Season Update: The HHC
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The featured image is of Isabella Gizzi Isabella Gizzi 5'7" | PG New Palestine | 2023 State IN of New Palestine High School. Periodically throughout the season, I want to take the time to look in on several of the…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Isabella Gizzi Isabella Gizzi 5'7" | PG New Palestine | 2023 State IN of New Palestine High School.
Periodically throughout the season, I want to take the time to look in on several of the state’s conferences. I’ll take a peek at what teams are performing well, who the top prospects are, upcoming games, etc. The Hoosier Heritage Conference was formed in 1993 with six original members. Those original six included Greenfield-Central, Hamilton Southeastern, Mount Vernon (Fortville), New Palestine, Pendleton Heights, and Rushville Consolidated. Delta and Shelbyville helped expand the HHC to eight teams in 1997, Hamilton Southeastern left for the Hoosier Crossroads Conference in 1998, and then Yorktown came aboard in 1999 to round the group out at eight once again. The only change to follow was in 2013, when Rushville Consolidated went to the Eastern Indiana Conference, but New Castle joined for individual sports during that season, then as a full-time member in 2014.
I had a hard time tracking down HHC girls’ basketball championships before 2001, but over the last 20 years, Mount Vernon with seven titles (one shared), and Pendleton Heights with six titles (two shared), stand out from the group. Greenfield-Central (3), Rushville Consolidated (3), Shelbyville (2), Delta (1), and New Palestine (1) have all claimed Hoosier Heritage Conference girls’ basketball titles as well. Currently, four of the eight schools sit above .500, while four are under .500 in terms of overall winning percentage. Mount Vernon was somewhat of a favorite entering the season, with Pendleton Heights and New Palestine likely to push them, and such has taken form. As for scheduling, Mount Vernon has played an intense schedule that will only get tougher later this month, a couple of other schools are inside or right around the Top-100, while the others are all inside of the Top-200. Additionally, each of these schools has produced small college talent pretty regularly, while a couple of them have rostered a Division-I prospect or two every so often.
School | Record | Conference | Schedule Strength |
Mount Vernon | 8-5 | 2-0 | 9 |
Pendleton Heights | 9-6 | 5-1 | 57 |
New Palestine | 9-7 | 5-1 | 121 |
Yorktown | 8-4 | 2-2 | 178 |
Greenfield-Central | 4-8 | 2-2 | 97 |
New Castle | 1-9 | 1-3 | 189 |
Shelbyville | 5-11 | 1-4 | 104 |
Delta | 3-11 | 0-5 | 140 |
Schedule strength is figured out of 400 qualifying schools in the state, regardless of classification.
Mount Vernon (Fortville)
The Marauders have dealt with their share of COVID interruptions, having had action halted for a couple of weeks in mid-November and then again in early December. They have still somehow managed to squeeze in 13 games, but they find themselves with a January slate of 11 contests, with five of the last six being HHC makeup games (and four of those are on the road). Their schedule is no joke, having already played Franklin, Warren Central, Rushville, East Central, Westfield, Bishop Chatard, Norwell, Evansville Memorial, and Mooresville, with another tough upcoming non-conference game against Noblesville next week. Having already knocked off New Palestine and Pendleton Heights, though, there is a nice path to the HHC title, as long as the Marauders don’t get interrupted again or get in their own way. Mount Vernon leans heavily on several upperclassmen and a talented Freshman. Senior wing
Lexi Shelton
Lexi
Shelton
5'8" | SF
Mt. Vernon (Fortville) | 2021
State
IN
is a four-year starter who shoots the ball extremely well from the perimeter. She is tough-nosed and plays with a good basketball IQ as well. 6-0 Senior forward
Olivia Yeley
Olivia
Yeley
6'0" | PF
Mt. Vernon (Fortville) | 2021
State
IN
uses here length and athleticism in multiple sports, but she has become a nice interior threat on the hardwood. Freshman wing
Ellery Minch
Ellery
Minch
6'3" | PF
Mt. Vernon (Fortville) | 2024
State
IN
already possesses Division-I offers/interest, and the 6-1 point forward type can play inside or out. Senior point guard
Abby Worley
Abby
Worley
5'3" | PG
Mt. Vernon (Fortville) | 2021
State
IN
had an outstanding Summer/Fall, and she’s great at taking care of the ball and getting it where it needs to go. Juniors Maddie Swingle, Riley Britt,
Alaina Nugent
Alaina
Nugent
5'11" | SF
Mt. Vernon (Fortville) | 2022
State
IN
, and Shay Shipley have all contributed in different ways throughout this season, as have additional Seniors Katie Gawrys, Riley Hasseld, and Faith Hayes.
Pendleton Heights
After playing just two games at the beginning of the month before shutting it down in November, the Arabians got back to action December 2 and haven’t looked back. That layoff did force several postponements on them, however, so they have a 12-game month in January staring them in the face, with a big game last night in the Madison County Tournament Championship. The Arabians have also played several quality non-conference opponents, like Westfield, Hamilton Southeastern, Frankton, Fishers, and Alexandria-Monroe. Rushville, Shenandoah, and Noblesville also loom in the second half of this month. They have just the one HHC game left…a big one against New Palestine…and if they can manage to take that, they would be in prime position to tie for a conference championship, should Mount Vernon slip at all in any of their final five HHC contests. Pendleton Heights has a nice mixture of experience and youthful energy throughout their roster. The leader, though, is Senior guard
Kylie Davis
Kylie
Davis
5'7" | SG
Pendleton Heights | 2021
State
IN
(17.8p, 3.0r, 2.2a, 2.2s). She has been a nice multisport athlete throughout her career, and she is having a very nice Senior season. Junior wing Abi Rosenkrans (11.3p, 5.7r, 2.9a) provides support around the perimeter, while Sophomore forward
Whitney Warfel
Whitney
Warfel
5'10" | PF
Pendleton Heights | 2023
State
IN
(9.4p, 4.2r, 2.0a) has found her niche along the frontline. Junior forwards Kylea Lloyd (7.6p, 7.0r) and Hailee Brunnemer (7.3p, 3.5r) add size and length, while Senor forward Gracie Conkling (6.5p, 3.8r) adds versatility and size inside and out.
New Palestine
New Palestine has hovered around the 10-win mark throughout most of the 2000s, but over the last six years, they have found themselves as an upper echelon team in the HHC. Just like with Pendleton Heights, their matchup next Thursday is equally important to the Dragons should Mount Vernon fall in the HHC, as New Palestine is also sitting with one loss right now. Their schedule has included Lawrence North, Rushville, Noblesville, Warren Central, and Hamilton Southeastern, plus they still have Triton Central and Cardinal Ritter left on their non-conference schedule. The Dragons are fairly well-balanced in terms of production, and they look to a nice mixture of players for results. Sophomore point guard
Isabella Gizzi
Isabella
Gizzi
5'7" | PG
New Palestine | 2023
State
IN
(11.6p, 4.4r, 2.0a, 2.6s) stepped into the starting lineup a year ago, but this time around she is now looked upon to help lead the team. She has a nice grit to her game, and she takes care of the ball and gets it where it needs to go. Junior wing Anna Ackerman (9.4p, 3.1r) and Senior wing Addi Jones (7.9p, 8.1r, 2.4a, 2.2s) are both very versatile, and they can help with perimeter duties as well. Junior forward Grace Marshall (5.0p, 4.3r) isn’t overly tall, but she does provide good energy and plays much bigger than she is along the frontline. Senior forward Faith Hensel (4.4p, 2.4r), plus Junior guards Rachel Kelley (4.2p), and Alaina Miller (2.8p), give New Palestine quality minutes in the rotation. Freshman wing
Koryn Marshall
Koryn
Marshall
5'8" | SF
Heritage Christian | 2024
IN
(2.7p, 2.6r) is a promising youngster.
Yorktown
Yorktown has been pretty solid the last four years behind their 2021 backcourt duo. This season, minus a three-game losing streak to Westfield, Jay County, and New Palestine, they have played well-enough to nearly be undefeated throughout the rest of their schedule. They still have Frankton in their non-conference season, plus Mount Vernon in Hoosier Heritage Conference play, but otherwise they should have good opportunities to approach 15 wins this season. As for that backcourt, Senior point guard
Carley Culberson
Carley
Culberson
5'8" | PG
Yorktown | 2021
State
IN
(18.5p, 4.0r, 2.7a, 4.1s) and Senior sharpshooter
Elizabeth Reece
Elizabeth
Reece
5'3" | CG
Yorktown | 2021
State
IN
(13.9p, 3.5r, 2.0a, 2.2s) are the type of players that have opposing coaches thrilled to see that graduation date fast approaching. Now that they are fully healthy again, they are a real nuisance to rival backcourts. Sophomore point guard Amari Wright (6.5p, 2.6r, 2.6a) has stepped into a more prominent role in her second year, as has Sophomore wing Camryn Isaacs (4.3p, 2.9r). 6-0 Senior post Jaylynn Dunsmore (4.0p, 4.3r) provides great size and strength in the paint, and she deters opponents from driving the lane more than once. Sophomore guard Raya Tewari (3.6p), Senior post Savannah Baker (3.5p, 4.5r), Sophomore post Jenna Sylvester (2.4p, 4.3r), and Sophomore forward Gretchen Moore (3.0r) round out their nine-player rotation.
Greenfield-Central
Gone are the days of Madison Wise and Hannah Ferrell, but this Cougar team has turned into a scrappy group who competes on most nights. After just a 1-5 start to the season, they have split their last six games, with a nice double overtime win against Lapel, and a double-digit win against an improving Shelbyville squad. The Cougars still have to face Plainfield, Indian Creek, and Avon in non-conference competition this month, plus Mount Vernon and Yorktown in HHC action, so 10 wins could be a tough task. Greenfield-Central has struggled to score points at times, and they tend to lean heavily on their starting five to play a majority of the minutes. Senior forward
Addison Hill
Addison
Hill
5'9" | SF
Greenfield-Central | 2021
State
IN
(12.7p, 4.3r, 2.9a) has been asked to do a number of new things for the Cougars this season, including taking on primary ball-handler responsibilities and shooting the 3-pointer much more often. Senior forward Brooke Herrell (10.4p, 5.8r, 2.1s) is their other main source of offense, and she can play inside-out as well. Sophomore forward Aryana Hibbard (6.9p, 2.6r), Senior wing Caroline Gibson (3.6p, 4.3r), and Sophomore post Schuyler Sparks (3.9r) round out the lineup. The Cougars are without Sophomore guard Brianna McConnell, who put together a really nice Summer/Fall season and would have been one of their best players this Winter.
New Castle
The Lady Trojans struggled with COVID quarantines and postponements early this season, and they didn’t even play a game until December 1. They were able to play seven in December and have 10 on January’s schedule, plus there are still several open dates to be rescheduled, if they can find the time. New Castle’s lone win is against Delta, giving the Trojans a leg up right now in the Hoosier Heritage Conference standings on the Eagles. They have been pretty consistent scoring it, averaging right at 40 points per game; they’ll just have to work on limiting their opponents’ output moving forward. Leading the way for the Trojans is Senior wing Macayla McGowan (14.0p, 9.8r). She is a smooth shooter/scorer with good height and length. Junior wing Maddy Meek (9.5p, 2.5r) and Sophomore post
Sakagawea Watson
Sakagawea
Watson
6'0" | C
New Castle | 2023
IN
(8.0p, 4.7r, 2.3b) have been limited to just a couple of games each, so if they can return to consistent minutes, it will definitely bolster the lineup. In the meantime, Senior guard Mackenzie Bridgeman (5.9p, 2.6r), Freshman forward Morley Blessinger (4.9p, 3.9r), Sophomore forward Jayci Reeves (4.6p, 2.1r), Freshman point guard Emma Hart (3.0p, 2.6r), and Sophomore forward Chloe Vaughn (2.9p, 2.3r) are part of a young nucleus that could develop over the next couple of years.
Shelbyville
The Golden Bears have struggled to win more than five games over each of the last five seasons, but they feel like they have a group right now that is continuing to develop and improve, and who could win upwards of 10 or more games in 2021-2022. They are already at the five-win mark this season, but with just six regular season games left, and Rushville, Mount Vernon, and Triton Central among that mix, it could be tough to get to 10 this season. Shelbyville has been a different team since the arrival of Sophomore guard
Kylee Edwards
Kylee
Edwards
5'7" | SG
Shelbyville | 2023
State
IN
(18.5p, 5.4r, 2.1a, 3.2s) last season. She is a multisport athlete with talent, skill, poise, and understanding on the hardwood. Whenever she’s able to get going, the Golden Bears are in games. But Edwards has missed the last couple of games with a minor injury, so her return will be key come tournament time. Junior wing Jaidyn Tackett (9.2p, 5.9r, 2.1s) is a three-year letter-winner, and her experience and ability to play at all three levels definitely helps. Junior post
Madison Phares
Madison
Phares
5'10" | PF
Shelbyville | 2022
State
IN
(8.2p, 6.1r) and Junior forward Madison Bassett (4.9p, 2.0r) each had nice stretches of play this past Summer/Fall, and they provide a strong interior presence, with skill facing the basket as well. Freshman Ava Wilson (5.6p, 2.3r) has been a nice addition to the rotation, plus Senior Megan Eads (4.1p) has been a consistent threat shooting the ball around the perimeter.
Delta
Delta got off to a 2-0 start this season, but they’ve played several quality non-conference teams like Tipton, Northeastern, Winchester, Bluffton, Cowan, and Eastbrook. They do have some opportunities coming up to pick up a few more wins, but the likes of Jay County and Mount Vernon are also looming out there for them later in January. The Eagles aren’t very tall, and they have been bitten by a couple of key departures, but there are some nice young prospects in the program. With the 2020 graduation of
Kassidy Dishman
Kassidy
Dishman
5'7" | CG
Delta | 2020
State
IN
, and the sudden Fall transfer of
Gracie Gilland
Gracie
Gilland
5'8" | SG
Wes-Del | 2022
State
IN
to Wes-Del, Junior guard Addie Chester has taken on a much bigger responsibility. She is a talented athlete already committed to the University of Louisville for soccer, but she has improved her handle, and her jump-shot is a real threat this season, as she is making all types of shots from the perimeter. Dishman (13.6p, 4.0a) and Gilland (14.6p) were the top two scorers and Dishman was the primary ball-handler a year ago. Those losses have opened up a big opportunity for Sophomore point guard Abby Rouse, who found herself playing exclusively JV as a Freshman last year. She is now a shooting/scoring threat for the Eagles, and she plays with a nice feistiness to her game. Sophomore forward Sydney Stroble has played much stronger and more confident, and Freshman backup post Paizley Cool offers them a strong 6-1 frame with nice potential.