Open Gym Report: Mt. Vernon (Fortville) Marauders

Photo: Twitter

Brandon Ramsey October 21, 2025 @ 09:30 PM

Getting to cover Indiana High School Basketball is an honor. There is no better feeling than walking into a packed gym, that often seats thousands of fans, in the middle of winter. Attending some of the biggest, most prestigious grassroots events throughout the summer is a perk of the job as well. However, there is nothing I enjoy as much as going to high school open gyms in the fall. By attending these preseason workouts I not only get a more intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the team, but it also provides a chance to spend time with our state's many great coaching staffs. In the month of September alone I attended 16 Indiana High School open gyms and have hit the ground running in October attending 12 workouts so far. Let's go over some thoughts and notes from each of my stops this fall.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Returning your top three scorers, including the likely Indiana Mr. Basketball winner, from a Semi-State team is a really good place to start your season. The Marauders lost a good deal of depth from last year's 21-6 team, but Purdue commit [player_tooltip player_id='1728587' first='Luke' last='Ertel'] is good enough to give them a chance every time they take the floor. Ertel avreraged 22.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game as a junior, but really lifted his game to another level over the summer months. The 6'1" point guard is considered a Top 50 prospect nationally now. He is one of the hardest workers and most competitive players that we have covered in years here at Prep Hoops Indiana. When your best player also has the highest motor it can lead to special things. Coach Joe Bradburn has himself a real luxury in [player_tooltip player_id='1728587' first='Luke' last='Ertel'].   Aside from Ertel, the Marauders other top returning players are 6'0" senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2252566' first='Elijah' last='Parra'] and 6'8" junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2140419' first='Max' last='Vise']. Parra is an excellent shooter that provides some valuable floor spacing and scoring ability next to Ertel in the backcourt. He averaged 9.2 points per game last season while shooting 51-128 (39.8%) from three-point range. Meanwhile, Vise had a breakout sophomore season averaging 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He is a skilled, mobile forward that can operate both out on the perimeter and around the basket. Those two will be relied on to take some pressure off of Ertel who will, obviously, attract a ton of attention from opposing defenses.   Two seniors that will be relied upon to step into larger roles this season are Jamaree Collins and [player_tooltip player_id='2892552' first='Jack' last='Guerre']. Collins is an athletic 6'1" slashing guard while Guerre is a 6'3" left-handed catch-and-shoot threat. Guerre had a really strong summer with the Marauders and appears ready to step into a starting role and help space the floor. Brady Webber is another senior who will see some time this season.   Beyond the upperclassmen, there are a few talented underclassmen who will push for varsity minutes. 6'5" sophomore forward Jonathan Hadley, 6'0" freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='2719712' first='Keagan' last='Battles'], and 5'11" freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='2821032' first='Amari' last='Smith'] are all players who will either provide depth this season or be part of the next wave for the Marauders down the road.   Expectations will be high for Mt. Vernon (Fortville) this season. Again, that is what happens when you return your top three scorers from a Semi-State team and feature the likely Mr. Basketball award winner. The Marauders will almost assuredly be a preseason Top 5 team in Class 4A and are the clear favorites on paper to cut down the nets in Sectional 9 once again.

Getting to cover Indiana High School Basketball is an honor. There is no better feeling than walking into a packed gym, that often seats thousands of fans, in the middle of winter. Attending some of the biggest, most prestigious grassroots events throughout the summer is a perk of the job as well. However, there is nothing I enjoy as much as going to high school open gyms in the fall. By attending these preseason workouts I not only get a more intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the team, but it also provides a chance to spend time with our state's many great coaching staffs. In the month of September alone I attended 16 Indiana High School open gyms and have hit the ground running in October attending 12 workouts so far. Let's go over some thoughts and notes from each of my stops this fall.