The REPORTER
Two Hamilton County basketball teams – one girls, one boys – will be among the eight teams competing in the 2024 Henry Community Health Hall of Fame Classic.
The Hamilton Southeastern girls will play on Friday, Dec. 27. The Royals take on South Knox in the second first-round game, after the 11 a.m. opener between Lawrence Central and Homestead.
Southeastern finished the previous season 21-4 and is returning the core of its team, led by 6-3 junior forward and Indiana University commit Maya Makalusky. She averaged 26.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Also returning for the Royals are 6-0 sophomore forward Kayla Stidham (11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds) and 5-8 sophomore Kennedy Holman (11.7 points, 5.3 rebounds).
Head coach Brian Satterfield is 56-15 through 4 seasons with the Southeastern girls, collecting over 14 wins in each of the last three seasons (last two seasons with 21 wins), since switching to the girls team from the boys after the 2021-22 season.
This will be Hamilton Southeastern’s third trip to New Castle for the Hall of Fame Classic, playing also in 2004 and 2012.
The Fishers boys team will participate in the Classic on Saturday, Dec. 28. The Tigers play in the first game against Warsaw at 11 a.m.; that will be followed by a first-round contest between Greenfield-Central and Heritage Hills.
In both the girls and boys tournaments, the consolation game takes place at 6 p.m., with the championship game to follow.
While the 28-1 Tigers graduate some key players after they compete in the Class 4A state championship game on March 30, they return four juniors and two freshmen.
The junior class is led by 6-2 JonAnthony Hall who averages 11.2 points per game along with four rebounds and three assists. The two freshmen returning are 5-9 Cooper Zachary with 7.5 points and 3.8 assists per game, and 6-0 Jason Gardner Jr. who averages 7.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Head coach Garrett Winegar is 77-23 in his fourth year at Fishers with a 95-29 overall with a previous one-year stint at Warren Central.
This will be Fishers’ first trip to New Castle to play in the Henry Community Health Hall of Fame Classic.