldn’t be at Conseco Fieldhouse for the state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official souvenir program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in person at the IHSAA Office (9150 N. Meridian Street in Indianapolis) or $5.00 by mail (postage included). To order, send a check for $5.00 made payable to the IHSAA, a note with your return address and brief description of your request and mail to: IHSAA Programs, PO Box 40650, Indianapolis, IN 46240-0650. Sorry, no credit cards. To further inquire, e-mail Assistant Sports Information Director Jason Wille at jwille@ihsaa.org.

 

 

Game Quotes

 

Indianapolis Bishop Chatard Coach Dan Archer

“Obviously this was the best game we played all year. We brought the total package tonight.” 

 

“We exorcised some demons this season.  Following our afternoon game in the regionals a year ago, I told Dan Cage I thought we left some on the table so to speak.  After the regionals this season the fun started and it just got better after that.  These guys are as good as anyone around (meaning the starting five).  Sometimes the things we do are not real flashy and sometimes people forget that good fundementals win basketball games, but the result tonight was wonderful.  I take it as a compliment when people ask about so many of our players being on the football team because they play so hard and they are all solid athletes.  They are a physically imposing group and they were tough out there tonight.”

 

“Personally this is very gratifying after the first few years, especially after getting blasted by Brebeuf and Cathedral when these seniors were freshman, we sat down after practice one day and had a long talk.  That is where it all started and things just got better and better after that.”

 

“There was a lot of pressure on us tonight.  Some people doubted at the beginning of the year, but we knew that we had a shot to get here from the start.  I just want these kids to know that there is more to life than just basketball.”

 

Chatard’s Dan Cage

“We came out and played hard from the beginning but so did they.  We just outmuscled them from the beginning.  This is a great day for us, especially the seniors.  I knew that once as freshman we would buy-in to the coach, we knew we could win.  The whole key to our game was listening to him and playing together.  This year we knew how to win, we locked arms and did the job tonight.”

 

Chatard’s Jamaal Wade

“It was great all season how we worked hard and played hard and it payed off tonight.  We knew that once we could stop James Hardy the rest of the team would have trouble getting anything started.  That was part of our plan.  We wanted offensively to push the ball inside and that would open up everything else.”

 

Chatard’s Marques Presley

“This was a great game for us.  We knew coming into the game we could play with them and this was a great way for our seniors to go out.  This was the last game with these guys and I can’t put into words how I feel about winning this championship.”

 

 

Fort Wayne Elmhurst coach Keith Edmonds

“We looked at our team strengths and what we had to do to combat theirs. We were just beat by a more talented and mature team. This was the most physical team we faced all year long. We had no inside presence tonight. We are a finesse team. Finesse has gotten us 22 wins this year.”

 

“We struggle on defending the post and scoring in the post, our perimeter is one of the best in the state.”

 

(On being out-rebounded by a more physical team)

“We are not a good rebounding team, that’s why we press a lot…to keep the ball from going to the post. When our shots don’t fall, we can’t get into that press.” 

 

“Our goal late in the second quarter was to get the deficit down to 10, but I don’t know if we felt we could really stop them.”