Southern Semi-State Preview

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="178237" first="Amber" last="Tretter"] (2023) of Forest Park High School. There’s a running joke of "shorts by Semi-State", and that’s true some years. But while we had a nice mild day yesterday, the only thing warm on Saturday could be those nets heating up. The girls’ 2021-2022 state tournament is back on track with the Semi-State round this weekend. Four teams from each classification, 16 in total, try to make their mark on an already successful season by punching their tickets to Indianapolis and earning the opportunity to play at the recently renamed Gainbridge Fieldhouse (rolls right off your tongue, doesn’t it?). We wish the best of luck to all 16 teams remaining, and we encourage everyone to catch the action at one of the four sites this Saturday. Below is a quick look at the two Semi-State sites in the Southern half of the state.   Jasper Semi-State - Game-1 (Class 2A): University (23-4) vs. Forest Park (24-3), 4:00 p.m. EDT - Game-2 (Class 4A): Mooresville (19-8) vs. Franklin Community (27-1), 6:30 p.m. EDT Comments: University has one of the most balanced teams in Class 2A, as they have post play, guard play, and nice, athletic wings who can score the ball. While she might not be the leading scorer, to me, Junior front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="59743" first="Kelsey" last="DuBois"] is the toughest matchup on the Trailblazer roster. She has size and strength and is a presence in the paint at both ends of the floor, but she’s also a solid athlete and has perimeter skill offensively. She is one of the better passing frontline players in the state. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="59772" first="Payton" last="Seay"] and Senior [player_tooltip player_id="243579" first="Patty" last="Chikamba"] bring athleticism, toughness, and playmaking ability to the wing. They can be electric and score it in bunches. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="241194" first="Jordan" last="Patterson"] is a solid guard who does a little of everything well, while Freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id="331806" first="Taylor" last="Seay"] has had a nice start to her high school career. Forest Park is a tough matchup in general for most people, because they have good size across the board in their lineup. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="178237" first="Amber" last="Tretter"] is one of the more under-recruited frontline players in the state. She is extremely long, wiry-strong, and very bouncy. She plays hard, she seeks physicality, and she does a lot of the "little things". Senior guard Ali Welp is the veteran leader of the group, she can score the ball from different areas of the floor, and she can run/initiate the offense with solid height/size. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="59728" first="Lydia" last="Betz"] is another sizeable player who has length and strength, she’s a nice all-around athlete, and she too can score the ball from all areas or act as a point forward at times. Junior Carly Begle is the "blue collar" kid and helps with rebounding and interior defense. They’ve played a nice schedule and only lost to bigger schools along the way. Mooresville could be the Cinderella of the Class 4A "Ball" at this point. Knocking off both North Central (Indianapolis) and Ben Davis last weekend certainly raised some eyebrows. The Pioneers are a product of good, sound, fundamental basketball. They all play hard, smart, and know how to work within their system. Sophomore front-liners [player_tooltip player_id="177326" first="Rachel" last="Harshman"] and [player_tooltip player_id="239348" first="Kalyn" last="Bunch"] give them a formidable duo inside that can be physical and tough, they can control the glass, but they also have skill and touch facing the basket. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="182141" first="Madelynn" last="Denny"] is another tough-nosed, feisty kid, and she too plays with a great motor. She does a nice job of attacking gaps. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id="128146" first="Allison" last="Graber"] and [player_tooltip player_id="206423" first="Abigail" last="Young"] are strong athletes who can handle a little, shoot a little, and attack the basket. They are also effortful defenders. Franklin Community continues to be the nightmare matchup not many people want to see on the opposite bench. They play with a unique style of having perimeter shooting throughout their roster, while still being able to maintain solid height and length at each position. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id="97305" first="Ashlyn" last="Traylor"] and [player_tooltip player_id="61040" first="Kuryn" last="Brunson"] are problems on opponents. Traylor is a strong athlete who can make plays off the bounce or score the ball herself consistently. Brunson is a big-bodied wing who has really good ball skill and passing ability, so when she gets switched onto a post, she can break them down and attack. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="59785" first="Adelyn" last="Walker"] brings energy and athleticism, while Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id="326479" first="Erica" last="Buening"], [player_tooltip player_id="177336" first="Scarlett" last="Kimbrell"], and [player_tooltip player_id="176408" first="Lauren" last="Klem"], plus Junior [player_tooltip player_id="300067" first="Kyndell" last="Jochim"] are shot-makers with great range who can really stretch a defense. Class 2A Prediction: I truly think this contest could be one of the most entertaining ones throughout the state on Saturday. I think the starting lineups match up well, and both teams have faced (and beaten) good competition during the season. Where I am going to lean, is University has a lot more depth right now. That’s not to say Forest Park doesn’t have any, I just know the Trailblazers are bringing in more of a 1-for-1 replacement than a typical bench player when they substitute. In the end, I think the ability to score more bench points and maintain momentum will be crucial for University in this one. I will take the Trailblazers over the Rangers in this matchup, 48-42. Class 4A Prediction: Against both North Central and Ben Davis, Mooresville had to concentrate more on defending the post and protecting the lane from penetration against those two MIC opponents. The Grizzly Cubs are a much different type of matchup, because if you solely focus on protecting the paint, they can rain 3-pointers on you from as deep as 27-feet consistently. Mooresville is a tough, well-coached team, and they will absolutely play hard in this one, but I think it’s going to be tougher on them if they get stretched out defensively like that. Franklin already won the in-season matchup, 62-37, and while I think this one could be closer, it will still be tough on Mooresville to chase around all of Franklin’s guards and wings. Give me the Grizzly Cubs over the Pioneers, 57-41.   Jeffersonville Semi-State - Game-1 (Class 1A): Waldron (24-1) vs. Tecumseh (18-8), 1:00 p.m. EDT - Game-2 (Class 3A): Bishop Chatard (18-10) vs. Silver Creek (25-2), 3:00 p.m. EDT Comments: Waldron continues their dream season, and with a large Senior class. Their only loss came at the hands of a good Class 3A Tri-West team during a holiday tournament in late-December, and that was by a mere four points. They have since won 11 in a row. The Senior trio of [player_tooltip player_id="303401" first="Bella" last="Larrison"], Nichole Garner, and Megan Bogemann leads Waldron onto the floor each night. Larrison is the athletic wing/forward who makes plays at all levels. Garner is more of the facilitator, but she can also shoot/score the basketball. Bogemann is a wing scorer who finds shots at all levels. Senior forwards Hadlie Ross and Mackenzie Shaw help with rebounding and defending the interior. They have grown up together, they understand each other, and they should be scary for any opponent to face. Tecumseh might have eight losses, but none of them are to Class 1A schools, and five are against Class 3A/4A competition. They, too, are a tough-nosed, mostly veteran team, led by Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="97268" first="Kaybree" last="Oxley"]. She is a talented athlete, but she’s also a strong, assertive player who likes to operate in the mid-post. Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id="369833" first="Jenna" last="Donohoo"] adds a nice, strong, athletic forward who can also play on the interior, rebound, and defend. Junior guard Karsyn Flowers is a creative playmaker, an athlete, and she’s a capable scorer at each level. Senior front-liner [player_tooltip player_id="128207" first="Morgan" last="Wilson"] is a long, bouncy, and very active rebounder/defender type. Bishop Chatard is a surging team who has figured it out at the right time under this season’s new head coach. They began the year just 3-6, but over the last month they have won eight in a row, including two big wins last weekend against Tri-West and Indian Creek. The Lady Trojans play as many as six Seniors in their rotation on a given night, and most of them are guards, so they understand how to take care of the basketball and make things happen defensively. [player_tooltip player_id="243564" first="Isabel" last="Davis"], [player_tooltip player_id="270064" first="Grace" last="Adams"], and Kate Caskey lead that veteran guard play. Adams is primarily an unselfish facilitator, while Davis and Caskey can both distribute or score the ball. Junior forward Carline Bell and Senior forward Carly DeCastro score the ball around the hoop, rebound, and defend the interior. Silver Creek is trying to make it back-to-back appearances in the State Finals after winning the 2021 crown. This year they are a bit smaller, but one thing remains the same, and that’s the dynamic play of Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="128116" first="Kynidi" last="Striverson"]. She has been electric all year, and this season she has nearly doubled her scoring and improved her perimeter shooting. She will head to the University of Evansville next year. DePauw University commit [player_tooltip player_id="128122" first="Emme" last="Rooney"], also a Senior, brings toughness and skill both to the lineup. She can handle and initiate the offense at times, but she’s a strong driver, and she can make shots outside at a high level. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id="243587" first="Sydney" last="Sierota"] and Lacey Tingle can make open shots, but they pitch in a little more by causing havoc at the defensive end of the floor. Senior post Merideth Wilkinson has stepped into a much bigger role this season, and she actually gives them some size up front, especially defensively. Class 1A Prediction: I think this game will be much closer that what season records might indicate. While Waldron has been gearing up for this year and has a great deal of experience and veteran leadership, Tecumseh is tough and isn’t going to back down one bit. I think Waldron has much better and deeper perimeter play, so the combination of Oxley and Donohoo will have to be huge together for Tecumseh to win this one. At the end of the day, Waldron is just too deep and will come out on top, in my opinion, but like I said earlier, it will be a much tougher contest than records might suggest. I’ll take Waldron over Tecumseh, 47-42. Class 3A Prediction: While three of the top four teams based on Sagarin ratings remain in Class 3A, Bishop Chatard is the one outlier trying to wreck that party. Silver Creek is a little different caliber for them than last week’s competition, but Chatard does have the guard play to match up with the Dragons. I think this one is fairly even, and it will come down to making shots late, whether from the field or at the free throw line. Since Silver Creek goes into this one with a more comfortable, "been there, done that" attitude, I’m not sure late-game pressure will affect them as much. I think the Dragons will make shots/plays when they need to, and they’ll beat the Lady Trojans, 49-41.