A rejuvenated Homestead boys basketball team bounced back in the second half to clinch the outright NHC title and remain undefeated with a 65-55 win against Columbia City on Tuesday.The Class 4A No.Fort Wayne girls basketball fans again get to celebrate having two state champions. This time, though, the ensuing pep sessions came in the same city as the revelry two days earlier.
On Saturday, Canterbury won its third straight Class A state championship, while Concordia won its first 3A state title. Both came at Memorial Coliseum. On Monday, the fans for both schools got a chance to celebrate again in Fort Wayne. Each school held a pep session in its home gym.
“It is a great feeling, and I don’t realize what it is, but it is cool right now,” Canterbury senior Tabitha Gerardot said Saturday.
The question now is: What are both teams’ chances next year? The answer could be that it will be a challenge to repeat.
The Cavs and Cadets were senior-led teams, with Canterbury losing Gerardot, Cassie Kreiger and Paige Wells from its starting lineup, and Concordia losing Andrea Newbauer, Angie Doerffler, Lauren Borchelt and Erynn Meiklejohn.
The Cavs will be hit hard by the loss of Gerardot, the Class A mental attitude award winner and a Miss Basketball candidate. “You don’t replace her,” Canterbury coach Scott Kreiger said Saturday. “We try to find kids who can do things well. She is absolutely one of the finest basketball players you will ever see.
“We’ve got several places we need to fill. It’s going to be a hard job, but we’ve got some time to think about it.”
Canterbury (25-2) will have returning starters Becky Pedro and Madison Moyle, both juniors, and sixth-man Bailey Farley, a freshman.
Concordia will return junior starter Anna Goeglein and sophomore bench contributor Annalissa Kammeyer. Getting the same kind of team chemistry with this year’s team will be key for the Cadets.
“What makes them as good as they are is their work ethic and attitude,” Concordia coach Dave Miller said. “They get along and enjoy being with each other. That chemistry is all important.”
Fort Wayne is home to the 3A state champion for the second straight year. Last year, Elmhurst took the title with a win over Owen Valley at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Canterbury beat Elmhurst last year and Concordia this year, giving the Cavs wins over the eventual 3A state champs each time.
Because of a water main break at the school Monday, Bishop Luers’ medal ceremony for its Class 2A state runner-up finish has been pushed back until 2:30 p.m. today at the school. The Knights fell to Austin 70-65 in overtime.
“We are glad our fans came, and we thought we would have momentum because of them,” Luers junior Brierra Young said Saturday of playing in front of the hometown fans at Memorial Coliseum. “They cheered for us, and we played hard.”
