State Finals Preview: Class 2A

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='178237' first='Amber' last='Tretter'] (2023) of Forest Park High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And here we are...it's the end of the road for the eight teams remaining in the IHSAA state tournament, with the four finals games just hours away. I went back and looked at the preseason articles I put together identifying a Top-10 team list for each classification, along with a short list of other teams to "keep an eye on". Of the eight state finalists, six were ranked in those Top-10s, five in the Top-3 of their respective classes, and the other two schools were among the "keep an eye on" teams. In Class 2A, Forest Park began the season as our #3 team heading into the season, while Lapel was in the "keep an eye on" section due to some unknowns and new players to the roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+2">Lapel (22-7) vs. Forest Park (25-3)</font></strong><br><em>approximately 12:45 p.m. ET, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lapel:</strong> Lapel was a solid 9-5 before Christmas, but they are 13-2 since, including their current 7-game winning streak that has them in the Class 2A State Finals. In fact, their run this postseason has been quite impressive, with all six of their opponents having won 17 or more games, and the six teams combining for an .801 winning percentage (<em>125-31 record combined</em>). The Lady Bulldogs rely on a strong group of forwards and wings to lead them, and they dominated the interior last weekend. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='486521' first='Laniah' last='Wills'] has been spectacular at times this season, and her 24-point, 15-rebound performance to help beat 25-4 Andrean stands out. She is a tremendous athlete with developing skill. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='331773' first='Madelyn' last='Poynter'] has also made a nice impact in her second year in the program. She has really nice length, fluid athleticism, and the ability to make shots or attack the basket and score. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='460836' first='Deannaya' last='Haseman'] will be playing her final game in a Bulldog uniform Saturday, and she has had a nice career. She is strong, can play physical, but she's skilled and can shoot it. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='496029' first='Jaylee' last='Hubble'], Senior guard <strong>Kerith Renihan</strong>, and Junior guard <strong>Rosemary Likens</strong> all help with ball-handling responsibilities, while Junior wing <strong>Anna Lee Stow</strong> is a wing option off the bench.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Forest Park:</strong> The Lady Rangers return for the second consecutive year, and they hope this drive to Indianapolis is as productive as last year's, as they are the defending champions. Repeating is incredibly tough, but the Rangers were strong throughout the regular season, with one of their losses coming to a Kentucky school with the enrollment equivalent to a Class 4A Indiana school, in addition to losses to Class 3A Southridge and Class 3A State Finalist Corydon Central. Not only do they possess the experience of what last year taught them, but they will also likely start five Seniors, with a Junior as their primary substitute. 6-1 Senior [player_tooltip player_id='178237' first='Amber' last='Tretter'] brings the combination of height, length, talent, and skill to the floor each game, plus she always plays with effort and physicality. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='574547' first='Carley' last='Begle'] is a worker inside as well, and she plays a lot bigger than she is. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='59728' first='Lydia' last='Betz'] will handle the ball a lot, she can knock down shots outside, but she has the frame and strength to battle inside as well, when necessary. The Rangers will rely heavily on those three for offensive production, so if anyone else can step up, that would be outstanding for them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> This is a tough one for me, because I want to lean on Forest Park's success and experience, but Lapel is talented. The Freshman Wills will cause a lot of problems inside, and she'll be an athletic presence Tretter hasn't matched up against most nights. Neither team has a traditional point guard among their top three or four players, so taking care of the ball will be critical early in this contest. I really like a lot of the individual matchups and the potential for there to be some intriguing storylines, but I think I am still going to lean towards Forest Park's experience, especially the fact they were here a year ago, and you can't replicate that if you're Lapel. With that being said, I will take Forest Park over Lapel, 44-39.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Players to Watch:</strong><br>Forest Park - [player_tooltip player_id='178237' first='Amber' last='Tretter'], 2023 - 15.9p, 8.9r, 2.3a<br>Forest Park - [player_tooltip player_id='574547' first='Carley' last='Begle'], 2023 - 11.3p, 5.2r<br>Forest Park - [player_tooltip player_id='59728' first='Lydia' last='Betz'], 2023 - 9.1p, 2.3r, 3.2a<br>Forest Park - <strong>Gabey Gray</strong>, 2023 - 4.3p, 3.8r<br>Forest Park - <strong>Danielle Eckert</strong>, 2023 - 2.5p<br>Forest Park - <strong>Katlyn Betz</strong>, 2024 - 2.1p<br>Lapel - [player_tooltip player_id='486521' first='Laniah' last='Wills'], 2026 - 16.0p, 12.3r<br>Lapel - [player_tooltip player_id='331773' first='Madelyn' last='Poynter'], 2024 - 11.3p, 4.0r<br>Lapel - [player_tooltip player_id='460836' first='Deannaya' last='Haseman'], 2023 - 8.9p, 2.7r, 2.5a<br>Lapel - [player_tooltip player_id='496029' first='Jaylee' last='Hubble'], 2023 - 6.5p, 2.0r<br>Lapel - <strong>Kerith Renihan</strong>, 2023 - 4.3p, 3.1a<br>Lapel - <strong>Anna Lee Stow</strong>, 2024 - 3.6p, 2.6r</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->