North Montgomery girls basketball has taken a big step forward this season. With a mix of young freshman and sophomores and a leader in junior Piper Ramey, the Chargers have a bright future ahead of them. Before that however the Chargers will compete against arguably the most loaded 3A sectional there is in the Class 3A Sectional 22 which is hosted by Twin Lakes. The sectional features three of the top 11 ranked teams in Benton Central, Western, and Rensselaer Central. Throw in West Lafayette and host Twin Lakes who both have winning records and there isn’t an easy path in this sectional.
The 9-14 Chargers will get one of those ranked teams in the opening round on Wednesday when they take on the Bison of Benton Central who are ranked No. 6. and hold a 22-3 record. BC averages nearly 60 points per game at 59.5 and only gives up 35.9. Charger coach Ryan Nuppnau knows it’s going to be an uphill battle for his team but has his team focused more on themselves and how they can end their season playing their own version of their best basketball.
“That’s really what we’ve focused on all season long with this team,” Nuppnau said. “It doesn’t matter whether it be a win or loss, we’ve focused on us and making sure that we’re getting better. I really do think we are getting better and us coaches can see that. Now we get the chance to go into a very talented sectional and play a team we don’t know much about. We’re still focusing on us are going to let the chips fall where they may. It’s always fun to see which of our girls rise to the occasion this time of year. We know that hardly anyone is picking us to win so all the pressure is on Benton Central to perform and hopefully our girls come out and play well.”
North Montgomery is led by the duo of Ramey and sophomore Macee Norman. Ramey scores right around 15 points per game for the Chargers while grabbing nine rebounds while Norman scores eight a game and plays much bigger than she is with nine boards a game.
The Chargers have been blessed this season with an influx of freshman who’ve stepped in to the program. Caelyn Carpenter has provided the Chargers with a perimeter defender and rebounder, Mady Holt has ran point at times this season, Sophie Crum and Lilly Graham have just gotten back into the fold of things due to injuries. All four will be getting their first taste of what a post-season is like and Nuppnau is looking forward to seeing how his young girls do when the lights are on them.
“Before this season they were just watching it in the stands, and now they’re going to get to see what Indiana high school post-season basketball is about,” he said. “There’s a certain awe and experience about it and there’s nothing like it being out there on that court. It helps too when you have a three-year player like Piper who has been through it all. She’s going to make sure those girls are calm and don’t let the moment get too big.”
North on the season is averaging just over 31 points per game while giving up right around 42. The best part about this Charger team is the fact that excluding their manager, North will bring every single player back for next year. Whether the Chargers are able to advance past Wednesday or if they see their improved 2023-24 season come to an end, Nuppnau and his team have a bright future ahead.
The winner between the Chargers and Bison will take on the winner of Western and Twin Lakes in Friday’s semi-final. You can catch a live broadcast of the game on 103.9 WIMC with Jeff Nelson and Jared McMurry. Tip is scheduled for 20 mins after the conclusion of game one which gets underway at 6 p.m.
