What’s in a Schedule?

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='295812' first='Isabelle' last='Shepherd'] (2025) of Carmel High School.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After tonight's games, the 2022-2023 season will have its first month "in the books". Looking back at that month, I wanted to take the time to highlight the teams playing the toughest of schedules. Scheduling is not something parents and players can control, I get it, but coaches and athletic directors can, and it is funny when people talk about how they are 6-0, 7-0, 8-0, whatever, and they have played a 300+ level schedule, when there are only 395 qualifying teams in the state. I also understand when a program is down for a couple of years and you need to schedule "wins" here and there, but at least own it. Anyway, below is a look at the five programs who have the toughest schedules in the state to this point. Now, these do not include games from Monday or Tuesday night, so these are figured through Saturday's contests (11/26).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">#1 Carmel H.S. (0-7)</font></strong><br>Unfortunately for Carmel, they are finding out what happens when you schedule big and suffer through injuries, illnesses, and somewhat of a youth movement, all at the same time. 6-1 Senior post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='127238' first='Mackenzie' last='Thomas']</strong>, who was huge for them a year ago, hasn't seen the floor yet this year, and she would surely make a difference for the Greyhounds. 5-10 Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='369825' first='Ava' last='Carter']</strong> (<em>6.5p</em>) has only played in two games so far as well. Sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295769' first='Lauren' last='Perry']</strong> (<em>4.6p, 2.0r</em>), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='453220' first='Rilee' last='McBride']</strong> (<em>3.7p, 2.3r</em>), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324070' first='Taryn' last='Fisher']</strong> (<em>2.2p, 2.4r</em>), and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='324065' first='Mallory' last='Bourquein']</strong> (<em>1.0p</em>) have each missed a game or games. All are promising prospects and the backbone of the future for the Greyhounds. Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='127210' first='Hannah' last='Lach']</strong> (<em>5.3p, 4.2r</em>), a DePauw University commit, has been hounded and chased everywhere most nights without Thomas in the lineup. Who has shined is Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295812' first='Isabelle' last='Shepherd']</strong> (<em>12.0p</em>). She is 13-37 (35%) from 3-point range and 71% from the charity stripe. Sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='506016' first='Mackenzie' last='Woods']</strong> (<em>5.2p, 5.3r, 3.2a</em>) has also flashed impressive moments at times this season. What will hopefully be good for this squad is the youngsters seeing so many minutes and adapting to the speed and size of such a tough schedule. They should be seasoned by Sectional time, and hopefully for those returning in 2023-2024, they will be that much more prepared to win next year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">#2 Noblesville H.S. (6-1)</font></strong><br>The Millers, fresh off of a 2022 Class 4A State Title, are back at it again, even without the services of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='59773' first='Ashlynn' last='Shade']</strong>. They have beaten traditional powers like Lawrence North, Brownsburg, Homestead, and Carmel, and their lone loss was Saturday at the hands of South Bend Washington. They have another big matchup tonight, when they host Hamilton Southeastern. The Millers are getting strong play from their backcourt, as expected, with Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295776' first='Meredith' last='Tippner']</strong> (<em>17.3p, 10.6r, 4.0a, 3.6s</em>) leading the way. She has been electric most nights, but she's also getting help from Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='177361' first='Reagan' last='Wilson']</strong> (<em>10.9p, 3.1r, 3.6a, 3.0s</em>) and Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='264119' first='Ava' last='Shoemaker']</strong> (<em>10.0p, 3.7r</em>). Wilson is another Division-I talent with the offers to prove it, while the younger Shoemaker is a nice, hard-working athlete. Senior front-liner <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='178230' first='Dani' last='Mendez']</strong> (<em>8.3p, 5.7r</em>) played well Saturday against South Bend Washington, as she is a physical, hard-working power forward who gets a lot of "scraps" baskets. Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='264991' first='Kaitlyn' last='Shoemaker']</strong> (<em>7.3p, 2.1a</em>) is a sharpshooter who teams have done a nice job of bottling up so far, for the most part, but she can get hot quickly. Also keep an eye on 6-1 Freshman post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='486478' first='Caroline' last='Quigley']</strong> (<em>2.0p, 4.1r</em>). She's still building strength and more of an offensive skillset, but she can get in there and rebound &amp; defend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">#3 Lawrence Central (3-2)</font></strong><br>The Lady Bears are definitely in a youth movement right now, but that group of youngsters is uber-talented. Their top five scorers so far, and eight of the nine girls who have played, all hail from the 2025 and 2026 classes. Additionally, they have already gone to battle with the likes of Zionsville, Westfield, University, and Ben Davis. Sophomore wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295763' first='Jaylah' last='Lampley']</strong> (<em>18.0p, 5.3r</em>) has come out of the gates quickly and is a real problem to contain at times. Having her Sophomore running 'mate back and healthy helps, as point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295753' first='Laila' last='Abdurraqib']</strong> (<em>15.7p, 8.0r, 2.7a, 3.7s</em>) is a dynamic creator and scorer for the Lady Bears. Freshman wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='492321' first='Lola' last='Lampley']</strong> (<em>12.0p, 4.0r, 4.3s</em>) creates even more matchup problems for opponents, as she's built like a power player, but she has the skill and athleticism of a perimeter player. Those three are so impactful most nights, that legitimate talents like 6-0 Freshman forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='492322' first='Aniyah' last='McKenzie']</strong> (<em>3.0p, 2.0r</em>) and 5-9 Sophomore wing <strong>McKenzie Morton</strong> (<em>2.0p, 2.0r</em>) are still waiting to hit their stride. This team may just be 3-2 at this point in the season, but I can assure you no one in Sectional #10 will want to draw them come tournament time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">#4 Huntington North (4-1)</font></strong><br>The Lady Vikings saw the promising 2025 Daugherty twins move to Summerville, South Carolina, this year. They could have mailed it in and made excuses, especially since they started their season with Fort Wayne Snider, Carmel, Carroll (Fort Wayne), and Homestead. Instead, they've won four of five games, including a buzzer-beating win against Homestead last Tuesday. Senior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='203658' first='Taylor' last='Double']</strong> is a real threat to score the ball in bunches from all three levels. She's a nice athlete, she can handle and create for others, and she's a versatile defender. She has already signed to play at NAIA power Marian University next season. Sophomore wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295794' first='Marissa' last='Trout']</strong> has flashed great potential as well, and at times she looks like she could be the Lady Vikings' key to success. She has a nice inside-out game, but she has really transformed into more of a true wing/guard recently. Then there is Junior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='455938' first='Gracie' last='Fields']</strong>. She has ball skill and can play point, but she's also a fluid and smooth athlete, she can get downhill to create/score, plus she's a nice perimeter shooter. This team is more than just these three ladies, but this trio is a handful for most opponents.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><font size="+1">#5 Brownsburg (4-5)</font></strong><br>The Lady Bulldogs always schedule big, and while they don't necessarily enter postseason play with 20+ wins every year, they are battle tested and make deep playoff runs. The last couple of years they have played with great balance and depth, and they can win games in a variety of ways. The continued growth and development of 6-6 Sophomore post <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='295789' first='Avery' last='Gordon']</strong> (<em>16.4p, 10.0r, 3.3b</em>) has obviously made a huge impact this year. She is a massive presence, she has length, and she works incredibly hard at her size. She is starting to showcase instinctual post-moves, along with counters, and she has become an offensive force on the block now. Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='59780' first='Kailyn' last='Terrell']</strong> (<em>9.4p, 3.3r, 3.6a, 2.9s</em>) is a true Bulldog in every sense of the word. She is tough-nosed, feisty, and plays hard. She has a balanced skillset, and she's a genuine leader on the floor. Junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='201875' first='Emma' last='Hendricks']</strong> (<em>8.9p, 5.5r, 2.3a</em>) is a dangerous sharpshooter from outside, and teams must respect that part of her game. But she's also a quietly tough kid who outworks her matchups. And Senior guard <strong>Megan Eaker</strong> (<em>8.6p, 2.8r</em>) has really stepped up her game so far as a Senior. Providing that fourth scoring threat will make defenses think twice about who they can help off of. Just take a peek at their schedule <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://scoreboard.homestead.com/girls/logsBrownsburg.htm#loaded" data-type="URL" data-id="http://scoreboard.homestead.com/girls/logsBrownsburg.htm#loaded" target="_blank">HERE</a> and see who they've already played.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->