County Countdown: from Pike to Ohio

About once a year, I take the time to do a regional breakdown of the top players in the state. In the past, I have done the biggest cities, or a metropolitan area with surrounding counties. This time, I wanted to work county by county through all 92 of Indiana's counties and highlight some of the top players in each county. I plan on doing this by approximate population, starting with the lowest populated county in the state...Ohio County. Each article will have enough counties to cover at minimum 10 high schools, and as I close in on the top of the list, it might just be one or two counties at a time. All players considered come from the classes of 2026, 2027, and 2028.   .   84. Pike County (est. pop. 12,106) Pike County resides in Southwest Indiana, just Northeast of Evansville. There is only one school in Pike County, and that is Pike Central High School. The Chargers had a great string of success in the 1990s, winning six consecutive Sectional and Regional titles from 1990-1995. They had another nice stretch from 2003-2007, though no Sectional titles during that span. Since then, it has been a struggle to post winning records, but they have a younger nucleus now, and they'll look to youngsters like 5-5 2027 guard [player_tooltip player_id='890882' first='Alyssa' last='McCutchan'] for leadership and improved play.   .   85. Blackford County (est. pop. 11,893) The Bruins of Blackford High School occupy Blackford County alone. The Bruins have seen their ups and downs over the years, winning three total Sectional titles, with the last coming during the 2008-2009 season, but they have not advanced past the Regional. They currently have a somewhat inexperienced roster led by 6-1 2026 front-liner Rylee Heiser (6.1p, 3.9r). They will look to approach 10 wins again in 2025-2026. Blackford County is located immediately North of Delaware County, home to Muncie, Indiana.   .   86. Crawford County (est. pop. 10,438) Crawford County is in Southern Indiana, Central along the Ohio River, just West of Louisville, Kentucky. Crawford County High School is the lone high school within the county lines. The Wolfpack has just three Sectional titles to its credit (1977, 1982, 1993), but they've had their share of winning seasons and are a handful to deal with.   PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:    Emery is long, wiry, bouncy, and an all-around nice athlete. She has a lot of untapped potential, but she has committed to playing a full grassroots slate this Spring, so it should undoubtedly help her improve, while also increasing her visibility in terms of her recruiting. She has nice skill, some touch to near the 3-point line, plus she can sit down and defend some away from the basket or protect the paint. Emery averaged 16.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game as a Junior.    .   87. Switzerland County (est. pop. 10,019) With these smaller counties, there is a common theme here. Switzerland County is also home to one high school...Switzerland County High School. The Pacers have six Sectional titles under their belt, the most recent coming during the 2014-2015, but they are typically always competitive and a tough "out" during state tournament time. Next season, 5-6 2026 wing Addie Kelso (12.7p, 3.7r) and 5-8 2026 forward Lauren Smith (7.5p, 5.0r, 1.9a, 2.0s) look to help lead them to double digit wins once again. Switzerland County is in Southeastern Indiana, not far from Cincinnati, along the Ohio River.   .   88. Martin County (est. pop. 9,897) Martin County is the lone county in this article home to two schools. The Loogootee Lions and the Shoals Jug Rox share the long, slender county just Southwest of Bloomington. Loogootee has produced a lot of recent success. In 2020, they were the Class 1A State Champions, while in 2021 they followed it up with a State Runner-Up performance. Each year, they faced Pioneer. The Lions have four total Regional titles and six total Sectional titles. Shoals, on the other hand, is still searching for their first Sectional title in girls' basketball. Since 2010, seven wins has been a high for the Jug Rox, so approaching 10 wins would be a great goal for the future.   PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:    Alaina offers the Lions a great deal of talent, skill, and hope for the next two years. She had a great Sophomore season (16.7p, 9.3r, 1.9s, 1.7b) and looks to catapult from that moving forward. She is skilled around the basket or facing it to the perimeter, she's a nice all-around athlete, and she has good length and a wiry-strong frame to her. Alaina is starting to draw her share of recruiting interest as well from varying levels.    .   89. Benton County (est. pop. 8,729) Benton County is stuck between the Northwest corner of Tippecanoe County (Lafayette, Indiana) and the state line with Illinois. It is home to the Benton Central Bison, who have typically been quite strong in multiple sports in classes 2A & 3A. The Bison were State Runners-Up in girls' basketball in 1989 (single class), 2011 (3A), and 2019 (3A), to go along with 12 Regional titles and 25 Sectional titles. They are currently going through somewhat of a youth movement, and 5-9 wing [player_tooltip player_id='1092447' first='McKenna' last='Yadon'] plus 6-1 post Azlee Reynolds are bright spots for the future. Both are Juniors-to-be.   .   90. Warren County (est. pop. 8,518) Seeger High School is the pride of Warren County, and the Patriots are currently young and fun to watch. Located in West Lebanon, Indiana, Seeger has won six Regional titles and 12 Sectional titles over the years, but nothing since the 2012-2013 season. That could change next year, as they return nearly everything from a 10-13 squad. 5-7 2027 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1137356' first='Cadence' last='White'] (14.6p, 4.0r, 3.0s), 5-7 2028 forward Lorelei Lanie (9.0p, 6.4r, 2.3s), and 5-6 2026 guard Caleigh Purcell (8.2p, 5.4r, 2.8a, 4.3s) headline a strong lineup for the Patriots. Warren County sits South of Benton County, West of Lafayette, and against the Illinois border.   .   91. Union County (est. pop. 6,973) Union County is located in Eastern Indiana along the Ohio border, just South of I-70 and Richmond, Indiana. In Liberty, Indiana, you will find its lone high school, none other than Union County High School. The Patriots have put together six winning seasons in the last seven years, and they are often competitive in Class 2A. Union County has won three Sectional titles (2006, 2022, 2023) and is looking for its first Regional title. 2025-2026 will be tough, as they saw several 2025 Seniors graduate. 5-8 2026 wing Nora Robinson (7.0p, 3.5r, 2.0a) will be their most seasoned veteran next year.   .   92. Ohio County (est. pop. 6,004) In a couple of years, Carmel High School (enrollment 5,200) might have more people than Ohio County, and the school's campus might be as big. All joking aside, Ohio County is located on the Ohio River, not far from Cincinnati, and it is home to one high school...Rising Sun High School. The Shiners have a couple of nice 2026 small college prospects in guard Jaylen Peelman (11.0p, 4.5r, 1.8a, 1.5s) and wing Carrigan Friend (9.6p, 4.1r). Their best season came in 2000, when the Shiners fell 57-54 in overtime of the Class 1A State Championship to Triton High School.

About once a year, I take the time to do a regional breakdown of the top players in the state. In the past, I have done the biggest cities, or a metropolitan area with surrounding counties. This time, I wanted to work county by county through all 92 of Indiana's counties and highlight some of the top players in each county. I plan on doing this by approximate population, starting with the lowest populated county in the state...Ohio County. Each article will have enough counties to cover at minimum 10 high schools, and as I close in on the top of the list, it might just be one or two counties at a time. All players considered come from the classes of 2026, 2027, and 2028.