Caden Graham, Cooper Wiens and NorthWood hope to make a lot of noise this weekend at the New Castle Boys Basketball Regional. InkFreeNews file photo by Mike Deak

By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

NAPPANEE – In the fall of 2019, a dose of anger may have been responsible for a championship for the ages. In the spring of 2021, anger has been overcome by optimism and opportunity in what NorthWood hopes is another championship run.

NorthWood’s girls basketball championship in 2019 had an underlying tone, a group of very driven volleyball players making good on a missed opportunity carrying over to the basketball court. It was quite a site as personal drive seemed to fuel individuals to overcome and succeed. Fast forward two weeks after the Black Swish brought home the Class 3-A girls basketball championship trophy and the world literally came to a stop. With it, a motivating factor for NorthWood’s other basketball program to find internal drive.

In a conclusion unlike any other in the 100-plus years of IHSAA boys basketball tournaments, 64 teams ended with a win. NorthWood was among them, sitting befuddled at The Pit on March 13 without the chance to cash in on a title run. Turning the calendar a year, and NorthWood is back on that championship march, advancing to the regional round of the 2021 IHSAA tournament.

NorthWood is one of 26 teams to return to the regional round after the 2020 tournament was canceled. In the Class 3-A regional at New Castle, NorthWood (15-8) will have its chance to continue on but will have to do so against the host Trojans (9-15). Of the 16 teams left in the 3-A tournament, New Castle is the only one standing with a losing record. But NorthWood head coach Aaron Wolfe stopped that chalkboard excuse dead in its tracks.

“We know New Castle is much better than their record shows,” Wolfe said. “If you look at some of those losses, they were in overtime or in two-possession games. They may not have won those games, but you look at teams like Carmel, Shenendoah and Brebeuf, all really good programs.”

The Trojans are just 3-7 in its last 10 games, but knocked off a 17-win Delta team, then a 17-win Hamilton Heights team to win the sectional title on its home court. Led by Cole McDaniel’s 17.5 points per game, the Trojans also enjoy 10 points per night from Trey Miller and are getting Will Grieser back involved.

Playing just seven games this season, Grieser averages six points, four rebounds and five assists in those contests. Grieser has local ties, his dad, Matt, starring on the 1992 Goshen sectional championship team, the last team at Goshen to win a title. Wolfe is well aware of the potential.

“Anytime you make a tournament run, you are going to have to win some close games,” Wolfe said. “They figured that out by beating a pair of very good basketball teams in their sectional, on their home court where they are comfortable. Now we have to go down there and play them in the big house, a place we haven’t played.”

NorthWood is coming into its own at the right time. After starting 7-1, the Panthers began to stumble, then straight fell, losing six of seven including tough back-to-backs against Mishawaka and St. Joe. But a huge win over Tippecanoe Valley sparked a five-game win streak that included a one-point win over Wawasee and six-point win over West Noble to claim the West Noble sectional title.

Fueled by the scoring of sophomore Cade Brenner, rebounding of sophomore Ian Raasch, and constant shooting threats from juniors Jamarr Jackson and Cooper Wiens along with senior Ben Vincent, the Panthers feel this could be their time for a tournament run.

“I think sometimes when you have an inexperienced team that won early, I think there has to be some adversity and challenges to change behavior,” Wolfe said. “That stretch of losses is who we are. It’s part of our journey and I feel like our kids learned and wanted to get better. It was also good to build some internal toughness, which showed in that sectional.”

If NorthWood can get past New Castle in the 10 a.m. game this Saturday, it would face either Leo (21-4) or Mississinewa (17-8) in the night game, scheduled for 8 p.m. Leo also returns to the New Castle Regional from 2020, Ole Miss shaking off 67 years of tournament misery with its first sectional championship since 1954.