By Justin Sokeland
Story appeared in May 13, 2012, edition of The Courier-Journal.
Leah White skipped her Providence prom Saturday night to play a basketball game.
That choice might not be shocking in Indiana, where high school basketball is still the social highlight of winter weekends in most towns. And the game she picked over a spring date night — one most high school seniors remember as a life highlight — was not an ordinary playground pickup affair.
White was among 38 high school athletes who competed in the “A Night of Hoops and Hope for Southern Indiana” all-star games at Silver Creek, a fundraising event to assist victims of the March 2 tornadoes. The weekend of festivities raised more than $23,000 — event coordinator Matt Denison expected even more to be coming in — to be distributed May 21 to relief funds aiding the damaged communities.
White had to break a date to play, but she came out a winner as her Team Rebound posted a 63-58 victory over Team Rebuild. That guy just had to understand and find another escort to the dance.
“I think it’s awesome our whole community can get together like this,” White said.
Borden’s Erin Mikel was named Most Outstanding Player after leading Team Rebound with 13 points, and Christian Academy’s Stephanie Combs added 11. Clarksville’s Kierstin Hall had 14, Jeffersonville’s Jalynn McClain 12 and Jeff’s Lakin Roland (an Indiana All-Star) 11 for Team Rebuild.
In the boys’ game, Clarksville’s Billy Edelen (named the MOP), Silver Creek’s Grant Meyer and New Albany’s A.J. Schmidt scored 20 points apiece as Team Rebuild rolled to a 112-89 victory. Jeff’s Trice Whaley had 21 and Bryce Roland 13 for Team Rebound.
Seniors from Henryville, Eastern Pekin, Borden and New Washington, plus players from high schools in Clark, Floyd, Harrison and Washington counties, participated in the games.
The EF-4 tornado ripped through Pekin, Borden, Henryville and Marysville the hardest, leaving destruction and fatalities. Pekin’s Kaylyn Rodewig, a player for Team Rebound, lost her home. It also spawned many stories of survival and selflessness as people reached out to help those in need.
“Everybody has been affected,” said Henryville’s Jenna Harrell, a Team Rebuild member whose father was in the school building when it took a direct hit. “It could be the smallest thing like cracked windows or dinged cars to ‘I don’t have a house.’ So to do something I love, and to raise money for my community and those affected, I don’t know how to put it into words.”
The Rebuild and Rebound team names were appropriate for the work being done in the hard-hit areas. Most of the cleanup has been done, but the scars remain.
“It won’t ever look the same,” Harrell said. “It’s a day I won’t ever forget.”
“Pretty much everyone in our school was hit one way or another,” said Henryville’s Allison Knox, who spent the first hours of the storm aftermath searching for and worrying about a friend in an apartment complex. “This means I could do something so little, but it means so much for our community. Just playing basketball is something we could do any day, but this is bringing everyone together.”
The benefit also featured an auction of basketball memorabilia between games, with autographed balls donated by Kentucky’s John Calipari (which topped the bidding war among the college coaches), Indiana’s Tom Crean and former Louisville coach Denny Crum.
Jeffersonville won the championship game of the alumni Southern Indiana Legacy Tournament 69-61 over Providence. Former Jeff star and U of L player B.J. Flynn had 20 points, while Justin Benedetti had 13 for the former Pioneers.
