Mike McGraw
Hoosier Authority
There is
always a lot of talk about which conference in Indiana is the best. As
evidence, I submit the metropolitan which the entire media believes invented
football. Well, we pose the question of whether the Hoosier Heritage can be
considered the premiere conference in the state for girls’ basketball.
Consider the
following. Five Hoosier Heritage teams won at least 15 games this season. That
is remarkable when you take into consideration that squads beat each other up
in league play. Tourney performance is even more impressive. Three conference
teams, Rushville, Pendleton Heights, and Yorktown won sectional titles. Of the
remaining five teams, three were ousted by a conference opponent and the other
two went by the wayside at the hands of a top ten team in Hamilton Heights.
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Pendleton Heights was two points away from reaching the final four in 4A. The
Arabians were the fourth best team in their own conference in which they are
the only 4A school! That is not only a testament to the power of the Hoosier Heritage,
it is also an indictment on the premise for class basketball.
Above all,
there is Rushville. The Lions are com0eting in the 3A state championship game
this weekend. There is also a strong argument that can be made saying they are
no worse than the second best team in the state period.
Is there
competition for the title? Yes. The Summit Conference in Fort Wayne actually
had five teams win sectional titles. It also had those same five teams win at
least 15 games. However, the Summit is a ten team league and had five schools
with starkly losing records. It is also a league that covers three classes
which gives it a significant advantage come tourney time. The level of play
inside the conference is much greater than what the smaller schools in the
Summit see during sectional competition. No other conference comes close.
The 3A
championship game features Rushville versus Fort Wayne Concordia, a Summit
school. Seems like the Lions may be playing for more than just school pride.
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