 SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY NATHAN PACE Southport standout Chaz Hinds drives to the basket Saturday against Evansville Reitz.  A familiar sight throughout the season is seeing Center Grove senior 6-9 Trayce Jackson-Davis playing around the rim.  SUBMITTED PHOTO Angela English, center, widow of the late coach Matt English, met with, from left, Hornets coach Mike Renfro and senior players Romeo Echols, Jordan Brickley, Griffin Wade, John Parker and Gavin Hess before the annual BGHS boys basketball Coaches vs. Cancer night earlier this month. The Hornets go into the Danville Sectional with the goal of honoring coach English, who died of cancer in December. The Hornets have clinched a record fourth consecutive winning season. | By Al Stilley Editor The 109th IHSAA boys’ basketball tourney begins Tuesday with six Southside teams in action on opening night. Perry Meridian, Southport, Center Grove, Greenwood, Beech Grove and Greenwood Christian taking to the hardwood. Roncalli, Franklin Central, Manual and Lutheran drew byes and play March 1. Southside fans can catch local sectionals at Center Grove, Perry Meridian and Lutheran. All games Tuesday and March 1 are double-headers at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sectional championship games are March 2. Here’s the outlook: At Perry Meridian (4A) Host Perry Meridian (7-12) and Roncalli (5-15) are in the upper bracket, but underdog Southport (10-11) is stuck in the lower bracket with co-favorites Pike (13-8) and Ben Davis (20-2). Under first-year coach Eric Brand, the Cardinals were up and down, putting together a six-game winning streak followed by a six-game losing skid. The Falcons, coached for the first time by former state champion coach Mark James, open Tuesday against Decatur Central in a rematch after the Hawks won 29-28 Saturday. The winner meets Roncalli, March 1 as the prelim to a predicted Ben Davis-Pike semifinal showdown. Pike prevails. At Center Grove (4A) Sectional host No. 10 Center Grove (15-7) would appear to be the heavy favorite with a 6-0 record against sectional foes and with All Star candidate and Indiana University recruit 6-9 Trayce Jackson-Davis. Six of the Trojans losses were to top-10 ranked teams, including two losses against No. 1 Warren Central. Greenwood (9-11) looms as a foreboding first-round foe because coach Joe Bradburn’s improved Woodmen pushed the Trojans to two overtimes in the county tourney. The Woodmen are led by guard Bryce Hoffman, who has hit three game-winning shots this season. The CG-Greenwood winner faces Franklin Central (3-18), a team that jelled last weekend for triumphs against Westfield, 58-57 on a 3-pointer by Jovan Small, and Roncalli, 42-31 after leading 34-15 at the end of the third quarter. The winner of the all-Southside bracket would meet Franklin (15-7), Martinsville (6-15) or Whiteland (9-12) for the sectional title. CG walks dangerous path to title. At Danville (3A) Manual (12-6) is a very slight favorite. Redskins meet Tri-West (10-10) or Danville (13-7) in March 1 semi. Manual competes for second straight Greater Indianapolis tourney trophy Friday and Saturday, so the sectional bye is a huge break. Manual coach Donnie Bowling has solid 1-2-3 punch with 6-8 seniors Jalen Johnson (21.7 points) and Ijazz Abdulleman (6.6 rebounds) and classmate Caleb Redman (14.7 points) in the backcourt. Emotions will run high for Beech Grove after loss of coach Matt English to cancer Dec. 10. Hornets are 8-6 under interim coach Mike Renfro who can rely upon five seniors and rising junior Jajuan Allison (13.6 ppg). BG has history making fourth winning season in a row. Hornets meet Indian Creek (13-6) in sectional opener Tuesday with the winner meeting Herron (2-17) in semi. A BG-Manual sectional title game would be scintillating; the Hornets edged Manual 63-56 in OT Dec. 8. At Lutheran (1A) Greenwood Christian (11-10) is a slim favorite only because Cougars defeated Central Christian (15-6) in OT during season. They are in opposite brackets. The Cougars must get past dangerous Tindley (8-13) Tuesday for a Southside semi battle against rival Lutheran (8-12). Central Christian has a much easier path to title game March 2. Cougars, coached by Jonny Marlin, are led by juniors, 6-5 Champ McCorkle (19.3 points) and 6-3 Andrew Anderson (13.6 points). |
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 OUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY MATT MARIUTO Brayden Littell of Center Grove is acknowledged as 120-pound IHSAA state wrestling champion Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.  SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY AL STILLEY State champion Brayden Littell, right, of Center Grove and third-place Brayden Lowery of Roncalli are at the podium during 120-pound class medal presentation By Al Stilley Editor Center Grove’s Brayden Littell, who thought about quitting after his freshman season, brought home the Southside’s only individual state championship medal Saturday in the IHSAA state finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. After recovering from surgery last year, Littell bounced back this season and marched into the 120-pound title match and dominated Blake Boarman of Evansville Mater Dei, 9-3 in a rematch of the Evansville semistate title match. Littell, a junior, finishes with an undefeated season with 44 wins. “This season was challenging because of my comeback,” Littell said with the champion’s medal hanging from his neck. “Physically I knew I would come back, but not being able to wrestle after my freshman year, I had thoughts of quitting because this (wrestling) might not be for me.” Littell missed his second varsity season after suffering torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and meniscus tear. His recovery took nine months. He returned to the mat with the Outlaws national traveling team before returning to the varsity mat in the fall. Boarman, who was third at 113 last year, finished 40-2 with his only losses to Littell. The Evansville wrestler scored the first point Saturday night but Littell countered with a takedown. “I was comfortable after that takedown,” Littell said. “I got the first one against him in the semistate and he kind of had that same look this time.” Littell was one of four wrestlers representing Southside high schools who reached a title match in the 81st version of the IHSAA state finals. Perry Meridian’s undefeated and No. 1-ranked Alex Cottey, 106 pounds, ran into Culver freshman Brennan Cemus (38-2) who did not allow the Falcon a single point in a 6-0 shutout. Cottey had won 41 straight matches. Roncalli’s Alec Viduya, 132 pounds, was stunned by Avon senior Asa Garcia who pinned the Rebel after 83 seconds into the first period. It was the first time they met this season. The quick ending to the match between No. 1 Garcia and No. 2 Viduya was expected to go the distance. In 2017 when Viduya won the state title at 113, Viduya was third as a CG’s Littell brings home state wrestling title sophomore. Greenwood’s determined senior Nick Willham (36-3) fell to No. 1 and nationally ranked No. 5 junior Silas Allred (35-0) of Shenandoah, 9-3, a deceiving score. Allred had a takedown in the waning seconds of the second and third periods. Somewhat disappointed, Willham took Allred to the full six minutes after his opponent reached the title match by pinning three opponents. Willham improved from a distant sixth-place sectional finish as a freshman to a state runner-up as a senior. “It felt unreal at first but getting to wrestle here felt good other than not getting the title,” said Willham, who was a standout running back. “I don’t think he (Allred) ever had a six-minute match, so I tried to keep the match score high. I was trying to get into him and make sure I scored first.” Roncalli was fifth in team points to repeat champion Cathedral; Center Grove was 14th. Here’s how 10 more Southside wrestlers fared: Center Grove – Peyton Pruett, 160, 5th. Perry Meridian – Aiden Warren, 145, 3rd; Sammy Fair, 152, def. in 1st round; Brooks Davis, 160, 3rd; Austin Lane, 195, def. in 1st round; Sam Littlejohn, 285, def. in 1st round. Roncalli – Brayden Lowery, 120, 3rd; Tyce Frieje, 138, 3rd; Elijah Mahan, 170, 3rd; John Harris, 285, def. in 1st round.  Greenwood senior Nick Willham (green uniform) defeats Perry Meridian’s Austin Lane, 9-2 in first-round match Friday in 195-pound class. Willham was the state final runner-up after losing a spirited match Saturday against No. 1-ranked Silas Allred of Shenandoah.  Roncalli’s Alec Viduya glances upward before going to the podium to accept runner-up medal in the 132-pound class in IHSAA state finals |
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