The 6th Grade Bulldogs had a tough draw in Sectional 16, but were able to win 3 games in one day against great competition to capture the crown.
In the championship contest the Bulldogs had tired legs and found themselves in a see-saw battle with 4:25 remaining in the title game to Greensburg White. Conner Drake and Jack Grunkemeyer hit huge rebound baskets to give the squad the lead each time down the stretch. Grunkemeyer’s 3 free throws were clutch in the closing seconds as Gus Prickel intercepted the in-bounds pass from the Pirates along the sideline in an effort to tie the contest to seal the Championship 37-34. The Bulldogs fought hard and were only able to muster 33% shooting for the championship contest, but dug deep to force the competitors into only 34% shooting themselves. 4 made 3 pointers kept Greensburg in the game until the end, but the Bulldogs won the rebound battle 32-25 and persevered for a well-deserved title. Jack Grunkemeyer led the team in scoring with 12 points, Gus Prickel tallied 9, Bradley Wirth 6, Conner Drake 4, Chris Lewis 4, and Sam Johnson 2. Grunkemeyer was an absolute beast with 11 rebounds with Wirth adding 8 caroms. Prickel led the team with 3 assists.
Earlier in the day, to get to the championship contest, the Bulldogs had to pull off a tough wins to open up the day against an up and coming Rising Sun squad 28-25 and a solid Madison team 37-26. In the opener, the Bulldogs struggled from the field by shooting only 26% for the contest due to solid inside play by the Shiners. The Bulldogs were able to force several key turnovers with full court pressure, win the rebound battle 23-15, hit 6-10 from the free throw line and survive and advance. The team was led in scoring by Lewis with 10, Grunkemeyer 7, Johnson 6, Wirth 3, and Drake 2. Grunkemeyer had 7 rebounds and Johnson 6, with two big ones in crunch time. Prickel played solid defense on the Rising Sun point guard and tallied a superb 5 assists.
In the semi-final contest against the Madison Cubs the Bulldogs played a solid game throughout. The squad shot 65% from the field, held the Cubs to 34% shooting, won the rebound battle 18-13 and held off a late rally to advance to the title game. Chris Lewis led a solid team effort defensively against the sharp shooting Miller of Madison, limiting him to 5 points. The Bulldogs were an impressive 14-18 from the free throw line to hold off Madison for the 3rd time this season. Lewis led the team in scoring with 12, Prickel tallied 10, Grunkemeyer 10, Wirth 3 and Johnson 2. Grunkemeyer was again a work horse with 8 rebounds while Wirth added 5. Prickel tallied 4 assists.
The Bulldogs (23-6) on the campaign, now advance to next week’s Dirt Road Basketball Final Four in the Historic Richmond High School Tiernan Center vs. Greensburg Blue at 2:00 PM. The winner of the contest will play the winner of the 1:00 PM contest between Richmond and Connersville Red at 4:00, with the consolation contest to proceed. This makes the 5th consecutive season the Class of 2024’ has reached the DRBL Final Four.
Batesville 5th Grade White squad lost to Greensburg 33-15 in sectional play to move to (1-14) on the campaign.
Batesville 5th Grade Blue lost to Madison 33-15 in sectional play and then defeated Jac-Cen-Del in a consolation contest 30-11 to move to (11-8) on the season.
The 4th Grade Bulldogs won the Dirt Road Basketball League Sectional 8 championship on Sunday at BHS over the Milan Indians 38-20. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Cayden Drake with 14, Caleb Mohr had 8, Brayden Maple 6, William Kuisel 4, Owen Enneking 4 and Trenton Jordan 2.
In the semi-final contest earlier in the afternoon, the squad jumped all over Jac-Cen-Del and won going away 43-20 to advance to the title game. Brayden Maple led the team in scoring with 14, Cayden Drake tallied 13, William Kuisel 5, Ethan Schneider 4, Trenton Jordan 3, Owen Enneking 2 and Landon Raver 2.
Coach Matt Enneking noted great defense throughout the championship day as the key to success.
The Bulldogs, (17-4) on the season, advance to next week’s DRBL Final Four to be played at Batesville High School where the hosts will take on Greensburg at 1:00. In the second semi-final, Eastern Hancock takes on last year’s champions, Centerville at 2:00. The Championship is scheduled for 4:00, with the consolation game proceeding at 3:00.
Courtesy of Bulldogs Coach Paul Drake.