ANDY AMEY: Lot of girls teams were worth watching this past season

Once again I've been remiss in scheduling high school girls basketball games that I want to see, and this past winter's pairing would have been Parke Heritage vs. Robinson. They could have played at North Central, in a four-team round robin with Linton and the Thunderbirds.

The Wolves, Maroons, Miners and Thunderbirds enjoyed great success during the winter, while Northview and Paris had good years that could lead to better ones in 2024-25. Parke Heritage and North Central are among the teams also anticipating more success in 2024-25, and a substantial number of fans in the Wabash Valley are also aware that Plainfield should be really good again.

All three Vigo County teams are also looking forward to improvement.

Without further adieu, here are the Andy Amey teams for 2023-24.

The three captains of the Clutch Team would have all been in that dream round robin in Farmersburg: Bradie Chambers of Linton, Jalyn Davidson of North Central and Marissa Zane of Robinson.

Other big-time contributors were Brynlee Clarke and Reagin White of Northview; Braxtyn Dunham of North Vermillion; Karizma English-Malone of Terre Haute South; Marlee Heighton of Marshall; Mikaitlyn Klyaic of South Vermillion; Delaney Marrs of West Vigo; Ally McKinney and Jacie Wilson of Sullivan; Raegan Ramsay of Parke Heritage; Elayni Stone of Shakamak; and Graci Watson of Paris.

Rebounds are an effort statistic, and the captains of the Competitors Team all excelled at that aspect of the game — even though a couple of them are point guards and a couple more are extremely undersized forwards. For this year, anyway, it's the Missy Barrett team (you need to know maiden names for this historical information).

One of the point guards, Emma Simpson of Parke Heritage, had an Oscar Robertson season (look it up, kids) and could very well have another. Another feisty point guard in her neighborhood is Haylee Mathas of Riverton Parke, while the tiny but never-say-die frontliners are Te'Rah Cooley of South and Shelby Seay of North Central.

Other battlers this past season were Emily Adams and Jaylynn Nelson of Riverton Parke; Kenna Batty and Reaghan Benjamin of Parke Heritage; Rese Belleu, Jaycee Elkins and Lily Ramirez of West Vigo; Morgan Coombes, Vivian Moore and Bella Moreschi of Paris; Cadence Dunham of North Vermillion; Zara Engledow, Addy Ross and Lynn Welborn of Marshall; Aubrey Ervin, Emma Martin and Charlie Walker of Terre Haute North; Chase Hammond and Madelyn Kennett of Shakamak; Sydney Jerrells of Linton; Avari Kelley of Sullivan; Kailynn Kirkling and Abi Shearer of Clay City; Haley Morris of South; Kaylee Russell and Cambree Stivers of South Vermillion; Rekelle Terrell of Northview; and Alexia Zane of Robinson.

This is by far the deepest of the Amey teams this year, by the way. Another half dozen or more could have been captains themselves.

One of the things I look for when picking the Unsung Team is defense, and the captains this year may have been the best two defenders I saw in the SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference: Isabella Franklin of Linton and Sam Secrest of North Central.

Other players whose work was underappreciated include Clara Barber, Aubrey Langford and Aubrie Lambermont of Shakamak; Taylor Blank of Robinson; Sarah Brown, Corinne Loomis and Kenzie Nowicki of Riverton Parke; Taylor Clark of Paris; Lexi Crabb, Megan Jackson and Kam Rhodes of Clay City; Lexis Drake, Cabela Golish, Isabelle Harris and Katherine Sarver of Sullivan; Kera Dunham, Lauren Ellis and Kayanna Smith of North Vermillion; Dakota Fonner and Veronica Kennedy of South Vermillion; Lilli Gaines and Kimber Ladson of North Central; Addison Jenkins, Mia Myers and Cate O'Brien of Parke Heritage; Kaitlynn Kirkham, Makenna Lawson and Audrey Lee of North; Ella Mattas and Libby McFarland of Marshall; Alyvia McKee of Linton; Rachel Rounds of Northview; Hannah Stepp and Rylie Strole of West Vigo; and Carley Werremeyer of South.

The two captains of the Most Improved Team this season went from being solid role players to becoming their teams' top scoring options. That's not easy, but Becca Gore of North and Lulu Koehler of Clay City did a good job with it.

Other players who got better were Macy Bicknell and Kilee Edwards of Paris; Madi Boyd and LaNiceon Holman of South; Aphtyn Earley of Sullivan; Jama Ewers and Emma Herrador-Gonzalez of Shakamak; Addilee Jenkins and Andi Perkins of Parke Heritage; Katelyn Jones, Addy O'Dell and Elizabeth Shea of Robinson; Lydia Jones and Bayli Vester of West Vigo; Jaelyn Lanning, Sage Lanning and Cyd'Nei Strader of North; Addisyn McKee and Maelee Pilant of Linton; Summer Pettit of South Vermillion; and Sophie Robinson of Marshall.

Two of the captains of the Promising Team — Carlee Schrader of Northview and Kailey Young of Paris — were freshmen who look to be fixtures in their teams' lineups for the next three years. The third captain was a notable newcomer, but Shakamak's Ema Janouskova's next team is probably in the Czach Republic.

Other players with bright futures are Jessa Bark, Miley Callahan, Briley Jones and Madalyn Smith of West Vigo; Reagan Bean, Ava Jumps and Laney Walters of North Vermillion; Savannah Burleson, Mary-Claire Featherling, Aubri Morman and Jacee Stonebraker of Riverton Parke; Katie Cox, Jenna Kemp, Aleecia Lewis and Emilee Mundell of South; Nya Engledow of Marshall; Kenzie Englum and Jacie Young of Paris; Riley Erton of Robinson; Ries Harmon, Kyra Looper and Madi Strange of North; Jenna Hofmann, Marley Rea, Taylor Rhienhart and Ellie Stoelting of Clay City; Madi Lund and Hope Richardson of South Vermillion; Abbigail McKee of Linton; Carly Newnum, Addie Ramsay and Anesa Veseli of Parke Heritage; and Brenna Stallcop of Northview.

Finding a captain or captains of the Unselfish Team proved too difficult this season but there were still a lot of players worth honoring: Catie Adamson of South Vermillion; Brynn Anderson of Linton; Lailynn Bigger of West Vigo; Maya Bodine of South; Brooklyn Eldridge and Dalaena White of Northview; Natalie Hardesty and Kolette Slough of Shakamak; Annie List, Raegan Manhart and Natalie Ramsey of Robinson; Lexi McCormick of Parke Heritage; Kaleigh Nowicki of Riverton Parke; and Grace Scott and Maggie Scott of North Central.

And the Lefthanded Team will be strong led by the two Emmas, Martin and Simpson; the two Engledows, Nya and Zara; and Jama Ewers, Maggie Krause of Northview, Addisyn McKee, Haley Morris, Kaleigh Nowicki and Addy Ross.