NorthWood’s Maddy Payne was named the IBCA District 1 Player of the Week after her showing at the Class 3-A IHSAA State Finals. (Photo by Mike Deak)

INDIANAPOLIS – The hits just keep coming for Maddy Payne and the NorthWood girls basketball team.

Payne, along with Lawrence North junior Jayla Smith, Linton-Stockton junior Vanessa Shafford, Westview senior Charlie Yoder, Decatur Central senior Kenny Tracy, South Knox senior Justin Fickling, and Seton Catholic junior Jake Moynihan were selected as Player of the Week recipients for the week of Feb. 24-29 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Payne takes home girls honors in District 1, while Yoder collects boys honors in District 1. Smith is the District 2 girls winner, while Tracy is the District 2 boys winner. Shafford is the girls recipient for District 3, while Fickling and Moynihan are boys co-recipients for District 3.

Payne helped the Black Swish to their second girls’ basketball state title with a 37-29 win over the Salem Lions in the Class 3-A State Championship game. The 6-1 front-liner played a key role at both ends of the floor, scoring 19 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and collecting four steals. She also knocked down nine of 10 free throw attempts in a low-scoring, tightly contested game. Payne was also selected as the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award recipient for Class 3-A.

She is committed to play volleyball at Bethel College next year.

This is the second time this season Westview’s Yoder has been named the winner for District 1. Tuesday, at conference rival Fremont, Yoder posted a modest statline in a rather easy, 62-40 victory over the Eagles. Yoder scored 11 points on an efficient 5-7 from two-point range, plus he contributed in many other ways, adding five rebounds, five assists and eight steals in the win.

Friday night, the Warriors were back in action, this time hosting the Concord Minutemen. In another convincing win, this time by a 72-47 margin, Yoder outscored Concord by himself. The 6-4 guard poured in 52 points and posted a double-double with his 13 rebounds. He added five assists, four steals and a pair of blocked shots in the effort.

Other nominees for the weekly award included NorthWood’s Kendal Miller on the girls side and boys players Connor Essegian of Central Noble, Brett Sickafoose of Whitko, Carson Rich of Southwood and Jackson Paul of Churubusco.