'It was personal.' Center Grove routs Whiteland for back-to-back Johnson County titles

GREENWOOD – The Center Grove Trojans have already turned the corner.

Now, they’re rolling.

Counted out after a tough start to the season, the unranked Class 4A Trojans have gone 6-1 over the past month, and a decisive fourth quarter against Whiteland during the Johnson County tournament final on Saturday night served as the exclamation point.

Complete team. Complete tournament.Lawrence North rolls to Marion County title.

Up by as many as 15 points in the first half only to watch their lead dwindle to two possessions by halftime, the rejuvenated Trojans focused forward in the final 16 minutes en route to a 68-43 win and back-to-back county championships.

“This means a lot to us. Everybody was doubting us because we started off rough, but we had a big meeting last month, and we’re more together. We’re not worrying about who’s scoring the points,” Center Grove senior Jalen Bundy said. “We’re going to get the points. We just had two straight games holding people under 50, so we know, if we play defense, then nobody can really play with us in the state.”

A night after beating Greenwood 81-48 in the semifinals, the Trojans (9-4) proved unflappable within the county lines whether ahead, trailing or challenged.

Against Whiteland (10-6), Center Grove contended with all three situations, and its cohesiveness paved the way toward a third county title in four years, fifth in seven and sixth in coach Zach Hahn’s 10 seasons at the helm.

“This group, we struggled early on with some chemistry stuff, and coaches don’t like to talk about that, but it’s the reality of sports. Sometimes, you have to have those hard locker room conversations, and I put it on these guys. They’re the ones that figured it out,” Hahn said. “It wasn’t anything I did. They were the ones that said, ‘Hey, we need to make some changes.’ They’re the ones that bought into what we’re trying to do.”

A 10-3 Trojans’ first-quarter run turned the tide, highlighted by consecutive 3-pointers from senior Joey Schmitz, who finished with a game-high 21 points.

A 7-3 run to start the second quarter ended with a steal and an uncontested layup by Schmitz that gave Center Grove a 28-13 advantage, but Whiteland responded to cut the deficit 35-30 by halftime.

Down 35-22, Whiteland chipped away with a dagger 3-pointer from senior Jazz Banwait. Later, an Ethan Edwards and-1 was paired with two technical free throws due to an unsportsmanlike call to keep the Warriors within reach. Edwards sank all three foul shots for a five-point swing.

“What I liked is when we went into the locker room our guys were talking about what’s next. They weren’t complaining about their run. They weren’t worried about what happened on the court. They came in and were talking about next play mentality,” Hahn said. “That is a sign of growth for this group. When you have that mentality, and you’re not worried about compounding mistakes and thinking about the future, then you have a chance to make positive changes in the game going down the stretch.”

Schmitz’s fifth and final 3-pointer with 3:01 left in the third quarter followed by a steal and a bucket by the guard put Center Grove up 45-37. Schmitz shot 4-of-6 from 3-point range in the first half and finished 5 of 8 by game’s end.

“It’s my specialty,” Schmitz said. “Our coach calls them backbreakers. If you come down and shoot the first pass and you miss, it’s a backbreaker. But if you hit it, then it means the world to the team. Gives us an extra boost on offense.”

The final push unfolded with a last-second runner by Bundy to end the third before the Trojans’ defense stymied the Warriors, who were outscored 21-2 in the fourth quarter.

Whiteland shot 0-for-13 in the final frame and went scoreless after a pair of foul shots by Gavin Stubbe with 6:48 remaining.

“They didn’t score in the fourth quarter. That was really our defensive stop. When we switched to 2-3 (zone) there, they couldn’t get anything. Our length and our size really bothered them. I think that’s what really stopped them in the end,” Schmitz said.

The Trojans’ unselfishness had a final say as well with seven players logging at least one assist and six scoring five or more points.

Bundy had 16 points, shooting 6-of-9 from the field. Michael Ephraim had three blocked shots and five rebounds. Senior Peyton Byrd had 11 points and four rebounds.

Center Grove ended the game on a 20-0 run that was sparked by a Byrd layup at the 6:26 mark. The onslaught was punctuated in the final minute with a two-handed dunk by Byrd off two quick-cut passes starting with Dylan Meador before Bundy dished it inside.

“We wanted to run up the score. It was personal. They were talking a lot in an article, so it was personal to us,” Bundy said. “We’re 3-0 in 2024; 2023 is in the past.”

Stubbe finished with a team-high 16 points for Whiteland. Edwards had nine, followed by Wiatt McLaughlin with seven and five rebounds. Banwait provided six points.

The Warriors converted 4-of-15 3-pointers overall and went 3-of-20 from the floor in the second half, as their five-game winning streak closed.

“Since we made the change about game five or six, when we lost to Warren Central at the tipoff (Dec. 9), we’re scoring about 76 a game. That’s close to about leading the state,” Hahn said. “A lot of guys can do it. We’ve had a guy get 39. We had six guys score in double figures last night. If we continue to work on the defensive end, then I think we have a chance to be really special by March.”

The Trojans have only lost one game since Dec. 12, a 66-65 overtime loss to top-ranked Fishers on Dec. 22.

“I think we had that turning point a while back. We’re on a roll right now," Schmitz said. "We have to continue this roll and keep going."