Girls Soccer Earns State Runner-Up Honors
Center Grove High School (CGHS) girls soccer concluded a remarkable season with an impressive performance in the state tournament. The Trojans returned to the state championship game for only the second time in history, the first being in 1997. A state-best 25th sectional championship and a state-record 19th regional title marked their journey. This team showed their resilience by overcoming earlier losses to Castle and East Central, triumphing over the Knights 1-0 and the Trojans 2-1 respectively on their way to a third semi-state title. Despite a tough contest against two-time defending state champion Noblesville, the Trojans fell 3-1 and ended the season with a 16-5-3 record.
“I’m extremely proud of the girls, not only for the great accomplishments of playing in the state championship, but also of the way they did it,” said Head Coach Myron Vaughn. “The team always maintained our identity, and committed to it from day one and all the way to the state championship. I’m excited for the returning players who were able to see and experience what they are capable of, and definitely proud and excited for our great seniors. Their leadership both on and off the field is the foundation for our successes. All eight of them had a different role to play in so many ways and gave the team the ability to excel.”
Senior Lauren Hopper was named the Class 3A Mental Attitude Award recipient. Senior Addie Crowe earned first-team all-state. Senior Brooklyn Brown was named honorable-mention all-state. Brown, Crowe, Hopper, Zoey Doan, Beatriz Gubert, Jessie Jasek, Ava Margiotti, Maggie Marlin, Brooke O’Brien, Hayley Smith and Katelyn Stone all earned academic all-state honors.
Boys Tennis Takes Second in State Tournament
This year’s Center Grove boys tennis team was known for its unity. That bond helped propel the team to within one point of its third state title. The Trojans displayed their strength by defeating Whiteland 5-0 in the sectional final, Connersville 5-0 in the regional final, and Fishers 4-1 in the semi-state. Their journey to the state finals was marked by a 5-0 victory over Penn in the quarterfinals and a hard-fought 3-2 win against Jasper in the semifinals. The Trojans lost to the number-one state-ranked Brebeuf in the finals, 2-3.
“After losing the semifinal match in 2022 to North Central, we achieved our first goal of playing in the finals since the state championship run in 2008,” said CGHS Head Coach David Beasley. “Against Brebeuf in the final, our seniors led the charge, with Tyler Lane winning at one singles and Carson Bush and Daksh Patel winning at two doubles. Ultimately, falling short by one point, our players showed tremendous class and fight during the match, which was decided by a grueling third set. Our seniors were outstanding role models for the underclassmen, and we look forward to building on our momentum.”
Individually, the boys tennis team also shone brightly. Tyler Lane emerged as the state runner-up at number-one singles in the individual state tournament. Lane and the number-one doubles team, Patel and Bush, were named first-team all-state and selected for the Senior All-Star Southwest team. Yuvraj Dasari, a sophomore and the number-two singles player, was recognized as honorable-mention all-state. The team’s academic prowess was also acknowledged, with Dimitri Kandris, Russell Dean and Quinn Smith earning academic all-state honors.
Volleyball Advances to Final Four
CGHS volleyball may have started their season with a slow burn, but they ended with a strong finish in the state tournament. The Trojans wrapped up the regular season with a 22-8 record, ranking ninth in Class 4A. The Trojans won their 36th sectional title and triumphed over 4A number-four Brownsburg to secure their 10th regional title. Although they fell to Yorktown in the final four, their journey was a testament to their resilience.
“We had a great run this season,” said CGHS Head Coach Jennifer Hawk. “It started rocky, but the team, from top to bottom, stayed true to our goals of winning a state title. The way they came together as a team in the last month and a half was the biggest difference for us from the start of the season to the end. We fell short of our ultimate goal this season, but set a new standard of what this program can and will be in the future.”
CG senior Ellen Zapp set the school record for most career kills with 1,289, and senior Reese Dunkle had more than 1,000 career kills. Zapp and Dunkle were named First Team All-State, and Zapp, Dunkle, and Anabelle Schembra made the All-District Team. Zapp, Dunkle, Maddi Higginson, and Savannah Cook earned Academic All-State honors.
Football Wins 14th Straight Sectional Title
CGHS football claimed its 14th consecutive sectional championship, beating Jeffersonville 72-7 in the semifinals and upending Franklin Central in the finals 52-14. This is the longest current winning streak for sectional titles in the state. The Trojans have won 20 Sectionals, 19 under Head Coach Eric Moore. CGHS has won 30 straight sectional games since 2011.
Boys Soccer Wins Sectional Title
CGHS boys soccer fought to an undefeated regular season at 15-0, and ranked number one in the state and nation. The Trojans won a state-record 26th sectional with a 5-1 win against East Central in the finals. CGHS was eliminated from the state tournament with a 2-0 road loss to 3A number-seven state-ranked Bloomington South in the regional final. The Trojans ended the season with an impressive 18-1 record. Keaton Barnhizer was named first-team all-state, Austin Lowden earned second-team all-state honors, and Neikos Whitney was honorable-mention all-state. Barnhizer, Lowden, Whitney, Lucas Brunson, Landon Gilstorf, Saul Greenwood, Roman Heller, Evan Hewitt and Owen Kalmas earned academic all-state honors.
