COACH: JOHN BURRUS, 198-129 at SOUTHWOOD, 276-221 OVERALL
RECORD: 15-10
HOME: 9-4
ROAD: 5-6
NEUTRAL: 1-0
CONFERENCE: 5-4
CURRENT STREAK: W7
SAGARIN RATING 1A: #14
TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Won 45, Lost 57
PREVIOUS MEETING VS. SETON: 2018 REGIONAL. SOUTHWOOD W 92-57 (LOST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME VS. MORRISTOWN 89-60)
TEAM STATS
PPG: 65.3
DPPG: 53.2
FG%: 43
ADJUSTED FG%: 49
3-FG%: 32
FT%: 65
REB P/G: 25.8
OFF REB P/G: 9.0
ASST P/G: 11.9
STEALS P/G: 16.0
BLOCKS P/G: 3.4
TURNOVERS P/G: 13.9
ASST/TO RATIO: 0.86
STEAL/TO RATIO: 1.15
DEFLECTIONS: 282
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
CARSON RICH, 5’10” SENIOR
23.0PPG, 5.7RPG, 4,2SPG, 2.4APG (SEASON HIGH 40 VS. SOUTHERN WELLS AND LAKELAND CHRISTIAN)
*AVERAGING 34.4PPG OVER THE LAST 5 GAMES…..
*70-105 SHOOTING IN LAST 5 GAMES (67% FG)…
*9-15 FROM 3 IN LAST 3 GAMES (60%)
*VS. SOUTHERN WELLS: 16-19FG (84%)
*VS. ADAMS CENTRAL: 12-15FG (80%)
*VS. NORTH MIAMI: 12-16FG (75%)
DAWSON FILIP, 5’11” SENIOR
10.2PPG, 3.6RPG, 2.6SPG, 2.3APG (SEASON HIGH 23 VS. MISSISSNEWA)
COLE WINER, 6’2” SOPHOMORE
9.6PPG, 3.4RPG, 1.7SPG, 39%FG-3 (SEASON HIGH 27 VS. ADAMS CENTRAL)
ALEX FARR, 6’0” SENIOR
9.0PPG, 3.4RPG, 2.3SPG, 1.9APG, 37%FG-3 (SEASON HIGH 20 VS. TIPPACANOE VALLEY)
CONNOR RICH, 5’10” SENIOR
7.9PPG, 3.2RPG, 2.7SPG, 2.4APG (SEASON HIGH 14VS. WAPAHANI AND NORTH MIAMI)
JASON OPRISEK, 6’1” SOPHOMORE
4.3PPG, 5.1RPG, 1.4SPG, 0.9APG, 50%FG
SEASON RESULTS:
| Nov. 24 | at | Wapahani 2A | L | 58 | 76 | ||
| Nov. 28 | Lewis Cass 2A | L | 51 | 75 | |||
| Dec. 19 | Peru 3A © | L | 57 | 68 | |||
| Dec. 22 | Alexandria 2A | W | 81 | 32 | |||
| Dec. 29 | Wabash 2A | L | 57 | 64 | tournament | ||
| Dec. 30 | Northfield 1A | W | 56 | 34 | tournament | ||
| Jan. 6 | at | Mississinewa 3A | L | 65 | 76 | ||
| Jan. 8 | Wabash 2A © | W | 67 | 30 | |||
| Jan. 12 | Oak Hill 3A | W | 64 | 45 | |||
| Jan. 15 | at | Whitko 2A © | L | 48 | 58 | ||
| Jan. 19 | at | Manchester 2A © | L | 71 | 72 | ||
| Jan. 22 | at | Tippecanoe Valley 3A © | W | 67 | 64 | ||
| Jan. 27 | at | Eastern (Greentown) 3A | L | 56 | 68 | ||
| Jan. 29 | North Miami 1A © | W | 64 | 32 | |||
| Feb. 6 | Northwestern 3A | W | 57 | 45 | |||
| Feb. 9 | at | Rochester 2A © | L | 54 | 57 | ||
| Feb. 12 | at | Maconaquah 3A © | W | 52 | 40 | ||
| Feb. 13 | Madison-Grant 2A | L | 64 | 72 | |||
| Feb. 18 | Adams Central 2A | W | 80 | 58 | |||
| Feb. 19 | Northfield 1A © | W | 68 | 58 | |||
| Feb. 23 | at | Eastbrook 2A | W | 64 | 58 | ||
| Feb. 26 | Bluffton 2A | W | 77 | 45 | |||
| Mar. 2 | N | Southern Wells 1A | W | 88 | 39 | sectional | |
| Mar. 5 | at | North Miami 1A | W | 93 | 19 | sectional | |
| Mar. 6 | N | Lakeland Christian 1A | W | 69 | 44 | sectional |
RECENT TOURNAMENT HISTORY:
| 2010 | Sectional | N | North Miami | W | 57 | 46 | |
| Sectional | at | Lewis Cass | W | 59 | 51 | ||
| Regional | N | Fort Wayne Luers | W | 70 | 68 | ||
| Regional | N | Guerin Catholic | W | 86 | 72 | ||
| Semistate | N | Wheeler | L | 61 | 68 | ||
| 2011 | Sectional | N | North Miami | L | 67 | 71 | OT |
| 2012 | Sectional | N | Lewis Cass | L | 55 | 56 | |
| 2013 | Sectional | N | Northfield | L | 48 | 54 | OT |
| 2014 | Sectional | at | Manchester | L | 44 | 53 | |
| 2015 | Sectional | N | Manchester | L | 50 | 72 | |
| 2016 | Sectional | N | Wabash | W | 77 | 56 | |
| Sectional | at | Manchester | W | 62 | 50 | ||
| Sectional | N | Oak Hill | L | 53 | 69 | ||
| 2017 | Sectional | N | Northfield | W | 72 | 52 | |
| Sectional | at | Oak Hill | W | 60 | 52 | ||
| Sectional | N | Manchester | W | 54 | 49 | ||
| Regional | N | Frankton | L | 61 | 65 | ||
| 2018 | Sectional | N | Clinton Central | W | 97 | 31 | |
| Sectional | at | Lafayette Central Catholic | W | 70 | 66 | ||
| Sectional | N | Frontier | W | 96 | 42 | ||
| Regional | N | North Vermillion | W | 80 | 42 | ||
| Regional | N | Seton Catholic | W | 92 | 57 | ||
| Semistate | N | Fort Wayne Blackhawk | W | 55 | 53 | ||
| State | N | Morristown | L | 60 | 89 | ||
| 2019 | Sectional | N | Lafayette Central Catholic | L | 42 | 77 | |
| 2020 | Sectional | at | Southern Wells | W | 69 | 44 | |
| Sectional | N | Lakeland Christian | W | 78 | 25 | ||
| 2021 | Sectional | N | Southern Wells | W | 88 | 39 | |
| Sectional | at | North Miami | W | 93 | 19 | ||
| Sectional | N | Lakeland Christian | W | 69 | 44 |
SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS | ||
| YEAR | CLASS | HOST OR SITE |
| 2000 | 2A | Lewis Cass |
| 2010 | 2A | Lewis Cass |
| 2017 | 2A | Oak Hill |
| 2018 | 1A | Lafayette Central Catholic |
| 2020 | 1A | Southern Wells |
| 2021 | 1A | North Miami |
| REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS | ||
| 2010 | 2A | Tipton |
| 2018 | 1A | Frankfort |
| SEMISTATE CHAMPIONSHIPS | ||
| 2018 | 1A | Huntington North |
MORE:
(THE PAPER OF WABASH)
By Eric Christiansen
After cruising to wins of 49 and 79 points in their first two tournament contests, the Southwood Knights went into the Class 1A Sectional 53 championship game looking for a little bit of the same against Lakeland Christian Academy Saturday night, March 6.
After a tight back-and-forth with LCA, the Knights turned a 20-20 second-quarter tie into a 69-44 sectional championship victory to advance to the Frankfort Regional this Saturday.
LCA proved early that they weren’t going to let the Knights get off to the quick and dominating starts they enjoyed in their first two wins over Southern Wells and North Miami.
Southwood’s Carson Rich hit two baskets and Dawson Filip connected on another to give the Knights a 6-2 lead, followed by back-to-back buckets from Connor Rich and Carson Rich for a 10-5 advantage.
LCA regrouped and took a 13-12 lead early in the second quarter and played neck-and-neck with the Knights, tying the game at 20-20 with 3:33 left in the first half.
The Knights ended the half with a 13-3 run with Carson Rich scoring nine points, and Connor Rich and Cole Winer each adding two points in the run.
LCA opened the third quarter with a 5-2 run to cut the lead to 35-28, then Filip got hot, scoring seven of the next nine points, giving the Knights a 44-28 lead with 2:42 left in the quarter.
LCA cut the lead to 47-35 before Connor Rich hit a three-pointer, followed by a three-point play from Carson Rich with 11 seconds left in the third, to give the Knights a 53-35 lead. Carson Rich added fuel to the fire when, after an LCA miss, was fouled on a long three-pointer and hit three free throws with no time left on the clock, giving Southwood a 56-35 lead, a lead LCA never threatened.
Carson Rich had a monster game with 40 points, six steals, four rebounds, and two assists to lead the Knights.
Filip had 13 points, three rebound, and three steals, followed by Connor Rich with seven points and two steals, Winer with four points, five steals, three assists, and two rebounds, Jason Oprisek with three points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, and Logan Barley with two points and two rebounds. Alex Farr added four steals and two rebounds.
The win gives Southwood its fourth sectional title in the past five seasons.
Southwood (15-10) moves on to face Seton Catholic (9-9) in the second game of the Frankford Regional Saturday, March 13. The game will start no earlier than 12:30 p.m. Cowan (15-8) plays Lafayette Central Catholic (8-10) in the first game Saturday morning.
IHSAA regional ticket information will be released Tuesday, March 9. Information regarding seating capacities, COVID-related rules and regulation, and sales dates and times will be released at the time.
Frankfort High School will use “GoFan” for ticket distribution. There will not be a season ticket for the regional as there has been in the past.
Follow Southwood Knights Athletics on Facebook or at southwoodknightsathletics.com for regional updates.
Southwood senior named Rising Star: Farr among 21 honored by NBA
By Joseph Slacian
A Southwood High School senior was named an Indianapolis NBA All-Star Rising Star.
Alex Farr was one of 21 high school seniors around Indiana to receive the honor from the Indianapolis NBA All-Star Host Committee in association with the NBA All-Star Legacy Grants awarded last February. The honor includes a $2,100 scholarship for each Rising Star payable to the college, university or post-secondary institution they attend after high school graduation.
“I was very pleased with the honor,” Farr told The Paper of Wabash County.
White’s Residential and Family Services, through being named a Legacy Grantee, nominated Farr and several other high school-aged Rising Stars for the honor.
From the nominees, the Indianapolis NBA All-Star Legacy Committee, a sub-committee of the host committee, selected one Rising Star from each of the 21 grant recipients. “I really appreciate what White’s does and how they reach out to kids, not only to the White’s kids, but the kids at Southwood as well,” he added.
The Indianapolis NBA All-Star game festivities were to take place Feb. 12-14. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, festivities were canceled and rescheduled for Feb. 16-18, 2024. Despite the delay, the Indianapolis NBA All-Star Host Committee committed to completed the 21 Legacy Grant projects and recognizing the 21 Rising Stars. They also plan to include the Rising Stars in activities related to the 2024 NBA All-Star game.
“These 21 high school seniors selected as Rising Stars each demonstrate leadership in their schools and communities,” said Rick Fuson, Founding Chairman, Indianapolis NBA All-Star Board of Directors and President and Chief Operating Officer, Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “They exemplify strong ideals, a drive to excel and commitment to serving others and we are honored to recognize them as they continue their postsecondary education.”
The $1 million Indianapolis NBA All-Star Legacy Grants focus on youth-serving nonprofit organizations across Indiana. The initiative provided 21 grants up to $50,000 for brick-and-mortar projects focused on health and wellness or education with an estimated impact on 90,000 youth statewide.
Farr is a standout three sport student athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball for the Knights.
He has been a part of the Heartland Career Center’s home-building initiative. He also has given of himself through mission trips to Alabama, as well as to Santiago, Dominican Republic.
After high school, Farr plans to attend a lineman’s school in Indiana with hopes of working for an electrical company around Wabash.
In his letter of recommendation for Farr, MSD of Wabash County Superintendent Mike Keaffaber wrote, “I am nominating Alexander because of his leadership at school and on the field of play, and his maturity and others-centered outlook.”
Farr said he was honored to have the superintendent speak highly of him.
“I was very pleased,” Farr said. “I was glad that he recognized me as one of three from the school (to be nominated) for the award. I’m glad that he saw me as a future leader and Rising Star.”
Also nominated from Southwood were Connor Rich and Logan Barley