Prep Hoops Indiana State Championship Recaps and Takeaways

Twenty-Five Days ago we started 404 teams. Saturday, March 28th, we are down to eight teams looking to etch their names into history as Indiana High School Basketball State Champions. Class 1A saw the 27-1 Barr-Reeve Vikings face the 25-3 Triton Trojans. Class 2A had the 26-4 Parke Heritage Wolves face the 27-1 Westview Warriors. In Class 3A, the 24-5 Indianapolis Cathedral Fighting Irish faced the 22-7 New Haven Bulldogs. In the night cap for the 4A State Championship, the 27-3 Mt Vernon (Fortville) Marauders took on the 25-1 Crown Point Bulldogs. Here are the recaps and the takeaways from each of Saturday's State Championship Games:   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 1A: Barr-Reeve vs Triton</h2>   The Barr-Reeve Vikings used a big second half outscoring the Triton Trojans 30-17 behind Vikings Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1561017' first='Korben' last='Boyd'] with 11 points off the bench to defeat Triton 50-37. Triton started off the game on a 9-2 run, but Barr-Reeve clawed back to tied it at 20 at the break. In the 3rd Quarter, Barr-Reeve took a quick 5 point lead and never looked back. Tritom Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2795487' first='Julian' last='Swanson'] led all scorers with 16 points and did his best keeping the Trojans within striking distance. Barr-Reeve made one final push in the 4th Quarter to extend their lead into double digits and finished it out with the programs third State Championship. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='3527814' first='Josh' last='Miller'] led the Vikings with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='3148411' first='Jaylon' last='Graber'] was also in double figures with 11 points to go along with 4 assists.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_6316-rotated-crop-4284x2813-1774753510.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/IMG_6316-rotated-crop-4284x2813-1774753510.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-3574008" /></a></figure>   Takeaway: Can They Repeat?   The Barr-Reeve Vikings finished the season 28-1 capping it off with a 1A State Championship. In the State Title Game, they played a six-man rotation that included one senior, two juniors, and three sophomores. They graduate 3 seniors off this year's team, but return all five starters and will add pieces off a highly successful JV team that won 19 games this season. The Barr-Reeve Vikings future is in good hands and will surely head into next season as the #1 Class 1A Favorites.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 2A: Parke Heritage vs Westview</h2>   Parke Heritage was in control of most of the first half as the Wolves came out scorching hot from three behind Junior Guard [player_tooltip player_id='2756991' first='Brenden' last='Goins'] going 3-4 from three on his way to 11 first half points. Huntington Commit [player_tooltip player_id='1560965' first='Treigh' last='Schelsky'] also got off to a fast start with 8 points and 4 assists. Westview didn't go away though as they went on a 12-2 run in the second quarter after trailing 22-11 to get within 24-23. Parke Heritage answered with a 6-0 run, but Westview was able to answer once more with 5 quick points to end the half behind Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2391343' first='Kaden' last='Grau'] with 10 points and 5 rebounds Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2622228' first='Austin' last='Schlabach'] with 7 points and 4 assists to trail 30-28 at the half.   The game of runs continued in the second half as it would look like Parke Heritage was ready to run away with it, but Westview, behind the entire team's hot shooting from 3, got them their first lead in the early 4th Quarter on quick 7-0 run to lead 52-48. For Parke Heritage it became [player_tooltip player_id='1560965' first='Treigh' last='Schelsky'] time has he finished with timely buckets and made the biggest play of the game with a drive and dump off to Taylor University Commit [player_tooltip player_id='2272232' first='Isaac' last='Pickel'] to give the Wolves the 57-56 lead with 8.4 seconds left. Westview's [player_tooltip player_id='2622228' first='Austin' last='Schlabach'] was able to get in the lane and got a good look that bounced on the rim multiple times before ultimately falling off at the buzzer as the Parke Heritage Wolves defeated Westview 57-56 to win the Class 2A State Championship. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1560965' first='Treigh' last='Schelsky'] and Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2756991' first='Brenden' last='Goins'] led Parke Heritage with 17 points and 5 assists each. Junior Carter scrum also in double figures with 13 points and 4 rebounds. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2391343' first='Kaden' last='Grau'] led Westview with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2622228' first='Austin' last='Schlabach'] finished with 13 points and 8 assists.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_1201-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1774753594.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG_1201-scaled-crop-1920x1261-1774753594.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-3574009" /></a></figure>   Takeaway: Parke Heritage Resiliency   Parke Heritage was able to control most of the game, but were never quite able to land the knockout blow. Westview was hot from three shooting 12-26 for the game and was able to get the lead late. Under a minute to go and the Wolves fouling and seeing their chances at a State Championship slip away, they found a way once again. [player_tooltip player_id='1560965' first='Treigh' last='Schelsky'], a Huntington Commit made the play of the game with a drive and dish to [player_tooltip player_id='2272232' first='Isaac' last='Pickel'] defies everything that makes him a great player. They were down but never out. His entire high school career, he made big play after big play when the game was on the line. [player_tooltip player_id='2272232' first='Isaac' last='Pickel'] didn't have his normal game finishing with 5 points and 8 rebounds, but was ready to make a play when it mattered most. The trials and tribulations of making it to three straight semi-states and not getting over the hump until this year, and to cap it off with their ultimate goal of a State Championship shows the mental toughness and resiliency in the Parke Heritage Basketball Program.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 3A: Indianapolis Cathedral vs New Haven</h2>   Indianapolis Cathedral and New Haven are at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a reason. Two athletic teams that can pressure defensively and put pressure on the rim offensively. Cathedral got going early and often and looked like they were going to run away with this game. behind Mount St. Mary's Commit [player_tooltip player_id='1561435' first='Julien' last='Smith'] and Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2414964' first='Owen' last='Peterson'], the Irish led 20-7 in the 2nd Quarter. New Haven didn't go away though behind Junior Guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140444' first='Tarvar' last='Baskerville II'] leading the charge in a 13-2 run to get back within 1. Cathedral was able to push their lead back to 30-24 before Senior Guard [player_tooltip player_id='2892459' first='Jadrien' last='Ezell'] got going scoring 12 points off the bench for the Bulldogs. For Cathedral, Detroit Mercy Commit [player_tooltip player_id='1561135' first='Keaton' last='Aldridge Jr'] was able to get going late after a rough start with turnover issues. He scored the Fighting Irish last 7 points of the half finish with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists as Cathedral leads New Haven 37-29 at the half. Smith leads all scorers in the game with 13 points for Cathedral. Peterson in double figures with 10 points and 4 rebounds. Baskerville finished the half with 10 points.   New Haven started the second half in a blaze on a 12-2 run to take a 41-39 lead and riding it to end the 3rd Quarter leading 51-49. New Haven was outworking Cathedral to get offensive rebounds along with turning the Irish over. With 6:29 to play New Haven was clinging to a 55-54. From then on, New Haven missed 14 of their last 16 shots and Cathedral, though was just 21-36 (58.3%) from the line in the game, the Irish were able to make enough plays down the stretch to defeat New Haven 71-61 to win the Class 3A State Championship, the program's third in school history. [player_tooltip player_id='1561435' first='Julien' last='Smith'] led all scorers with 21 points to go along with 9 rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id='1561135' first='Keaton' last='Aldridge Jr'] finished with a double-double 17 points and 11 rebounds to go along with 6 assists. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2140441' first='Skylar' last='Rodgers'] was in double figures with 12 points. [player_tooltip player_id='2414964' first='Owen' last='Peterson'] rounds out the double figure scorers for the Irish with a double-double of his own with 11 points and 10 rebounds. New Haven was led by Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2140444' first='Tarvar' last='Baskerville II'] with 20 points. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2892459' first='Jadrien' last='Ezell'] with 15 points and 3 rebounds off the bench. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2837232' first='Lavell' last='Ledbetter'] finished with 9 points and 7 rebounds in the loss.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/IMG_6180-rotated-crop-4284x2813-1774753768.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/IMG_6180-rotated-crop-4284x2813-1774753768.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-3574014" /></a></figure>   Takeaway: The Speed, Size, and Athleticism of Both Teams   The 3A State Championship game was played at a blistering pace. Indianapolis Cathedral under Coach Jason Delaney has been known for a long time of playing at a fast and physical pace. With the duo of [player_tooltip player_id='1561435' first='Julien' last='Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1561135' first='Keaton' last='Aldridge Jr'], two guys that welcome contact, New Haven was able to match the speed and physicality of the Irish, and at times outplay them at their own game. Love the way [player_tooltip player_id='2140444' first='Tarvar' last='Baskerville II'] was able to score in a variety of different ways while [player_tooltip player_id='2837232' first='Lavell' last='Ledbetter'], DaMarcus Wright, and Jayon Thomas were able to compete on the boards for most of the game. It was a high level 3A State Championship with two teams that played extremely hard the wa   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 4A: Mt. Vernon (Fortville) vs Crown Point</h2>   A battle between arguably the top two players in the state. The likely Mr Basketball in Purdue Commit [player_tooltip player_id='1728587' first='Luke' last='Ertel'] from Mt Vernon and UIC Commit [player_tooltip player_id='1561617' first='Dikembe' last='Shaw'] of Crown Point. It was a balanced effort for the Bulldogs in the first half as they led from the jump. Their game plan to make everything difficult for Ertel was played to perfection as the Bulldogs led by 10, 30-20 at the half. They were able to have three different runs of 5-0 and a 6-0 run in the first half against Mt. Vernon. Shaw led the Bulldogs at the half with 9 points and 5 rebounds. Bellarmine Commit [player_tooltip player_id='1561445' first='Mason' last='Darrell'] knocked down a deep 3 just before the halftime buzzer to give him 7 points to go along with 6 rebounds. Senior Guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561063' first='Kingston' last='Rhodes'] also finished the half with 7 points. Ertel struggled from the field in the first half going 2-10, but was still able to convert 6-6 from the line to lead all scorers with 11 points to go along with 6 rebounds. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2140419' first='Max' last='Vise'] followed with 2 rebounds.   The way the game was played on the first half, the second half was a complete 180°. It turned into the [player_tooltip player_id='1728587' first='Luke' last='Ertel'] Show. The Purdue Signee did in the second half what he has done all season long as Mt. Vernon outscored Crown Point 32-20 in the second half to defeat Crown Point 52-50 to win the Class 4A State Championship. Mt. Vernon took their first lead of the ball at 40-38 with 4:53 to play in the game. The Marauders were able to convert 8-10 from the line to secure the victory. Ertel finished with a game high 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2140419' first='Max' last='Vise'] also in double figures with 12 points to go along with 5 rebounds. For Crown Point, UIC Commit [player_tooltip player_id='1561617' first='Dikembe' last='Shaw'] was excellent all game finishing with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1561063' first='Kingston' last='Rhodes'] was also in double figures finishing with 10 points and 5 rebounds in the loss.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/BA6E7AD0-B3C0-4D2C-9452-B4BE75320D8C-crop-1024x673-1774754368.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/BA6E7AD0-B3C0-4D2C-9452-B4BE75320D8C-crop-1024x673-1774754368.png?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-3574028" /></a></figure>     Takeaway: Purdue Basketball Future in Great Hands with [player_tooltip player_id='1728587' first='Luke' last='Ertel'] On The Way   The Class 4A State Championship was far from [player_tooltip player_id='1728587' first='Luke' last='Ertel']'s best game. In fact, I'd say in the first half, he flat out struggled shooting. The way he plays the game, his mentality is second to none. He didn't let his struggles affect him one bit. He figured out ways to impact the game in other ways when his shot wasn't falling. With the graduation of Braden Smith at Purdue, Luke has the chance to follow in the same path as the Former Mr Basketball and be given the keys to the Boilers. Ertel is a National Four-Star Recruit ranked #46 prospect according to 247Sports Composite Ranking and #1 in Indiana.

Twenty-Five Days ago we started 404 teams. Saturday, March 28th, we are down to eight teams looking to etch their names into history as Indiana High School Basketball State Champions. Class 1A saw the 27-1 Barr-Reeve Vikings face the 25-3 Triton Trojans. Class 2A had the 26-4 Parke Heritage Wolves face the 27-1 Westview Warriors. In Class 3A, the 24-5 Indianapolis Cathedral Fighting Irish faced the 22-7 New Haven Bulldogs. In the night cap for the 4A State Championship, the 27-3 Mt Vernon (Fortville) Marauders took on the 25-1 Crown Point Bulldogs. Here are the recaps and the takeaways from each of Saturday's State Championship Games: