Golden Eagles & Hornets face off Saturday leading into semi-state championship
By RICHIE HALL
sports@readthereporter.com
On Saturday morning, the Guerin Catholic boys basketball team will head south to Seymour for a date with the defending Class 3A state champions.
The two teams will play in the second semi-final game of the Seymour semi-state. The Golden Eagles and Hornets face off at around noon, following the first semi between Scottsburg and North Daviess. That game tips off at 10 a.m. The two semi-final winners advance to the championship, to be played at 8 p.m., with a trip to the state finals on the line.
Guerin Catholic has gotten to play in the Seymour gym a few times over the years. The Golden Eagles won a semi-state title there in 2012, and played in the semi-state game in 2021. Guerin Catholic coach Bobby Allen spoke with the Reporter on Thursday, having just arrived home after a practice session at Seymour.
“It was really cool,” said Allen. “Jack Cherry is the one player who was a starter on that team two years ago as a freshman who played at the gym. Everyone’s eyes opened a little bit with how big that gym is. It’s pretty cool being in that place by yourself.”
Sectional streak
Beech Grove is having a nice post-season run over the past three years. The Hornets have won five consecutive sectional championships, a streak dating back to 2018. Beech Grove then went all the way in 2022, beating Mishawaka Marian last season for its first ever boys basketball state title.
“They are a very experienced team,” said Allen. “They’re the returning state champions and they got a lot of guys back from that group. They want to play at a fast place, and they want to try to get easy buckets off your turnovers, and they are all 3-point threats. They are a dangerous team.”
This season, the Hornets come into the semi-state record with a 17-6 record. Beech Grove started its post-season by triumphing at the Christel House Manual sectional, cruising past Speedway 71-50 in its first game, then edging out Cardinal Ritter 51-50 in the championship. The Hornets won the Regional 14 title at Lebanon by defeating Indian Creek 65-56.
Beech Grove has three players averaging double figures in scoring. Senior Jeremiah Alexander puts in 12.7 points per game, with senior Jeremiah Tate just a fraction behind at 12.6 points per game. Another senior, Jaleel Edwards, adds 10.1 points.
“They have five or six different players that could go for 20 on any night,” said Allen. The coach said BG is well-balanced and committee to its style of play. “Their style is proven to work,” he said.
Senior Cam Brown is the Hornets’ top rebounder with 4.6 per game, followed by Alexander at 4.0. Alexander also hands out 4.2 assists per contest, followed by Tate with 3.4.
Guerin Catholic is 18-8 for the season. The Golden Eagles defeated two fellow Circle City Conference schools to win the Shortridge sectional, beating Brebeuf Jesuit 58-45 and Bishop Chatard 53-41, in both cases avenging regular-season losses. Guerin Catholic then won the Regional 13 title at Lebanon with a 66-52 victory over Danville.
Junior Robert Sorensen is the Golden Eagles’ leading scorer at 14.5 points per game, and is also on top of the rebounds list at 4.6. Senior Kamea Chandler adds 11.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. Cherry is the leading assister with 3.9 per contest. Senior Ty Sanders helps out with 3.9 rebounds per game, followed closely by sophomore Bryson Cardinal with 3.8.
“We’re going to do our best to control the tempo,” said Allen. “We feel that if we can limit our turnovers, we feel like we’re going to get open shots. We’re playing with confidence right now, so we feel good about our game plan. We have to show up and execute. If our guard play is what it’s been the last couple weeks, we feel like we’ll have an opportunity to put ourselves in a position to win.”