1998 CLASS 2A STATE FINALS

GAME NOTES & QUOTES

 

ALEXANDRIA'S FIRST STATE TITLE -- Today's victory in the Class 2A championship was the first state title of any kind for Alexandria High School. The Tigers join rival Anderson as the only Madison County schools to claim a state championship. Anderson won championships in 1935, 1937 and 1946.

 

ALEXANDRIA'S GARNER WINS TRESTER AWARD -- Rusty Garner, a senior guard for Alexandria, was selected by the IHSAA Executive Committee as the recipient of the Arthur L. Trester Award for Mental Attitude in Class 2A Boys Basketball. Garner, the son of Alexandria Athletic Director Ron Garner, scored 24 points in leading his school to its first state title. Besides basketball, Garner has also participated in cross country, baseball and tennis at Alexandria High School. He is involved in several community and church-related activities and he ranks first in his senior class of 118 students with a perfect academic GPA of 4.0. He plans to study computer science and accounting in college. Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of all IHSAA tournaments, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Alexandria High School in the name of Rusty Garner.

 

HIBBELN WINS SLAM DUNK CONTEST -- Hamilton Southeastern's Jeremy Hibbeln received a perfect score on his final attempt to win the Sixth Annual IHSAA-Farm Bureau Insurance Slam Dunk Contest at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis on Saturday. Hibbeln, a senior, scored a perfect 30 from the three judges on his final dunk to capture the championship. Senior Charlie Perkins of Morton Memorial, who received a perfect 30 on his second attempt, finished as the runner-up with 57.5. Junior Darmetreis Kilgore of South Bend Washington placed third with a total of 56.5, while senior Bob Sarver of South Spencer finished fourth with 48.5.

 

ALEXANDRIA HEAD COACH GARTH CONE—"I thought we were too cautious and afraid to make a mistake and didn’t play hard at times. But it was a great game to win."

 

"In the first half, even though it was tied, I felt we won the first quarter and they, the second quarter. In the second half, I felt if we could get the ball in the lane and work the baseline, it would be to our advantage."

 

"In the second half, all we focused on was 16 minutes, then eight minutes, then one minute to our dream. It is no secret, I’m against class basketball, but there are some things about class basketball I like. We (the community) are experiencing some positives of class basketball. We experienced something, that in 50 years, we’ll never forget."

 

"The Tournament of Champions will not be like a Milan. Milan was not just winning, but getting there (to the state). I don’t know how these four teams will get ready after today."

 

"(On J.D. Closser and Rusty Garner) Rusty played hard. He was in a zone and we needed him there. Both are very competitive players and we depend on their energy."

 

RUSTY GARNER (ALEXANDRIA), TRESTER AWARD WINNER—"This is really a great honor, but it really should be for the whole team, but Coach has always been on me to be a leader."

 

"Class basketball is an easier road for the smaller schools, to be honest. We probably wouldn’t have made it here in one-class basketball. Right now, I’m walking on air."

 

SOUTHWESTERN HEAD COACH JERRY BOMHOLT—"We were tentative against them at times and that was not typical of us, but being in the RCA Dome and State Finals will do that to you. But a lot of that had to do with Alexandria. The game got away from us in the third quarter."

 

"We did tie the game at half time, but we didn’t feel good about it. We have not been a come-from-behind team. The first five minutes of the third quarter hurt us."

 

"Crafton and Miller were hurt, but that’s no excuse. We got beat by a better team."

 

"Garth Cone’s team was well prepared and we couldn’t string anything together. We were tentative against their press."

 

"(On class tournament) This was an opportunity for these kids and it would have been difficult for us to advance in the old sectional, but I’m still a traditionalist and like the one-class basketball."

 

TREVOR CRAFTON (SOUTHWESTERN)—"This was my last game my senior year. There was no doubt I wouldn’t play. We worked on my ankle from the time it was hurt. A lot of people thought we were a fluke team, but we were not."

 

ANDY MILLER (SOUTHWESTERN)—"Their defensive pressure hurt us at times and their rebounding was very strong."