By GREG MENGELT
That team lost six of its top players. Yet, this week the 26-2 and fourth-ranked Dragons are preparing to return to Indianapolis to defend its state title when they face No. 1 South Bend Washington (26-3). Silver Creek beat the Panthers 54-48 in last year’s championship game.
“It says that we’ve had really good players in the program,” 12th-year Silver Creek coach Scott Schoen said. “We have players who are able to play, but they’ve been behind really good basketball players. You’re seeing that with Lacey Tingle and Meredith Wilkinson, Hallie Foley, Reese Decker. Sydney Sierota has gotten more minutes and what you’re seeing with Syd, what you saw in half a game (last year), you’re now seeing in 32 minutes.”
Last year, the Dragons were expected to make a run to the state championship, and after winning their first six postseason games by an average of almost 15 points per game, it wasn’t a surprise they knocked off Washington on the biggest stage.
This year it hasn’t exactly been a surprise that Creek has won 26 games, another Mid-Southern Conference title and six straight tournament games, but it wasn’t expected.
Senior guard Emme Rooney explained that team chemistry has been a reason for the Dragons’ second straight trip to Indy.
“I think the team chemistry this year is a little different than that of last year,” said Rooney, who had 16 points in Creek’s 53-39 win over Bishop Chatard in the semistate at Jeffersonville last Saturday. “Last year we went into it as a business trip. This year, we’re all just here to have a good time and I think it shows with our team chemistry on the floor. We’re having a lot of fun winning games.”
While the players all agreed that the coaching staff is a big reason why Silver Creek has become a great “program,” Schoen redirected the praise to the players.
“We’re proud that we’re a player’s program,” he said. “Something could happen to me tonight and this program is going to go on. The kids are the ones who make up this program.”
Senior Lacey Tingle says, even if no one believes the Dragons can repeat as state championship, the team, the coaches, the Silver Creek student body, the parents and the town know they’re capable of celebrating another 3A state title Saturday.
“Knowing that this is our last game, for some of us our last game ever, it’s really kept us focused,” Tingle said. “Yes, we know they’re a very good team, but I think we’re mentally ready for it and our preparation is going to be what brings us through Saturday.”
Silver Creek will lose five more seniors from this year’s team. So can the Dragons return to glory for a third straight run in 2022-23?
“We’ve got really good players. The JV went 18-2,” Schoen said. “I’m blessed, and here’s why: I’ve had great senior leadership. Not just the last two years, but over the course of my 12 years here, I’ve had great senior leadership. The young kids, they’ve seen what it’s about. You don’t think they want to win, to get to Indy? We have a lot of good (young) players. They’re just playing behind really good players.”
