Most teams would envy Homesteadapps success over the last two seasons: A combined 42 victories, two sectional trophies and a regional title.
But even though the Spartans will open the season as one of the teamapps to beat in Class 4A, most of the members of the roster have not yet been a part of an SAC-title winning team. Snider claimed the league title in 2023-24, with a 60-52 win at Homestead proving to be a de facto league championship.
appLast year we came up short for the conference, so obviously just winning a conference championship would be good,app said Homestead junior Whitney Ankenbruck. appJust winning games app we have high expectations, and we just want to come in focused, and that starts with practices, having high energy in practices.app
Homestead (23-5 in 2023-24) returns five starters from last yearapps regional championship team. Snider (22-3) has lost multiple Division I players after winning three straight sectional titles, but will get reinforcement from several talented freshmen. Northropapps roster includes nine juniors, many of them with significant varsity experience, and Carroll coach Mark Redding says this yearapps team is one of the most complete heapps had with the Chargers (9-15). Bishop Luers has an entirely new look from last yearapps Class 2A championship-winning team, but new coach Mary Hathaway says the Knights have brought in a class of enthusiastic freshmen.
appWeappre definitely going to be relying on the seniors. Youappre looking at Kyra (Parker) being our main man, sheapps a returning starter, sheapps been through everything, so weappll be leaning on her a lot as a coaching staff, and her teammates are leaning on her as well,app Snider coach Reggie Tharp said. appAs far as looking at newcomers, youappve got to start with Janaya Cooper. Sheapps coming in, she has over seven Division I scholarship offers. Sheapps a gym rat, super athletic and highly competitive, so we expect big things from her.app
Cooper is just one of several members of the Class of 2028 who are expected to make a splash in their first season in the SAC.
appItapps extremely exciting for our game when you look at the freshman class all over the city. It gets your blood pumping,app Tharp said. appItapps extremely exciting for us, itapps exciting for Fort Wayne and the state of Indiana. It letapps you know that the womenapps game is stepping up more and more.app
Northrop coach Katie Jackson said that her Bruins (14-8) appare a little bit young, but experienced at the same time.app
appWe have long, lanky guards that can handle the ball, penetrate, score at all three levels. The fact that theyappve been playing together for so long is definitely a strength, knowing their tendencies,app Jackson said. appTheir want to win, theyappve seen all the upperclassmen be successful, whether it was at Northrop or now at the collegiate level, and they now that that desire and aspiration to do that for themselves.app
Carroll will not have its full team practicing together until the volleyball team completes its postseason run, but Carrollapps Redding said thereapps no part of his team that still needs to come together in order to make the Chargers title contenders.
appWhat I like about this group is the depth that we have, the athletic ability that we have, the scoring that we have. We have Lily (George) inside, and then we have Ava (Myers) and Jersey (Paul) from outside,app Redding said. appWe have a very balanced team and thatapps whatapps exciting, because I remember my Elmhurst days, when I coached and we won state, we had that same type of thing. This is the first year at Carroll where Iappve had an inside game that goes with the outside game.app
Since winning the state title in February, Hathaway, a long-time assistant at Bishop Luers, has taken over the helm from Mark Pixley.
appWeappve got a lot of new faces, so itapps getting used to playing with a lot of new people. Itapps all about building our chemistry and that team,app Hathaway said. appWhen I came in, I was looking for Coach Pixley, and I was like, appOh wait, thatapps me now!app I was his assistant for 10 years, so itapps been challenging, because that was my person I bounced ideas off of, and we had good camaraderie, but itapps going great.app
Senior Reese Rhodehamel, who is the top returning scorer from last yearapps team, said sheapps enjoyed playing with a new group of teammates.
appItapps definitely a lot different, considering I got used to those same girls. We didnappt have many seniors my sophomore year, so it was the same teamapp last year,app Rhodehamel said. appItapps definitely an adjustment, but I feel like weappve built a really good foundation over the summer, so Iappm really excited.app
