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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Bearcats upend AHS
Often basketball is a simple game, and it was certainly true for the Anderson boys basketball team here Thursday night. “We had too many turnovers — that’s the game,” said AHS coach Joe Nadaline after the Indians lost to Muncie Central 54-46 for their eighth straight defeat.
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Bulldogs topple Raiders, win 9th in a row
The Bulldogs keep on rolling. Lapel (16-3) led from start to finish as it beat visiting Shenandoah 69-47 Thursday night to push its winning streak to nine games.
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PHHS shoots down Fishers
It can be easy to take Kellen Dunham for granted. But the Pendleton Heights senior reminded everyone why he is a Mr. Basketball candidate with a furious fourth quarter Thursday night against Fishers. Dunham scored 15 of his game-high 32 points in the final eight minutes, connected on all 10 of his free-throw attempts during the period and drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key early in the frame that sent the fifth-ranked Arabians on their way to a 53-42 victory.
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Frankton subdues Liberty
Youth was on display Thursday night in Frankton as the host Eagles squared off against the Liberty Christian Lions boys basketball team. Neither team had a senior start the game, and Frankton proved to be the more seasoned team in a 68-59 win.
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Indians fall to Bearcats 54-46
Photos from Anderson as the Indians hosted the Muncie Central Bearcats.
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Five for fighting
Like other coaches, Alexandria wrestling coach Jack Grimaldi sometimes has to worry about how to motivate his charges as they head into their matches. That shouldn’t be an issue for him with his five Tigers heading into Saturday’s individual semistate at New Castle.
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Red-hot Lapel limiting miscues
Like any basketball coach, Jimmie Howell knows how important it is for a team to be playing its best basketball as the state tournament draws near.
But what’s going on in Lapel might be redefining that theory.
With a 60-42 win on the road over Class 3A No. 6 Guerin Catholic on Saturday, the Bulldogs pushed their winning streak to eight games. Over the 32-minute course of the game against the Golden Eagles, Lapel committed a microscopic four turnovers. -
PH moves on
On the roster of every successful team is a player or two who will do the unpleasant work. The ones who actually find satisfaction in this pursuit are worth their weight in wins to any coach. Pendleton Heights sophomore Kiawna Cottrell was just that player Tuesday as the Arabians advanced to the second round of sectional play with a 55-45 victory over Greenfield-Central.
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Indians slay Spartans
The last time these two girls basketball teams met on Jan. 17, Anderson defeated Connersville 83-74 in overtime. Lady Tribe coach Chad Cook knew the Spartans would come out with a chip on their shoulder ready for revenge in Tuesday’s opening round of the Class 4A sectional.
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Eagles eke by Raiders
Back in November, the Frankton girls basketball team handled Shenandoah by 29 points. Tuesday’s sectional opener at Shenandoah wasn’t as easy, but the end result was the same as Frankton moved on with a 44-43 win over the host Shenandoah Raiders.
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