INDIANA -- One of the most coveted individual honors a player can win is the scoring title for the state of Indiana. Check out all scoring champions from years past...

Note: Below is the best I have been able to track down for each year. Of all the great lists and collections, this is one that seems to have been surprisingly left out by historians over the years. It is entirely possible that another player may have bested one of these marks, but obviously you have to start somewhere.

If you can offer an addition or correction, please email me at HickoryHusker@yahoo.com

As always, Indiana basketball will be better for your contribution!


Eastern Hancock Royal McKenzie Koch (State scoring champion as a Soph!)

This list has been a real bear to track down. While the last 10-15 years are a breeze, the rest have been a genuine research headache. Last night, however, I was able to fill in my last two, 1992 and 1998. For anyone that doubts just how much of a second fiddle girls basketball played for years, try to find the state leading scorers from the 1980's..

Huge spreads and graphics of area bests for boys in newspapers from all across the state, and almost nothing for the girls.

State Scoring Champions By Year

2025 McKenzie Koch - Eastern Hancock Royal 28.6
2024 Samantha Redinger - Argos Dragon 29.8
2023 Asia Donald - Hobart Brickie 26.7
2022 Ashlynn Brooke - Pioneer Panther 25.9
2021 Courtney Blakely - Hammond Noll Warrior 31.3
2020 Ra'Shaya Kyle - Marion Giant 27.3
2019 Madison Jones - Webo Star 28.3
2018 Leigha Brown - DeKalb Baron 28.0
2017 Dana Evans - Gary West Cougar 36.0
2016 Dana Evans - Gary West Cougar 35.8
2015 Jackie Young - Princeton Tiger 32.4
2014 Whitney Jennings - Logansport Berry 32.0
2013 Kelsey Key - Frankton Eagle 32.9
2012 Princess German - Bowman Academy Eagle 25.7
2011 Kaleigh Hensley - Wabash Apache 27.1
2010 Courtney Moses - Oak Hill Golden Eagle 31.7
2009 Skylar Diggins - SB Washington Panther 29.0
2008 Skylar Diggins - SB Washington Panther 29.5
2007 Brittany Rayburn - Attica Red Rambler 28.0
2006 Ashley Barlow - Pike Red Devil 25.1
2005 Jodi Howell - Alexandria Tiger 28.0
2004 Megan King - FW Canterbury Cavalie 27.0
2003 Katie Gearlds - Beech Grove Hornet 29.4
2002 Shanna Zolman - Wawasee Warrior 33.8
2001 Shanna Zolman - Wawasee Warrior 34.3
2000 Shanna Zolman - Wawasee Warrior 33.0
1999 Shanna Zolman - Wawasee Warrior 31.2
1998 Laurie Kitts - Eastbrook Panther 28.9
1997 Amy Lindsay - Union Modoc Rocket 27.0
1996 Sarah Hurrle - Roncalli Rebel 28.2
1995 Stephanie White - Seeger Patriot 36.9
1994 Eileen Weber - Washington Catholic Cardinal 31.6
1993 Abby Conklin - Charlestown Pirate 36.7
1992 Leslie Wade - Loogootee Lion 28.9
1991 Cindy Lamping - Batesville Bulldog 34.1
1990 Glenna Bower - New Washington Mustang 35.5
1989 Glenna Bower - New Washington Mustang 30.3
1988 MaChelle Joseph - DeKalb Baron 35.1
1987 Vicki Lander - EV Bosse Bulldog 31.1
1986 Kim Barrier - Jimtown Jimmie 30.0
1985 Jodie Whitaker - Austin Eagle 28.2
1984 Lorea Feldman - Triton Trojan 28.2
1983 Roxanne Cox - Scottsburg Warrior 26.5
1982 Kay Sharp - Lafayette Jeff Broncho 24.2
1981 Cheryl Cook - Indy Washington Continental 29.7
1980 Lisa Goodin - Austin Eagle 30.9
1979 Debby McClurg - Wes-Del Warrior 24.5
1978 Cindy Beesley - Webo Star 26.3
1977 Dru Cox - Plainfield Quaker 25.4
1976 Carmella (Martin) Dunn - EC Roosevelt Roughrider 35.0

INDIANA -- If Superbowl Sunday is America's unofficial holiday, then Indiana can certainly make claim to the opening day of Sectionals as their own. What a very special time of year it is. For this one day every team stands on equal footing, and all Hoosier eyes turn their focus to our own.

With these warm thoughts in mind, the Varsity Club offers-up our annual and most sincere good luck wishes to all coaches and teams...



New Market Purple Flyers placing 1967 Sectional trophy in case after going 2-17 regular season.


"With God of heaven it is all one.
To deliver with a great multitude or a small company.
For the victory of battle standeth not in multitude of hosts,
but with the strength that cometh from Heaven.
And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it.
And struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen."




Caston Comets celebrating with 2009 Sectional trophy after going 1-19 regular season. (Photo Caston Basketball Alumni Assoc)



Jay County holding up 1994 Sectional trophy after going 1-19 regular season.

As if any of us needed one more reason to feel special about today, click below to see Coach Dale's Pregame talk and Prayer.

Login to view embedded media

Here's a poem I wrote back in 2009 and sent to Caston's Coach Firth after that Sectional stunner.

I heard they read it at pep assembly which I remember made me very happy at the time.

Bowman would martyr our favorites in the morning game, 55-22, but Cinderella Caston will forever be Sectional champions!


Cinderella Caston

Now that class is with us,
Cinderellas are harder to find.
But as teams fell last week,
A school from up north came to mind.

Hoosier eyebrows were raised,
When Sectional scores were revealed.
State tournament 0 – 9,
A new record mark had been sealed.

Oh, those lads from Caston,
One and nineteen? Up went the cry.
They’ve got no tradition,
Sectional crown? Must be a lie.

But down went South Newton,
By Caston’s Comets and Coach Firth.
Pioneer and Tri-County,
And now a rare Regional birth.

So what are their chances?
State ranked Bowman’s eighteen and three.
Caston’s a thirty-six point dog,
But bet against them? Not me.

Hoosiers love underdogs,
Caston’s boys are an easy sell.
A Regional title?
A story for ages to tell.

Folks outside Gary,
And even many more within,
All a'rooting for Caston,
Come on, bring home this upset win.

So when Saturday dawns,
And you’re at your own Region’el
Send some thoughts Coach Firth’s way,
Comets of Caston, Give ‘em Hell!

Fans,



Shown below are my 64th annual state tournament predictions for Class 4A. For 4A, I’ve shown my state champion selection, as well as the top five contenders from each of the two semi-state areas.

Again this year, I’ve hypothetically allocated $100 to each sectional. I then asked myself if I were to bet that amount of money on each sectional, how would I distribute this amount among the teams that I feel have the best chance of winning. This provides a better measuring stick for more specifically differentiating the chances of each of the main sectional contenders.

Tournament Prediction “History”-----last year I predicted 81% of the sectional games correctly. Sectional champions: I picked only 41 of 64 correctly. For the entire tournament, 2013 was my best year with 81.5% of all games being picked correctly. My worst year was my first year, 1962, when I only got 63.5% of the games correct.

And, as always, a big Thank You to John Harrell’s great website for providing so much useful data in such an easily retrievable format !

Enjoy the games!

Dan

CLASS 4A

Class Champion: Fishers

Top 5 Contenders From 1) Fishers; 2) Crown Point; 3) Noblesville;
the North Semi-State: 4) Westfield; 5)Ft.Wayne Wayne

Top 5 Contenders From 1) Jeffersonville; 2) Lawrence North; 3) Greenfield;
the South Semi-State: 4) Mt.Vernon; 5) Ben Davis

Here are my predictions for each sectional in 4A along with a few comments.

1. at LAKE CENTRAL: Crown Point-$90; Munster-10.

2. at VALPARAISO: Portage-$50; Chesterton-45; Valparaiso-5..

Comment: The Portage Indians have not won a sectional since 2001. This will be their best shot in many years. Both Valpo and Merrillville are down this year. In three games against these two, Portage won all three by a cumulative margin of 77 points. Chesterton will be the main competition for Portage. These two have already played twice this year, with Portage winning by 11 points in early January and Chesterton winning at home by two points in mid-February. They'll meet in the first round of this year's sectional.

3. at MICHIGAN CITY: S.B.Riley-$40; Penn-35; Michigan City-15; S.B.Adams-10.

Comment: Riley has already defeated each of the other five squads at this sectional. The closest margin they've
had is a 16 point win against LaPorte in late November. This is an otherwise well balanced group with five the teams winning at least 12 games.
.
4. at ELKHART: Northridge-$60; Warsaw-40.

Comment: Northridge and Warsaw appear to be the class of this field. They will likely meet in the final game here. In early January, Warsaw won at home by a five point margin.

5. at CARROLL: F.W.Snider-$50; Carroll-25; F.W.North-15; F.W.Northrop-10.

Comment: This is a fairly weak group with Snider being the team with a winning record. However, Carroll has played the toughest schedule and has home court advantage.

6. at FT.WAYNE WAYNE: F.W.Wayne-$70; Homestead-20; F.W.South-10.

Comment: Wayne is the easy pick here. They've won two sectionals in a row, have played the toughest schedule, and will be playing on their home court.

7. at KOKOMO: Lafayette Jeff-$50; Kokomo-45;; Harrison-5

Comment: Kokomo will be going for their fourth straight sectional title and will be playing on their home floor. But Lafayette has won 18 of their last 19 games including a one point win against Kokomo in late January. And don't count out Harrison. The Raiders split two games with Lafayette and defeated Kokomo by eleven points, at Kokomo, in mid-January. They've played the toughest schedule of the four teams in this field.

8. at CARMEL: Fishers-$65; Noblesville-20; Westfield-15.

Comment: Picking Fishers to not only win this sectional but also to successfully repeat as 4A state champion is hardly a bold prediction. They've met every challenge so far this year and it's not going to be a surprise if they continue to do that throughout the upcoming tournament. However, similar to last year, their toughest challenge might come during this sectional, especially in their opener against Westfield. In their early February matchup, Westfield had a double-digit lead in the second half but couldn't hang on. At the end, the Shamrocks had a final shot with a change to win the game, but it didn't fall for them. That game was at Westfield. This upcoming match will be on a neutral floor, which should favor Fishers. Still, Westfield is certainly capable of springing the upset.

Regardless of who wins, they will likely have to get by a red hot Noblesville Miller squad in the tourney finale. s. Noblesville has won 12 of their last 13 games. All three of these teams are bonafide state title contenders.

9. at MUNCIE: Greenfield-$45; Mt.Vernon-30; Anderson-25.

Comment: This sectional continues to seemingly get stronger each year. This year there is again three real strong sectional contenders, all of whom are more than capable of making strong run for the state 4A title. Anderson, Greenfield, and Mount Vernon are all outstanding. During the year, Mount Vernon won by four points at Anderson, and Greenfield won by five points at Mount Vernon. Anderson has not won a sectional since 2009. Last year, they lost to Greenfield by six points. For the four years of 2020 through 2023, Anderson lost each year to Mount Vernon by 21, 6, 4, and 1 point respectfully. This year, Anderson and MV will likely meet in Friday's semifinal round.

Greenfield has been even more frustrated. They've not won a sectional since 1998 ! Starting with 1999, they have a cumulative sectional record of 6-26. Will this be the year
one of these two breaks through?

10. at LAWRENCE CENTRAL: Lawrence North-$45; Warren Central-35; North Central-20..

Comment: This site has lost a lot of its luster with both Cathedral and Attucks moving down to the 3A level. And most of the remaining squads are a bit weaker than they've been is some of the more recent years. Lawrence North appears to be the most likely to prevail here, but they've shown some vulnerability over the course of the season. For example, they've lost to New Palestine, split two close games with Warren Central, and lost twice to Ben Davis.

11. at AVON: Ben Davis-$35; Avon-30; Plainfield-25; Pike-10.

Comment: Avon will be going into the sectional with an outstanding record of 20-3. The last time they had as good a record was 2011 when they ended up with the same record---20-3. The Orioles will have homecourt advantage, but in order to win this sectional they will likely have to defeat Brownsburg, Plainfield, and Ben Davis. During the year, they defeated Brownsburg twice--by margins of 13 and two points. And they lost a season opener by six to Plainfield. Ben Davis could be a more difficult obstacle. In the last eight years, BD has won seven sectionals, four regional's, four semi-states, and two 4A state titles. They are experienced at winning the big games-to say the least.,

12. at DECATUR CENTRAL: Mooresville-$35; Franklin Central-30; Center Grove-25; Southport-10.

13. at BLOOMINGTON NORTH: Terre Haute North-$65; Bloomington South-35.

14. at COLUMBUS EAST : Columbus North-40; Whiteland-30; Columbus East-25; Franklin-5.

15. at SEYMOUR: Jeffersonville-$70; New Albany-20; Seymour-10.

Comment: Jeffersonville is a big favorite here to defend their sectional title. They defeated four of the other sectional entrants by a cumulative total of 86 points. (They did not play Scottsburg is new this year to 4A tourney competition.)

16. at EVANSVILLE HARRISON: Evansville Reitz-$55; Evansville Harrison-40; Castle-5.

Comment: This sectional is now just a 4-team field after both Evansville Central and Jasper were reclassified as 3A schools. The title will likely be decided with a finale of Reitz and Harrison. Reitz defeated Harrison by seven points in a mid-February game played at Harrison.

The winner of this sectional rarely makes much of an impact in post-sectional play. Only Csstle (2017) and Reitz (2015) have went on to win a regional in recent years after winning this sectional.

Are they out there somewhere?

And what about the semi-states?

r/GC

Fans,



Shown below are my 64th annual state tournament predictions for Class 3A. For 3A, I’ve shown my state champion selection, as well as the top five contenders from each of the two semi-state areas.

Again this year, I’ve hypothetically allocated $100 to each sectional. I then asked myself if I were to bet that amount of money on each sectional, how would I distribute this amount among the teams that I feel have the best chance of winning. This provides a better measuring stick for more specifically differentiating the chances of each of the sectional contenders.

Tournament Prediction “History”-----last year I predicted 81% of the sectional games correctly. Sectional champions: I picked 41 of 64 correctly. For the entire tournament, 2013 was my best year with 81.5% of all games being picked correctly. My worst year was my first year, 1962, when I only got 63.5% of the games correct.

And, as always, a big Thank You to John Harrell’s great website for providing so much useful data in such an easily retrievable format !

Enjoy the games!

Dan


CLASS 3A

Class Champion: Indpls.Cathedral

Top 5 Contenders From 1) South Bend St.Joe; 2) F.W.Blackhawk; 3) Northwood;
the North Semi-State: 4) Gary West; 5) Mishawaka Marian.

Top 5 Contenders From 1) Indpls.Cathedral; 2)New Palestine; 3)Brownstown;
the South Semi-State: 4) Silver Creek; 5) Indpls.Attucks.

Here are my predictions for each sectional in 3A.

17. at EAST CHICAGO: Gary West-$60; East Chicago Central-40.

18. at KANKAKEE VALLEY: Hanover Central--$40; Kankakee Valley-35; Lowell--25.

19. at PLYMOUTH: So.Bend St.Joseph-$40; Mishawaka Marian-35;.CulverAcad.-15; So.Bend Washington-10.

Comments: This should be one of the better sectionals in the state. Once again, a likely battle between great
rivals St.Joe and Marian should determine the champion. They have had some classic matchups in recent years.
Culver Academy is in a great position to play spoiler. They are in the opposite bracket that includes Marian and
St.Joe. During the year, St.Joe edged Marian by three points and Culver by just one. And don't forget Washington. They are very erratic but have loads of talent.

20. at NORTHWOOD: Northwood-$45; Tippecanoe Valley-40; Columbia City-10; Fairfield-5.

21. at GARRETT: F.W.Blackhawk-$85; Garrett-10; Angola--5.

22. at BELLMONT: New Haven-$45; Marion-30; Norwell-15; Heritage-10.

23. at LOGANSPORT: West Lafayette-40; Maconaquah-35; Western-15; Northwestern-10.

24. at NEW CASTLE: Delta-$40; New Castle-35; Hamilton Heights-20; Jay County-5.

25. at FRANKFORT : Guerin Catholic-$40; Brebeuf-25; Tri-West-20; Lebanon-10; Danville-5.

26. at INDPLS.SHORTRIDGE: Indpls.Cathedral-$60; Indpls.Attucks-40.

Comment: When the IHSAA realigned the tournament and moved Cathedral and Attucks to 3A, I
would guess there was a loud collective groan coming from many of the other 3A coaches. In the case
of Cathedral, I would guess that the Success Factor policy will result n them moving back to 4A fairly
quickly. And they perhaps groaned louder than anyone, because any success they have at the 3A level
will likely result in a feeling of unfullfillment due to what they will perceive as not being allowed to
accomplish more at the 4A level. We shall see.

27. at CASCADE: -Northview-$85; Cascade-10; Edgewood-5.

28. at SHELBYVILLE : New Palestine-$60; Shelbyville-25; Greenwood-10; Indpls.Roncalli-5.

29. at SO.DEARBORN: Jennings Co.-$30; So.Dearborn-25; Greensburg-20; Lawrenceburg-15; Batesville-10.
.
30. at CHARLESTOWN: Brownstown-$40; Silver Creek-35; Charlestown-15; Corydon-10.

Comment: ;One of the most anticipated games at the sectional level will likely occur in the title game of this sectional. when Brownstown likely clashes with Silver Creek. Both have had outstanding seasons. Brownstown won it all last year at the 2A level. Silver Creek has played a much stronger schedule. But, Brownstown swamped SC by 18 points in mid-January--at Brownstown. Whoever wins this one will be taking a major step toward a
state championship at the 3A level.

31. at SOUTHRIDGE: Princeton-$30; Southridge-25; Washington-20; Gibson Southern-15; Vincennes-10.

Comment: This should be one of the most competitive groups in the state. Five of the six teams are at least four
games above the .500 mark. And four of the six teams have lost at least two games to other squads competing here.

32. at BOONVILLE: Evansville Memorial--$50; Evansville Central-45; Heritage Hills-5.

Fans



Shown below are my 64th annual state tournament predictions for 1A and 2A. For each class, I’ve shown
my state champion selection, as well as the top five contenders from each of the two semi-state areas.

Again this year, I’ve hypothetically allocated $100 to each sectional. I then asked myself if I were to bet that amount of money on each sectional, how would I distribute this amount among the teams that I feel have the best chance of winning. This provides a better measuring stick for more specifically differentiating the chances of each of the sectional contenders.

Tournament Prediction “History”-----last year I predicted 81% of the sectional games correctly. Sectional champions: I picked only 41 of 64 correctly. For the entire tournament, 2013 was my best year with 81.5% of all games being picked correctly. My worst year was my first year, 1962, when I only got 63.5% of the games correct.

And, as always, a big Thank You to John Harrell’s great website for providing so much useful data in such an easily retrievable format !

(Note: References to records, winning streaks, etc. are usually based on data as of February 22nd.)

Enjoy the games!

Dan
===============================================================================

2025 CLASS 2A Predictions

Class Champion: Ft.Wayne Luers

Top 5 Contenders From 1) F.W.Luers; 2) Gary 21st Century; 3) Wapahani;
the North Semi-State: 4) Lapel; 5) Manchester.

Top 5 Contenders From 1) Parke Heritage; 2) Paoli; 3) South Ripley;
the South Semi-State: 4) Northeastern; 5) Providence.

Here are my predictions for each sectional in 2A.

33. at HEBRON: Gary 21st Century-$50; Andrean-40; Hebron-10..

34. at JIMTOWN: Jimtown-$45; LaVille-30; Winamac-15; Bremen-10.;.

35. at WESTVIEW: Westview-$50; Central Noble-35; Lakeland-15..

36. at SOUTH ADAMS: F.W.Luers-$70; Woodlan-15; Adams Central-10; Bluffton-5.

37. at NO.MONTGOMERY: Delphi-$45; Benton Central-30; Seeger-25.

38.-WABASH: Manchester-$85; Oak Hill-10; Rochester-5.

39. at FRANKTON: Lapel-$40; Tipton-35; Sheridan-15; Frankton-10.

40. at ALEXANDRIA: Wapahani-$95; Blackford-5.

41. at GREENCASTLE: Parke Heritage-$50; Greencastle-45; Southmont-5.

42. at PARK-TUDOR: University-$35; Park-Tudor-30; Indpls.Ritter-25; Covenant Christian-10.

43. at CHRISTEL HOUSE: Christel House-$50; Eastern Hancock-40; Triton Central-10.

44. at HAGERSTOWN: Northeastern-$85; Centerville-15.

45. at SOUTHWESTERN (HANOVER): South Ripley-$60; Southwestern (Hanover)-40.

46.at PAOLI: Paoli-$55; Providence-45.

47. at EASTERN GREENE: Linton-$70; Sullivan-30.

48. at TELL CITY: Forest Park-$80; Perry Central-15; Evansville Mater Dei-5.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2025 CLASS 1A Predictions

Class Champion: Hauser

Top 5 Contenders From 1) Clinton Prairie; 2) Kouts; 3) Triton;
the North Semi-State: 4) Seton Catholic; 5) Carroll.

Top 5 Contenders From 1) Hauser; 2) Barr-Reeve; 3) Clay City;
the South Semi-State: 4) Orleans; 5) Liberty Christian.

Here are my predictions for each sectional in 1A.

49. at KOUTS: Kouts-$50; Washington Twp.-45; Marquette Catholic-5.

50. at TRI-COUNTY:: West Central-$40; Tri-County-35; Pioneer-25.

51. at NORTH JUDSON: Triton-$40; Elkhart Christian-30; North Judson-20; South Central-10.

52. at FREMONT:: Bethany Christian-$40; F.W.Canterbury-35; Lakeland Christian-25.

53. at NORTH VERMILLION: ; North Vermillion-$60; Lafayette CC-40.

54. at CLINTON CENTRAL: Clinton Prairie-$45; Carroll-40; Frontier-10; Rossville-5. '

55. at SOUTHWOOD: Southwood-$70; Northfield-30.

56. at BLUE RIVER: Seton Catholic-$60; Monroe Central -35; Cambridge City-5.

57. at PURDUE BROAD RIPPLE: Liberty Christian-$40; Indpls.Tindley-35; Anderson Prep-25.

58. at INDPLS. LUTHERAN: Indpls.Lutheran-$40; Greenwood Christian-35; Indpls. Metropolitan-25.

59. at EDINBURGH: Edinburgh-$30; Waldron-25; North Decatur-20; Tri-15; Morristown-10..

60. at MILAN: Hauser-$100.

61. at WHITE RIVER VALLEY: Clay City-$60; Bloomfield-40.

62. at LOOGOOTEE: Barr-Reeve-$35; Orleans-30; Loogootee- 20; North Daviess-15.

63. at WEST WASHINGTON: Christian Academy-$35; Rock Creek Acad.-30; South Central-20; Borden-15.

64. at SPRING VALLEY: NE Dubois-$50; Wood Memorial-45; Springs Valley-5.