High School Spotlight: South Ripley Raiders

<!-- 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 South Ripley Raiders.</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 13-10 last season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Defeated by Houser in Sectionals.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Head Coach Steve Beach returns for 3rd season as the head coach. 24-23 overall record.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Viewed as a team that can make a deep run in Class 2A state tournament. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id='1907680' first='Cole' last='Henry']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like it has been for the past few years, when you talk about South Ripley as a team, it all starts with the man in the middle, 2025 power forward [player_tooltip player_id='1907680' first='Cole' last='Henry']. The 6'7 forward has seen a steady rise in his stock over the years with him bringing back a near double-double of 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. His versatility, size, and skill easily make him the top player of this Raiders squad as there is not a whole lot that he cannot do on the floor. He brings athleticism, rim protection, smooth shooting, and straight power around the basket. Right now, he holds offers from schools such as IU-East and Saint Francis but you can expect schools at all levels to get involved before his senior year comes to an end. This South Ripley team will go as far as what Henry can take. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Breakout Player: [player_tooltip player_id='2053681' first='Blaine' last='Ward']</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You can make a strong case that when it comes to Class 2A in the state, this South Ripley team has one of the best 1-2 punch duos out of all the teams. We already discussed [player_tooltip player_id='1907680' first='Cole' last='Henry'] in great detail, but his fellow senior teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2053681' first='Blaine' last='Ward'] deserves to be recognized as the potential breakout player on this year's team. When it comes to Ward, he is without a doubt the best pure shooter on this South Ripley team. He averaged 15.8 points and 3.5 assists per game last season and comes back as the top guard on this team. His deep range from the lead guard spot really opens up the South Ripley offense and while he is known as a shooter, he can also make plays as a passer, defender, and straight toughness around the basket. Small colleges should be very interested in this guy. </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='2140354' first='Drew' last='Volz'] - Sophomore</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2539946' first='Eli' last='Gilpin'] - Freshman</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2477290' first='Blake' last='Gunter'] - Freshman</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Landon Warner - Freshman</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Bryson Sipples - Junior</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>vs Hauser (12/13)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs Orleans (South Ridge Tournament, 12/28)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Ripley County Tournament (1/8-1/11)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs Lawrenceburg (2/1)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs Greensburg (2/22)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->