INDIANAPOLIS — The nation's attention has been on March Madness at the college basketball level, but here in Indiana this weekend, state championships are going on for high school boys basketball.
In the 4A matinee, it's Fishers and Ben Davis. These two teams played in the first game of the season, and now they meet in the last game with everything at stake.
"They've improved a ton, I hope we've improved a ton," said Fishers head coach Garrett Winegar. "I think it's gonna be a lot of, a different game, but I hope it'll be a great state championship game. I keep telling them there's only eight teams practicing and we're one of them. Like, I'm just happy to still be going to work with them, still be able to have the opportunity to practice."
"I tell you, like it's kind of bittersweet," said senior forward Keenan Garner. "I'm really excited to be in this position. We've worked really hard for it, but this is also the last game, so that's also kind of bittersweet, but I'm just really proud and really excited to play on Saturday."
It's a chance at history. Before this season, Fishers had never won a sectional, let alone a state title. Now there's the opportunity to do something that's never been done before: capture the program's first state championship,
"It would change my life," Garner said. "I mean, it'd be like, probably the greatest achievement I had so far in my life. I mean, to go, like, win the state championship, in Indiana nonetheless, I know I'm very new to this state, but to go win the state championship, that would mean everything to us."
Winegar says the team has earned it.
"You know, I wanna see them go through that experience," he said. "I was able to be a part of that as an assistant coach and just to, to see the joy on those players faces would mean everything to me, you know, because they've done so much for me, I [want] them to experience that same thing. So, and for school, you know, we've had so much great support from our fans, from our administration. So to be able to be that team that wins a championship, it would mean a lot."
There are storylines galore in this one. Ben Davis looking for back-to-back state titles, with an interim head coach, no less. Fishers looking to make history with the first state championship in program history.
It should be a lot of fun Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.