Jets, other area teams hope for winning seasons

The 2024-2025 girls basketball season gets underway on Monday when Columbus Christian hosts ITown Prep. Most of the rest of the area schools, including Hauser, open this week.

Here is a look at those teams heading into the season:

Hauser

The Jets will look to bounce back after going 6-18 last season, including 1-5 in the Mid-Hoosier Conference.

“We’re going to have a good mixture of sophomores through seniors that are going to help us out and make this program grow and keep it moving forward,” Hauser coach Kyle Shipp said.

Norah Berkenstock, a 5-foot-7 senior, led the Jets with 10.2 points, 3.1 assists and 2.6 steals a game last season. Braelyn Williams, a 5-8 junior, added 7.3 points.

A few other players were starters at times last season, including 5-8 senior Haven Hartwell, 5-6 junior Chloie Phelps, 5-4 sophomore Kennedy Konradi and 5-7 sophomore Abby Manley. Also seeing action last year were 5-8 senior Willa Wetzel, 5-9 sophomore June Berkenstock, 5-8 sophomore Aleigha Wickliffe and 5-6 sophomore Leah Manley.

“Our competition level has been probably the highest it’s been in a couple years,” Shipp said. “We have people battling for playing time and competing with each other to earn some minutes. We had one of our better weeks (of practice) that we’ve had. We really felt like our energy and effort were good. We really felt like our progression as a team and as individuals have been really good.”

Hauser, which has been in Class 2A the past two years, will host a Class A sectional in February.

“Being the sectional host, everybody gears up to play their best basketball at the end of the season,” Shipp said. “That’s going to be our goal.”

Columbus Christian

The Crusaders have a new coach in Matt Bond, who has been a boys assistant coach at Columbus Christian. He takes over for Chris Noblitt, who now is an assistant at IU Columbus.

“They’re picking up on stuff,” Bond said. “It’s a new offense, so they’re learning. But they’re starting to pick up on things, and they’re starting to buy in, and that’s what you want. We’ll have some challenges with our schedule, but that’s only going to make us better.”

Emma Murray, a 5-9 junior, averaged a double-double 12.3 points and 10.0 rebounds last year in leading the Crusaders to a 14-12 record, including 2-4 in the Southern Roads Conference. Olivia Wise, another 5-9 junior, averaged 8.7 points and a team-high 4.0 assists.

Paige Harden, a 5-2 senior, and 5-4 senior Eva Blair also return to the lineup. A pair of 5-7 sophomores, Belle Blair and Katie Bond, also started a times last season and are battling for the other starting spot.

“One of the reasons I took the job, was I saw the potential for the team,” Matt Bond said. “I’m looking for big things from Emma, as well as everybody else on the team. That core group coming back, and I see them just being able to expand on that talent.”

Also returning to the varsity are 5-3 freshman Emma Rice and 5-7 sophomore Kaeli Clawson. Newcomers include 5-8 sophomore Miyanna Haywood and 5-4 sophomore Jaren Shuler.

“One thing this year is, we don’t have to build that chemistry,” Matt Bond said. “They built that chemistry last year.”

Jennings County

The Panthers had a memorable season last year, going 23-4, including 6-0 in winning the Hoosier Hills Conference. But one of those HHC teams, Bedford North Lawrence, avenged a loss to Jennings in the sectional finals.

Indiana All-Star Julian Woodard, now at Michigan State, and Alivia Elmore, now at Brescia, are gone from that team. But the Panthers do return a Junior All-Star candidate in 6-0 junior Mollie Ernstes, who averaged 13.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals.

“I thought June was a very good, productive month, and the first two weeks of practice have been very positive,” Jennings coach Kristy Sigler said. “The kids have been working hard.”

Maddie McIntosh, a 5-6 senior, averaged 5.3 points. Etta Young, 5-10 sophomore, and 5-11 senior Avynn Belding shared a starting spot.

Riley Byford, a 5-7 junior, also saw significant playing time last season. She will be joined on the varsity by 5-6 junior Addiston Grunden, 5-8 senior Grace McBride, 5-7 exchange student (from Spain) Paula Lahora, 5-4 senior Claire Hack, 5-6 senior Natalie Ponsler, 5-9 sophomore Addison Petro and 5-5 freshman Aniston Kent.

Avynn Belding, a 5-11 sophomore, and 5-8 junior Kaydene Lowman, just wrapped up their volleyball seasons in Saturday’s semistate, along with Avynn Belding.

“Overall, we’re still pretty young,” Sigler said. “We have a lot of people that are about the same level.”

South Decatur

The Cougars are looking to build not only from last year’s MHC runner-up finish, but MHC and sectional titles from their volleyball team, which includes several girls who also play basketball.

“It’s good to have these volleyball girls back,” South Decatur coach Kristen Hicks said. “I’m really proud of the volleyball players and the success they had. I think their success and their confidence is just going to filter over into our season, hopefully.”

Makayla Somers, a 5-11 senior, is back after averaging 11.8 points and 9.0 rebounds to lead the Cougars to a 14-11 record, including 5-1 in the MHC. But second-leading scorer and senior Kiley Best transferred to Waldron.

Paige McQueen, a 5-8 senior, averaged 7.3 points. Makayla Puckett, a 5-3 senior, and 5-11 sophomore Taylor Somers also saw action last season.

South Decatur picked up a transfer from Greensburg in 5-0 junior Lilly Murray. New to the varsity are 5-7 sophomore Liz Bennett, 5-7 freshmen twins Riley and Raegan Benge and 5-6 freshman Dalilah Martin.

“We obviously lost a couple really key pieces, but the leadership and the experience of some of those older girls are really going to help,” Hicks said. “The younger girls are all-around athletes. I feel like we’re going to be really competitive.”

Brown County

The Eagles have a new coach in Bob Susemichel, a former assistant at Roncalli and Bishop Chatard. He takes over for Kamady Lewis, who led Brown County to an 11-11 record, including 7-3 in the Western Indiana Conference.

Susemichel has 15 girls between JV and varsity, and nine of them are freshmen.

“They graduated a lot of seniors last year,” Susemichel said. “It was a senior-heavy team. We had some seniors that had some playing time, and they didn’t come out, so we’re extremely young.”

Ava Stogsdill, a 5-8 junior, is the lone returning starter. Chloe Poling, a 5-8 junior, and 5-9 junior Michaela Smith saw some varsity action.

Zoe Jackson and Della Hitchcock, a pair of 5-5 sophomores, played JV. They are joined on the varsity by 5-6 freshmen Allison Blee, Piper Silbaugh and Neka Nabors.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised in the days of practice that we’ve had,” Susemichel said. “The freshmen are great athletes, but not necessarily strong in the their basketball skills. I told them, ‘You have a short on-ramp.’”

Edinburgh

The Lancers will look to rebound from a 3-22 season that included a 1-5 mark in the MHC.

“Since we kind of changed our schedule up a little bit, I think we’ll compete a little bit more,” second-year Edinburgh coach Dennis Smith said. “The thing about these girls is, they’re really competitive. We played in a league this summer, and they showed that.”

Junior Kenna Streeval (8.3 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.7 spg) returns to lead the Lancers. Juniors Lillie Goff and Bella Turner (5.6 ppg) and senior Mia Dodson also return as starters.

Sophomore Kinzie Purvis and senior Shyleigh Goble saw action last season. They are joined on the varsity by junior Elizabeth Richardson-Hernandez and sophomore Mya Denton.

“Kenna of course will lead us,” Smith said. “We’ll go as she goes, but I really believe Kinzie has taken that extra step. She played a lot of AAU. Lillie is another one that I have high hopes for, along with Bella. These girls have really put some work in over the offseason, and I hope it translates into some wins during the season.”

Trinity Lutheran

The Cougars have pushed back the start of their season because of the success of their volleyball team.

“The girls that we’ve had in there have worked really hard,” Trinity coach Darrin Keith said. “It’s mostly been conditioning at this point. When I do get my other girls back, we’ll only have five days before our first game.”

Madison Keith, a 5-10 senior, averaged 15.2 points and 11.7 rebounds in an injury-shortened season to lead the Cougars to a 14-12 record. Marley Warren, a 5-7 sophomore, averaged 14.4 points. Jordan Brewer (8.5 ppg), a 5-7 senior, and 5-5 senior Laura Roeder (5.0 ppg) also return as starters.

Bailey Bonde, a 6-1 junior, and 5-6 sophomores Zoey Dulaney and Emerson Warren also played some varsity. Newcomers include 6-2 freshman Rachel Bonde , 5-7 freshman Emmy Price , 5-5 freshman Marissa Baker and 5-8 sophomore Deanna Rothert.

“This will probably be one of the deepest teams we’ve had at Trinity,” Darrin Keith said.