High School Spotlight: North Central Panthers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The High School Spotlight Series is back and we are excited to feature multiple teams throughout the state once again! The season is still a few months away, but with team workouts starting to take place soon, it is the perfect time to start previewing the season. In this series, we will be taking a look at some quick hitters, the top player(s), a potential breakout player, other roster members, and notable games for the upcoming season. For today's spotlight, we take a look at the North Central Panthers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Quick Hitters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Went 15-9 last season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated by Lawrence North in Sectionals.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Head Coach Kevin Gant returns for his 4th season as the head coach. 44-26 overall record.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Should be a contender in Sectional 10 this season. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1578451' first='Papi' last='Rivera'] / [player_tooltip player_id='1297098' first='Nijah' last='Jewell']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the best back court duos we have seen in the metro area will be getting one last go around together with both [player_tooltip player_id='1578451' first='Papi' last='Rivera'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1297098' first='Nijah' last='Jewell'] returning to North Central for their senior year. Both River and Jewell were two of the top four players when it came for production for the Panthers last season with Rivera bringing back 13.1 points and Jewell returning 9.3 points per game. Rivera has been known as one of the best 'microwave scorers' in the state with his ability to get hot at any moment and Jewell is one of the more explosive and physical guards you'll see in the state, as well. Together, they are a dynamic duo that will be the leaders of the talented pack of Panthers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Breakout Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1561112' first='Gavin' last='Petty'] / [player_tooltip player_id='2140390' first='Jeremiah' last='Bellamy']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are multiple players on this North Central team that you can place as the potential breakout player but I narrowed it down to both junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1561112' first='Gavin' last='Petty'] and sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2140390' first='Jeremiah' last='Bellamy']. While both of these guys got varsity time last season, this upcoming year is where you will see both of them blossom into much bigger roles. Petty, a 6'5 guard, has fantastic size on the wing with an ability to score off the catch and off the bounce. Bellamy is one of the 2027s we have in the state that has some extremely high upside as a left-handed prospect and being an elite scorer around the rim. Together, these two have a chance to take the Panthers to a new level this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Key Roster Members</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1297014' first='Denhm' last='Holt'] - Senior </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2053678' first='Carter' last='Klaus'] - Senior </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1962847' first='Chrishon' last='Woodward'] - Junior</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2470655' first='Elijah' last='Anderson'] - Sophomore </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2560622' first='Asher' last='Davis'] - Sophomore</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Notable Games</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Brownsburg (11/26)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Crispus Attucks (12/3)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Terre Haute North (12/13)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>North Central Classic (12/27-12/28)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Park Tudor (1/14)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs Fishers (2/25)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->