IHSAA Media Release

March 26, 2002

Contact: Jerry Baker, Sports Information Director

317-846-6601

jbaker@ihsaa.org

 

BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPS CROWNED AT CONSECO FIELDHOUSE

 

     In 4A…..It took Gary West Side 30 years to get back to a state championship game and the Cougars made up for lost time holding on for a thrilling 58-55 victory over defending champion Pike on Saturday, March 23 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

 

West Side made the state championship game in 1972 at Assembly Hall in Bloomington but fell to Connersville, 80-63, but the 2002 edition of the Cougars would not to be denied this time.

 

It was the seventh state championship for Gary West Side, but the first in a sport other than track and field. It also was the first basketball state title for a Gary school since Roosevelt won the state title in 1991.

 

The Cougars (23-4) were coached by third-year leader John Boyd. The Red Devils of first year coach Larry Bullington finished 24-4.

 

     In 3A…..Kelly Robbins scored a Class 3A game record 38 points to power unranked Delta to a 65-54 triumph over Harding for the state championship on Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse.

 

Robbins, who averaged 19.6 per game coming in to the game, made 10-20 attempts from the field, including three three-pointers, and connected on all 15 free throws to help Delta to its first state championship in boys basketball. The Eagles finished as the state runner-up in 1997, their only other appearance in the state finals.

 

Delta, guided by 10th year head coach Paul Keller, finished a 22-6 campaign. Harding, ranked fourth in Class 3A and last year’s state champion in Class 2A, finished its season 23-5 under 12th year head coach Al Gooden.

 

     In 2A…..Speedway jumped out to an early lead and never trailed in a 62-48 victory over Bluffton for the state championship Saturday at Conseco.

 

Speedway, captured the first IHSAA state championship in school history. The Sparkplugs had finished as the state runner-up in Class 2A baseball last June.

 

Junior guard Chris West led Speedway with 23 points, while senior forward J.D. Clampitt finished with 18 and a game-high 14 rebounds. Kinsey led all scorers with 24 points and 10 boards. Senior forward Bryan Steffen added 11 points for the Tigers.

 

Coached by Trent Lehman, Speedway finished the season 22-4 in its first trip to this level of the tournament. Coach Wayne Barker led Bluffton to its seventh state finals appearance but first since 1932. The Tigers finished 24-4.

 

     In A…..Sustaining a big second half rally, Rossville claimed its first state championship in boys basketball with a 79-68 victory over Barr-Reeve in the state championship game on Saturday.

 

It was the second state championship in school history after the baseball team captured the Class A title in 1999-00.

 

Rossville senior forward Brock Graves shared game honors with Barr-Reeve junior forward Zane Bowman with 37 points each, a Class A record which bettered the 35 point output by Union’s (Dugger) Brody Boyd in 2000. Graves averaged 16.5 points this year while Bowman averaged 13.1.

 

Rossville, coached by Jeff Henley, finished the year 23-4. Barr-Reeve, third-ranked in Class A and coached by Bryan Hughes, ended a 24-5 season.

 

ARTHUR L. TRESTER AWARD WINNERS

 

   Troy Roberson of Class A Rossville High School, Mark Gonzales of Class 2A Speedway High School,

Brian Wright of Class 3A Delta High School and Christopher Hunter of Class 4A Gary West Side High School were selected as winners of the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award by members of the IHSAA Executive Committee.

 

   The award, named in honor of the IHSAA’s first commissioner, who served the association from 1929 to 1944, is presented to a senior who is nominated by his principal and coach and who best displays mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in each classification of the boys state basketball championships

 

   Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to each of the four schools in the name of its mental attitude award recipient.

 

INDIANAPOLIS STAR’S PAT MCKEE RECEIVES IHSAA DISTINGUISHED MEDIA SERVICE AWARD

 

   Pat McKee, sportswriter for The Indianapolis Star, was presented the 2002 District II Distinguished Media Service Award from the Indiana High School Athletic Association on Saturday, March 23, at half-time of the 3A boy’s state basketball championship game.  Commissioner, Blake Ress, and members of the organization’s Executive Committee presented the award.

 

   Since the inception of this award in 1984, a broadcaster or sportswriter from each of the IHSAA legislative districts has been recognized annually.

 

   Pat McKee recently observed his 20th anniversary as a member of the sports department of The Indianapolis Star, where he has spent a good portion of this time either covering or supervising those who cover high school sports throughout the city and state.

 

ATTENDANCE UP FOR 2002 BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

   Attendance at the boys state high school basketball championships at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday, March 23, climbed to its highest level in the last five years. 

 

   The morning session attendance totaled 14,113, with the evening attendance at 15,797 for a total on the day of 29,910, up from 26,424 during the 2001 championships.  Since moving to class sports, the previous three years attendance included 28,595 in 2000, 25,322 in 1999 and 27,295 in 1998.

 

   Three weeks earlier, the girls basketball championships’ attendance total was the second highest since the advent of the class system as they had 9,161 on hand for the morning session and 8,159 at night for a total of 17,320, which was surpassed only by the 18,429 in attendance in 1998.

 

GIRLS AND BOYS STATE TRACK AND FIELD NEXT IHSAA CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

 

   The girls and boys track and field season is now underway and state championships in those events will be the next ones conducted by the IHSAA.  The girls state championship will be held at the Michael Carroll Track and Field Stadium on the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis on Friday, May 31.  The boys title will be decided the following afternoon, Saturday, June 1, at the same location.

 

   Fort Wayne Northrop will be looking for its third straight girls title and fifth overall.  On the boys side, Lawrence North returns as defending champion in search of its third overall title.

 

Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches ----- Poll of March 18

GIRLS                            BOYS

Rank

School

Rank

School

  1

Fort Wayne Northrop

  1

Lawrence North

  2

Carmel

  2

North Central (Indpls)

  3

Warren Central

  3

Carmel

  4

North Central (Indpls)

  4

Lawrence Central

  5

Bloomington South

  5

Fort Wayne Northrop

  6

Pike

  6

Ben Davis

  7

Hamilton Southeastern

  7

Warren Central

  8

Lawrence North

  8

Richmond

  9

South Bend Adams

  9

Franklin Central

10

South Bend St. Joseph’s

10

Warsaw

 

IBCA BOB KING COACH OF THE YEAR WINNERS

Members of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association have published their selections for Coach of the Year in the five districts of the state.


GIRLS
DISTRICT I       DAN SHEAD,   NEW PRAIRIE
DISTRICT II      DOUG CURTIS,    ANGOLA
DISTRICT III    LEAH WOOLDRIDGE,    NOBLESVILLE
DISTRICT IV    DONNA CHEATHAM,    SOUTHWWESTERN
DISTRICT V     JANIS HERT,   
VINCENNES

BOYS
DISTRICT I      PAT SKAGGS,    BENTON CENTRAL
DISTRICT II   
WAYNE BARKER,    BLUFFTON
DISTRICT III   STEVE WITTY,    BEN DAVIS
DISTRICT IV   CHIP MEHAFFEY,    WINCHESTER
DISTRICT V    JIM SHANNON,   
NEW ALBANY

The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association has also announced the speakers for its clinic on April 12-13.  They include:  Tim Buckley, Ball State; Kathi Bennett, Indiana; Mike Davis, Indiana; Tom Izzo, Michigan State.  For more information, log on to:  IBCA Website

IHSAA OVERTIME

Joe Sibbitt has been named boys basketball coach at his alma mater, Paoli.

 

The field has already been set for the Wabash Valley Classic scheduled for December 2630, 2002, at Terre Haute South High School.  It includes the host Braves, along with Terre Haute North, Greencastle, Monrovia, Riverton Parke, Bloomfield, Cloverdale, Northview, Rockville, Shakamak, South Vermillion, Sullivan, Turkey Run, Vincennes, West Vigo and Marshall, IL.

 

Lebanon Athletic Director, Roger Lochmueller, has been named Indiana High School Athletic Administrator of the Year for District III

 

Bob Buscher, for the last five seasons the boys head basketball coach at Chesterton, has decided to step down from that position, but will remain at the school teaching physical education and health.

 

After four seasons at the helm, Andy Rang has resigned as boys head basketball coach at Eastside.  He plans to stay on at the school as a physical education teacher.

 

LOOKING AHEAD

Wednesday, May 8          Girls Softball Tourney Series Drawing

Tuesday, May 14             Girls Track Sectionals

Thursday, May 16           Girls Tennis Sectionals

Thursday, May 16           Boys Track Sectionals

Thursday, May 16           Baseball Tourney Series Drawing

IHSAA 01-02/035