High School Spotlight: South Bend Washington 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 month away, but with practices happening, 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 South Bend Washington 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 10-13 last season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lost to Mishawaka Marian in Sectionals.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Head Coach Ryan Varga returns for his 8th season as the head coach. 93-76 overall record.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Should be much more improved from a season ago and compete in Sectional 19. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id='1561449' first='Steven' last='Reynolds III']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nijah-jewell/"></a></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Was there any ever any question really as to who would be the top the player of this South Bend Washington squad. Not only is [player_tooltip player_id='1561449' first='Steven' last='Reynolds III'] the top player on this Panthers team, but he is the top player in the in-state 2026 class without question. He returns as the leading producer from a season ago with his 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.2 blocks per game. He is one of the best pure scoring guards you will see at a national level which is a major reason that so many high major programs are after him. He is going to be extremely fun to watch this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Breakout Player: [player_tooltip player_id='2140346' first='Dakori' last='Parker']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jeremiah-bellamy/"></a></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are many in-state 2027 prospects that will be breaking out this season and separating themselves from the pack and guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140346' first='Dakori' last='Parker'] could certainly be one of them. He returns as the second leading scorer a season ago with his 15.2 points per game and proved to be a real good complement to Reynolds III as well. Although he is a smaller guard, he has a tight handle on the ball and elite scoring ability are nearly all levels of the floor. The sky is the limit on his potential. </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='2622058' first='Mike' last='Stuckey'] - Sophomore</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Josh Johnson - Junior</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2622059' first='Camren' last='Taylor'] - Sophomore</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lavier Smith - Senior</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 Lake Central (11/30)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at South Bend St. Joesph (1/16)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs Crown Point (2/1)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Penn (2/14)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs Tippecanoe Valley (2/28)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->