By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
Class 4A No. 6 Norwell won the 2025 Class 3A state championship and moved up to 4A due to the success factor. No. 3 Greensburg was last year’s runner-up.
Class 3A Sectional 24 at Yorktown
Jay County (15-7) vs. New Castle (14-8)
The Patriots have won three straight and five of seven. Sherri McIntire is 47-23 in three seasons at Jay County.
Averaging 60.6 points as a team, 38.5 of those come from junior and freshman sisters Hallie (19.8) and Karsyn (18.7) Schwieterman.
New Castle head coach Bobby Jones is 22-46 in his third season. The Trojans are 7-2 since the beginning of January and Carlee Lanzer leads with 13.8 and grabs 5.2 rebounds.
Hamilton Heights (14-6) vs. Connersville (16-7)
The Huskies are coached by Erin Trimpe (19-23) in her second season. Heights started off 10-2 and are 4-4 since. On Dec. 6, Trimpe’s squad edged the Connersville Spartans 50-47 in Arcadia.
Flying under the radar in 3A, Hamilton Heights is led by five freshmen, two juniors and a sophomore.
Freshman Riley Suarez heads up the group of young Huskies at 21.8 points per outing, along with three of the frosh just below double digits. Addison Blum (9.6), Zoey Curry (9.5), Bayleigh Eisele (9.1) and Kamryn Rhoton (6.1) help balance out the offense.
Freshman Stella Taylor, sophomore Abi Hilfiker and junior Reece Blanton are also key contributors off the bench.
Heights has quality wins over potential semifinal opponent Jay County, Bishop Chatard, Kokomo and Oldenburg Academy.
The Spartans’ head coach Shana Williams (44-26) is in her third year. They have seven wins in their last eight and 11 of the last 13.
Connersville has four averaging in double figures. Serenity Pennington (12.8), Kendyl Bottomley (11.7), Ahniyah Bennett (11.3), Addison Jones (10.8) and Kenzi VanMeter (6.6) pace the Spartans.
Delta (15-8) and Yorktown (9-12) drew the byes.
The Eagles started 7-0, but have gone 8-8 since, including a three-game losing skid heading into sectional action.
Ty’Ronda Benning (44-28) is in her third season at Delta.
The host Tigers’ head coach Leigh Ann Barga is 89-73 in her seventh season.
Yorktown was 9-6 before ending the regular season on a six-game losing slide.
Class 3A Sectional 25 at Lebanon
Guerin Catholic (15-8) vs. Brebeuf Jesuit (11-11), Tuesday 7 p.m.
The Golden Eagles are another youthful team that’s in search of its first sectional title.
Head coach Danielle Cardinal is 42-48 in her fourth year. Guerin started the season 5-2 and since Dec. 23, GC is 8-3 with four wins in their last five. Their only recent setback was Jan. 23 at Brebeuf in overtime, 37-34.
Guerin is led by freshman Cecilia Titus at 9.4 per contest. She has 2.5 assists and gets 3.1 steals per game.
Junior Caroline Ford scores 8.3, grabs a team-leading 6.6 boards and 3.5 steals. Frosh Ella Horvath nets 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds. Freshman Lauren Keller (7.1) and Lorigrace Rockwood (7.0), senior Dana Dues (2.7) and freshman Emersyn French (4.2) help share the wealth.
Tri-West (12-10) vs. Danville (6-17), Wednesday 6 p.m.
The Bruins are 4-4 in their last eight. Head coach Lacy Grafton is 26-20 in year two.
Danville’s struggled, but two of their wins are over Tri-West. Ella Collier is in her first year as head coach.
Frankfort (1-22) at Lebanon (9-12), Wednesday 7:30 p.m.
The Hot Dogs’ lone win against Taylor mid-season. Head coach Bethany Meachum’s in her first year.
The Tigers are 5-2 in their last seven after starting 4-10. Aaron Vaughn (18-26) is in his second season.
Crawfordsville (4-19) drew the bye and plays the Guerin/Brebeuf winner. Joe Ferguson is 8-61 in three years.
