PENDLETON — Pendleton Heights won seven of its final nine regular-season games last year and entered sectional play considered by many to be the hottest team in The Herald Bulletin coverage area.
But the Arabians’ boys basketball season ended with a 73-50 loss against eventual champion Anderson in the first round at the New Castle Fieldhouse.
Only sharpshooter Michael Maxwell graduated from last year’s team, raising expectations for the 2009-10 season. But head coach Brian Hahn, 42-25 in four seasons at Pendleton, isn’t completely buying into the hype.
“Expectations are one of those things you have to keep in balance,” Hahn said. “We have a great group, but we’re still young, and we still have to grow physically and mentally. We expect to be competitive and be in every game. But we have to continually improve throughout the season.”
Pendleton Heights finished 12-9 a year ago, despite regularly starting as many as three freshmen.
The two biggest returners are in the backcourt — sophomore point guard Kendall Waters and senior shooting guard Nathan Hendershot.
“That’s going to be our strength,” Hahn said. “Kendall and Nathan are outstanding basketball players.”
Waters stunned opposing defenses last season with his effortless speed and crisp passing, showing polish in his ability to run the varsity offense as a freshman. Hendershot, a star for the Arabians’ track and cross country teams, led the team in scoring and used his speed to slice through the lane for easy baskets.
Maxwell provided a threat from beyond the 3-point arc, but that’s not all Pendleton Heights will be missing in his absence this year.
“Michael Maxwell did so much for us other than shoot 3s,” Hahn said. “His leadership was invaluable. We need people to step up and be vocal leaders. There’s not one person (that’s going to be able to replace Maxwell). We need a team effort.”
Hendershot will naturally be asked to assume some of those duties.
He got his senior year off to a good start by finishing seventh at the IHSAA cross country state finals in Terre Haute earlier this month. Hendershot started the fall saying his goal was to lead the Arabians to their first state finals appearance as a team.
Shortly after that goal was accomplished, with mud still sticking to his numbered bib, he laid out his expectations for the basketball season.
“We think we can be a pretty good team,” he said following the completion of cross country season. “We want to compete for a sectional championship.”
Hendershot reiterated that point again in a phone interview on Sunday.
“We think we’re going to have a big season and the first test is on Tuesday,” said Hendershot. “I can already tell there’s a big difference between this year and last year. We had as many as four freshmen on the floor at any given time and this year, I can tell that there’s more maturity in them after just one year of playing with these guys.”
Pendleton Heights’ Achilles’ heel last season was a lack of size in the post. Several players have worked hard in the weight room throughout the offseason, but strength in the paint will remain a concern.
Hahn will turn to junior Ryan Albers for some relief.
“Ryan Albers has really stepped up,” he said. “He had a good preseason, and we’re really counting on him.”
Hahn also is counting on the Arabians to continue the improvement evident late last year. Pendleton Heights shook off a 5-7 start and impressed many observers with its late-season play.
But Hahn said the team’s goals run much deeper.
“Obviously, we want to build off some of the positives from last season,” he said. “At the same time, we need to address our weaknesses. We want to compete for championships in the county, conference and sectional. We were not close to winning any of those championships last year. We need to continue to improve and put ourselves in position to win a championship.”
High School Sports
Arabians staying grounded early
Pendleton Heights keeps focus despite lofty expectations
- High School Sports
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Triumphant Tribe
Seventeen years of frustration and disappointment for the Anderson Indians baseball team ended in a jubilant dog pile atop junior pitcher Curtis Wilson on Monday night at Pendleton Heights’ Field of Dreams.
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Argylls squeeze into crown
Madison-Grant coach Ben Rodriguez liked his squeeze play so much that he called it again in the pivotal inning of the Class 2A, Sectional 39 championship game at Eastern High School on Monday night in Greentown.
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Bulldogs’ comeback falls just short
Not even a heroic seventh-inning rally could save the Lapel baseball team in the Class 2A sectional title game at Frankton on Monday afternoon. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the seventh inning but still came up a run short as the Wapahani Raiders won the championship 9-8.
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Tribe rallies past Pendleton Heights into final
This is the stuff of legend.
The kind of game that defines a rivalry.
The kind of victory that breathes new life into a program.
And the kind of defeat that won’t ever be forgotten. -
Tipton bedevils Madison-Grant
The Madison-Grant softball team dug a deep hole on Friday night in the championship game of the Class 2A, Sectional 39 at Eastern High School in Greentown. Trailing 5-0 after four innings, the Argylls scratched their way back into the game, but were on the short end of a 5-4 decision against the Tipton Blue Devils.
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Indians’ Dabney headed to state
The North Central Boys Track Regional is traditionally one of the toughest in the state with powerhouses Lawrence Central, Ben Davis, Pike and the host Panthers among the competitors
But that didn’t faze Anderson senior Derrick Dabney, who turned in two brilliant performances in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles at Thursday’s regional to advance to the state meet at Indiana University in Bloomington next Saturday. -
Roller coaster ride comes to end for Lapel
The Lapel Bulldogs couldn’t overcome one more hurdle in their roller-coaster season on Thursday as they fell to Wapahani 4-1 in the softball championship game of the Class 2A, Sectional 40 at Shenandoah High School.
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Mason powers Bulldogs into final
The Frankton pitching staff opened the door just a tick Thursday with occasional bouts of wildness. Lapel sophomore Dane Mason blew the door off its hinges with the first multi-homer game of his high school career — including a walk-off grand slam — and the third-ranked Bulldogs stomped the rival Eagles 14-3 to reach this Class 2A baseball sectional final.
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Panthers upset Tigers in sectional
Elwood used a seven-run third-inning to stun Alexandria 11-5 and advance to the semifinals of the Class 2A baseball sectional at Eastern.
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Shenandoah bows out with loss to Wapahani
Wapahani’s Red Raiders advanced to the championship game of the Class 2A Frankton Baseball Sectional with a 7-2 win over Shenandoah.
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