Brownstown Central’s Sophie Wischmeier cuts down her section of net after the 45-29 semistate win over Eastern Hancock on Feb. 17 at Shelbyville.
Brownstown Central’s Addison Darlage (23) drives to the hoop against Austin during the sectional championship at Providence High School.
Brownstown Central’s Kinzee Dean, left, looks to the basket during the first-round sectional game win against Henryville at Providence High School.
Most high school athletes don’t get to have the experience of playing in one state finals during their high school career.
Brownstown Central juniors Kinzee Dean and Addison Darlage not only played in the Class 2A state volleyball finals in the fall, but today, will have the opportunity to play with the Lady Braves in the basketball finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Braves (21-8) will face Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (19-6) at 12:45 p.m. today.
Dean played middle hitter and served in volleyball, while Darlage played outside hitter in volleyball. Sophie Wischmeier also was a member of the volleyball and basketball teams this school year.
Dean is looking forward to today’s game.
“I’d say it is probably a little bit more exciting because we knew we were going to be good in volleyball. Everyone expected us to get far in our postseason run,” she said. “But no one expected us to get out of our sectional (in basketball), let alone get to state, so I think it’s a little more exciting, and proving everyone wrong is always fun.”
Darlage said, “Both sports are fun and both of them are competitive, but like Kinzee said, no one outside our locker room thought we could get out of sectional because Providence and Austin beat us during the season, but we got out of it.”
Dean said she feels like the Braves have been playing really well during the tournament.
“Our team chemistry has been really good. I would honestly say I’m best friends with every single girl on this team, and we all love each other,” she said. “We’ve been working on our team chemistry since June. We all work hard. We all want to win. I think we’re all competitors, and I think that is a really big factor in our postseason run because we don’t want it to be over.”
Coach Brandon Allman said the Braves did not play well down the stretch, going 3-3 in their finals six games before the sectional.
Dean said after the Braves lost their final regular-season game at North Harrison, “We started getting a little bit mad at ourselves because we knew we were better. Then the week of sectional, we all focused really well. We went through our scouting reports, and all we wanted to do was win. We started getting hungrier for winning in the postseason.”
She said she feels the game with Luers will be a great battle.
“It’s a really good matchup, and I think it will be a good game to watch,” she said. “I’m so excited. It is so fun. Volleyball was fun, but basketball is a little more of a bigger deal.”
Darlage credits the coaches for having the team prepared for their opponents.
“Our coaches do an amazing job preparing us,” she said. “We all watch film all week and go over the scouting reports, and the JV players will do the opponents’ plays that we’ve watched, then we’ll go against it and practice it.”
She spoke about playing today.
“It’s going to be an amazing experience,” Darlage said. “Not everybody gets to play in Gainbridge. It’s an amazing atmosphere. It’s going to be awesome to be with my friends.”
She said she loves the competitive aspect of basketball.
“I also love that I make some of the best friendships and memories,” she said. “After winning, there is no better feeling than going in the middle and jumping up and down and getting the trophy and riding the firetruck. It’s just amazing.
“Our fans have been the best they’ve ever been,” she added. “We’ve never had this many come to support us. All the moms are having a section, the dads are having a section. They’re just giving us everything.”