BROWNSTOWN — The Brownstown Central boys’ basketball team celebrated its state championship season with an awards program in the school auditorium Wednesday night.

The Braves won the Class 2A state championship this past season and had a record of 28-4. That is a new school record for wins in a season. Brownstown also set a season record for 3-pointers made in a season with 355.

Jack Benter and Parker Hehman put their names in the record book several times and received multiple special awards.

Benter was named the most valuable player for the fourth straight year. He also received an award for the highest 3-point percentage (44 percent), the highest free throw percentage (83) and the most rebounds (199).

Benter was named an Indiana All-Star and was runner up for Indiana Mr. Basketball, and was named to the Supreme 15 Senior all-state team, and holds the school record for most points in a season (774), and career (2550), 3-point field goals in a season (91) and career (331), and most field goals in a career (623) and free throws in a career (550). He is tied for the most free throws in a game with 17.

When Jack was named to the Indiana All-Star team, his father and Braves Coach Dave Benter said, “As a coach, it is good to see your player and program recognized for all of their hard work. This is not just for Jack, but it is for our whole program and community.

“Fans get to see the fun part of what players go through, but they don’t get to see the countless hours players put in and the sacrifices that it takes to become a really good player.”

Hehman received the mental attitude award, plus the assists award (169), and was named the best defensive player for the 2023-24 season.

Hehman holds the career assists record (424) and is tied for the single game assists record with 14.

Coach Benter says Hehman is the best leader he has ever had and said both Parker and Jack are “generational players.”

Adam Stahl received the field goal shooting award for making 64 percent of his field goals.

Benter, Hehman, and Colby Hall were named all Mid-Southern first team and Chace Coomer was named honorable mention. Banter was all-MSC four straight years.

The Braves won the MSC title with a record of 8-0.

Hehman and Hall were named to the Hall of Fame Classic All-Tourney team, and Hehman, Coomer, Hall and Micah Sheffer were named to the North Daviess all-tournament team.

Hehman and Hall were named small school all-state and Coomer was named small school honorable mention.

Hehman, Stahl, Benter, and Caiden Gwin were the seniors on the team. They were 74-13 the past three years and won three MSC titles, three sectionals and two regionals.

All the players that were on the tournament team will receive their jerseys framed. Coomer, Hall and Covert received their letter jackets.

Marty Young introduced the junior varsity and C team players. The JV was 19-0 and the C team was 8-4.

Brock Dean was named the most improved junior varsity player.

Cheerleader sponsor Lydia Benter introduced the cheerleaders and presented the Spirit of Brownstown award to Haleigh Drake and a cheer jacket to Mylie Cummings.

Coach Benter recapped the season and said expectations were high from the beginning. “The last two summers we played the best teams in the state, and I talked to coaches, who I trusted their judgement, telling me they thought we were the best team in the state when we were healthy.

“There were a lot of expectations, but we felt this team could handle the maturity of that, and it did,” Benter said. “We knew we would be tested. Any team that goes through such a long season is going to have their difficulties.

“We talked a lot about that, the ebb and flow of the season, and to never get too high and never get too low and we thought it would be important to take that approach throughout the year.”

The Braves started out 3-0 before losing to a good Lawrence North team. They then put together a five-game winning straight before losing 58-57 to Evansville Christian in the championship of the North Daviess Bobcat Tournament.

Benter said those games at North Daviess “kind of set the tone and kind of put us where we needed to be late in the season.”

They then beat Brownsburg and lost to Indianapolis Crispus Attucks in the Hall of Fame Tournament at New Castle. Benter said the team was excited to have the opportunity to play in that tournament.

Benter said his team hit rock bottom when it blew a lead and lost at Jennings County. The Braves followed up with a win over a good Jeffersonville team the following night, and a week later produced a big win at Carmel.

Benter said the Braves had a running clock in seven of the next nine games after Carmel, and 13 running clock wins during the season. Only three of their wins were by less than 10 points.

The Braves won their final 19 games. Benter said the 53-37 win over Providence in the championship game of the Southwestern Sectional was one of his most satisfying of his coaching career,

The Braves then beat Sullivan in the Washington Regional, and Park Tudor and Parke Heritage in the Southport Semi-state.

Benter said the Braves had to overcome adversity throughout the season as several players missed game due to injuries and sickness