The annual Indiana High School Athletic Association’s girls’ basketball tournament kicks off next week. All three county teams have had various levels of success and here is a look at that.
CRAWFORDSVILLE
Crawfordsville enters sectional play with a 20-49 overall tournament record and that also includes just a 18-48 sectional record. Out of all three county schools the Athenians have the fewest sectional titles as it has just one in that period — that coming in 2009.
However, the Athenians are the only team to have claimed a semi-state title as they won that in 2009.
In sectional play, the Athenians went 1-4 from 1976-79 and then 3-10 in the 1980s and 1990s.
From 2000-09 the program had its best decade. The teams went 6-9 during that period, including the sectional title in 2009 under coach Darren Haas.
Since that sectional title, the school has gone 4-10 from 2010-19 and 1-5 from 2020-last year. In the last 11 sectional games the Athenians have gone 2-9 beating Southmont in 2019 64-53 and North Montgomery in 2022 34-31.
NORTH MONTGOMERY
The Chargers enter the sectional next week with the most success of the three county schools. Through its history the Chargers have posted a 46-49 postseason mark and a 44-40 record in the sectional round.
The Chargers won titles in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. In 1976-79 the Chargers went 6-3 and won the sectional crown in 1976.
The 1980s saw the Chargers win titles the first two years (1980 and 1981) and go 9-8, while the 1990s saw the program go 8-9 and walk off with a title in 1995.
By far the best decade for the Chargers was from 2000-2009 when the school posted an incredible 13-5 mark and won five consecutive sectional titles from 2003-2007. Unfortunately for North Montgomery fans the Chargers could never win a regional title. In fact, the Chargers have gone just 2-9 in regional games.
Since 2007 the Chargers have not won a sectional title. From 2010-19 the Chargers went 6-10 in sectional games and since 2020 the Chargers have won two of seven games.
SOUTHMONT
The Mounties will enter next week’s Greencastle Sectional with an all-time post-season record of 34-49. That includes a 32-41 record in the sectional tournament. The Mounties are 4-6 in regional games.
The Mounties have posted a total of eight sectional title winning titles in every decade of the tournament except for the 2000-2009 decade.
From 1976-79 the Mounties were 4-3 in four tournaments. That included winning the school’s first sectional crown in 1979. In the 1980s the Mounties went 8-8 in 10 tournaments. That period also included two sectional titles as the Mounties were crowned champions in 1984 and 1986.
The 1990s was the crown jewel for the program. The team went 13-6 in that decade and picked up a total of four sectional titles. Southmont won titles in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1999. Twice the team made the regional final before losing.
From 2000-09 Southmont struggled going just 3-10 with no sectional titles and then from 2010-19 the team went just 3-9 with once title (2014). Since 2020 the team has gone 1-5 with no sectionals.
Southmont entered last year’s sectional with a nine-year losing streak in the first round before beating South Putnam 45-35 before losing to Parke Heritage 60-57. Prior to the win against South Putnam the last sectional win for the Mounties was a 56-35 win over Fountain Central to win the 2014 title.
Barry Lewis has been involved in Montgomery County sports for nearly 50 years. He has a passion for keeping its rich history and tradition alive.