Call it the next evolutionary step in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Seymour’s boys basketball program under head coach Kirk Manns.

Despite a sometimes glacial pace and a jagged line of progression, that evolution took an exciting leap forward on Friday night when the Owls defeated Floyd Central 49-28 to complete their run through the Hoosier Hills Conference with a 5-1 record.

The victory clinches at least a share of the HHC title, the program’s first-ever since joining the conference in 1998. It’s Seymour’s first boys basketball conference crown since 1994 when it competed in the now-defunct South Central Conference.

Following the game’s final buzzer, with the outcome long decided, the sizable student section spilled out onto the court and engulfed the Owls in a spirited celebration at mid-court.

After the players exchanged post-game handshakes with the visiting Floyd Central players and coaches, a net-cutting ceremony took form and was punctuated with periodic cheers as each player climbed the ladder to clip the twine.

Then a loud chant started. “We want coach! We want coach!”

The serenade was for Manns, who was up in the media nest, dutifully taking care of post-game interviews. The fifth-year coach hustled down to the court and completed the job, cutting the last strands of the net.

“I’ve done that a few times, but this one is special,” Manns said after stepping down from the ladder. “This validates a lot of things. It validates the hard work, the idea that we’re stronger together. It validates that we’re supposed to do our part, and sometimes, God steps to help with the rest.”

Friday’s game followed the Seymour script perfectly. Patience on offense, chaotic effort on defense.

The Owls (13-4) limited Floyd (5-9) to less than 10 points in each quarter and just 10 total in the first half. They forced the Highlanders into 15 turnovers and ended with nine steals.

Floyd managed just 10 field goals on 25 attempts and aided Seymour with 6-for-13 shooting from the foul line.

Junior Brady Harpe hit a 3-pointer 30 seconds into the first quarter to give Seymour a 3-0 lead. The Owls never trailed during the game, leading wire to wire.

Floyd cut the Owls’ lead to five midway through the third quarter, but a Manns timeout settled the home team, who responded with a 16-3 run that put the game out of reach and the conference title in their clutches.

“I was a little concerned going into halftime,” Manns said. “We had done a great job defensively, but we left a lot of points out there. We missed some point-blank layups, and that was a concern. At one point, they cut it to five in the third quarter. Then we had a really good spurt, and that was the difference.”

Harpe and Jaylan Johnson paced the Seymour offense. Johnson scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half before Harpe took over, scoring 19 second-half points. He dropped three of his four 3-pointers in the third quarter, then added 10 points on baskets around the bucket in the fourth quarter.

So when did the intense Manns really feel like his team had the conference crown secured?

“With about a minute to go,” he said with a smile. “We are not built to run away from teams. We’ve got to be able to grind for 32 minutes, to work hard for 32 minutes, to stay together for 32 minutes. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. We were able to do that tonight, and that’s a big credit to the kids because we’re asking a lot of them, physically and mentally.”

Friday’s post-game celebration was bigger than a single game or even the conference championship. It was a celebration of the past five years and the slow, methodical improvements that Manns and his coaching staff have instilled in the school’s boys basketball program.

Following a difficult 3-20 record during the 2018-19 season, the program’s initial primordial step was simply stopping the slide, which Manns’ first team accomplished by winning eight games and suffering five losses by five or fewer points.

Then came consecutive seasons with double-digit win totals, including a 15-win 2021-22 season. The Owls are currently on a run of four seasons with 10-plus wins for the first time since 2004-08.

Along the way came a collection of “we never beat them” wins over Columbus North (ending a 12-game losing streak), Bloomington North (12), Silver Creek (7), Greensburg (6), Bedford (13 losses in 14 games) and Jeffersonville (17 losses in 18 games).

Add Floyd Central to the list. Seymour last beat the Highlanders in 2012, a run of 13 straight losses.

Now, a conference title. Seymour made concerted runs at the HHC top spot in 2022 and in 2006, but both times settled for second place.

“We have to go all the way back to the seniors from that first year who helped us create a complete culture change,” Manns said. “They dug in and started playing hard. Then two years ago, that senior class showed the way. Now, our freshman and JV teams are starting to play harder. They’re starting to get it, and that’s a credit to our older guys on this team. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Of course, the Owls’ season is far from over. Five regular-season games remain, then comes the next chance to take an evolutionary step, the sectional.

“As we head into February,” Manns said, “we’ve got to find a way to get better. Our schedule sets up well. The next three weeks, we’ve only got three games. That’s good for our team. It let’s us rest a little, which is good since we don’t play a lot of guys and they play a lot of minutes. It also gives us a chance to pick out some things to get better at. Hopefully, we can get to March and be a better team than we are today.”

But those concerns can wait.

“The message for tonight is enjoy this,” Manns said. “Savor it. Soak it in. Then we’ll get back together tomorrow morning and start working again.”

Varsity

Seymour 49, Floyd Central 28

Floyd Central;5;5;9;9;—;28

Seymour;12;6;17;14;—;49

Floyd Central (5-9): Landon Reed 4 4-5 13, Tristan Robertson 2 0-0 5, Nathan Rushing 1 2-4 4, Jaxon Stone 1 0-0 2, Carter McQuigg 1 0-4 2, Sam Higgins 1 0-0 2, Calvin Floyd 0 0-0 0, Austin Cardwell 0 0-0 0, Braden Noble 0 0-0 0, Jacob Shields 0 0-0 0, Jude Vetter 0 0-0 0, Totals 10 6-13 28.

Seymour (13-4): Brady Harpe 9 0-2 22, Jaylan Johnson 4 8-10 16, Michael Brooks 1 2-2 4, Ethan Silcox 1 0-0 3, Bret Perry 1 0-0 2, Evan Unterseher 1 0-0 2, Parker Thompson 0 0-0 0, Ross Pumphrey 0 0-0 0, Nate Fritsch 0 0-0 0, Traysean Hawkins 0 0-0 0, Max Coates 0 0-0 0, Dametreous Collins 0 0-0 0, Totals 17 10-14 49.

3-point goals: Floyd Central 2 (Reed, Robertson), Seymour 5 (Harpe 4, Silcox)

Rebounds: Floyd Central 16 (Stone 4), Seymour 20 (Johnson 9, Harpe 3, Brooks 3, Perry 2, Thompson 1, Team 2)

Turnovers: Floyd Central 15, Seymour 8

Fouls: Floyd Central 12, Seymour 11

Junior varsity

Seymour 42, Floyd Central 37

Seymour (8-9): Max Coates 13, Traysean Hawkins 9, Nate Fritsch 7, Mack Longmeier 5, Charlie Rockey 4, Jack Broughton 2, Nolan Bartels 2

Freshman

Seymour 39, Floyd Central 23

Seymour (9-9): Carter Stein 12, Jackson Fox 9, Gage Hillian 8, Lakoda Leavy 7, Braylon Busby 3