Boys Basketball Wins Record 25th County Championship
Center Grove High School (CGHS) boys basketball continued its reign over the county with a record 25th Johnson County title. The Trojans received a first-round bye and then nearly lost to a feisty upstart team from Greenwood Christian. CGHS rallied from a nine-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to beat the Cougars 42-39.
In the championship game, the Trojans had a rematch with Greenwood, who beat them in the season and home opener 73-70. CGHS blitzed the Woodmen in the first quarter of the county final, outscoring them 17-4 and never relinquishing the lead over the next three quarters. Senior Caden Jones came off the bench to lead the Trojans with 21 points and eight rebounds. CGHS Head Coach Zach Hahn says Jones brings excellent energy to the game.
“He was a spark plug,” said Hahn. “He was on fire. He’s a very explosive athlete. When he gets cooking from three, you have to watch out because he’s such a strong driver also.”
Hahn set the county record for the most county titles with his seventh. He says winning the county means a lot to the county community.
“County is a lot of fun because it’s so competitive,” said Hahn. “It means a lot to everybody in Johnson County. I’m really proud of our guys and look forward to getting better day by day. The goal is always to get better each day, and then by the end of the year, let’s see where we’re at.”
The Trojans begin state tournament play in early March in the sectional, hosted by Decatur Central. CGHS has won 17 sectionals, five of those under Hahn.
Boys Wrestling Wins 20th Sectional
Number-two state-ranked, and nationally ranked, Center Grove boys wrestling won its 20th sectional, which is its fifth straight. It has won nine of the last 11 sectionals. The Trojans accumulated 326 team points, setting the sectional record at Mooresville. Out of 14 wrestlers, CGHS had 11 individual sectional champs, one runner-up, and two third-place finishers. This sectional win was Maurice Swain’s fifth title as the Trojans’ head coach.
“I’m proud of our guys and their effort,” said Swain. “I thought our guys wrestled well – came out with fire and intensity, and got the job done.”
CGHS finished second to the state’s top team, nationally ranked Brownsburg, in the regional at Mooresville. Silas Stits and Julian Weems won individual regional titles, and 12 out of 14 Trojan wrestlers advanced to the Evansville semi-state.
We will recap how CGHS does in the semi-state and state finals in the April issue of Center Grove Magazine.
Girls Swimming and Diving Is Sectional Runner-Up
A very young Center Grove girls swimming and diving team improved immensely throughout the season and gained much experience. The Trojans ended the regular season with a 5-3 record and took first in the CGHS Holiday Invitational, second in the CGHS sectional and Johnson County meet, and third in the Hall of Fame Classic.
“I am really excited about what we saw this season,” said CGHS girls swimming and diving Head Coach Brad Smith. “We are a very young team; almost 75% are freshmen and sophomores. We have made tremendous growth from October to the championship season. These ladies will provide a strong foundation for the next few years, and we hope to continue to build upon the Center Grove swimming tradition.”
Congratulations to these CGHS swimmers for qualifying for the following state events:
- 200 medley relay: Santanna Gonzalez, Rayah Rugenstein, Campbell Ehresman, Averie Matern
- 200 freestyle: Addy Matern
- 100 butterfly: Addy Matern
- 200 free relay: Averie Matern, Gonzalez, Addy Matern, Clara Brandon
- 100 breaststroke: Averie Matern
- 400 free relay: Averie Matern, Brooke Trammell, Addy Matern, and Brandon.
Girls Basketball Ends Season With Heartbreaking Overtime Loss
After a highly successful regular season, Center Grove girls basketball was eliminated from the state tournament in the opening game of the sectional at Franklin Central, losing to the host school in overtime 54-47, ending its season at 18-4.
Despite the crushing loss, the girls basketball team accomplished a lot during the 2024-2025 season. The Trojans won the 2024 Johnson County title over Franklin, led by Gracyn Gilliard’s 33 points, and it was Head Coach Kevin Stuckmeyer’s sixth county championship. Gilliard scored 23 points against Plainfield, eclipsing 1,000 points in her career. Ava Grant set a school record for most points in a game with 35 versus Martinsville. Gilliard and Grant earned Carol Tumey Holiday All-Tournament Team honors. CGHS had big wins over Franklin Central, Fishers, Roncalli, Danville, Plainfield, Carmel, Columbus North, Lawrence North, and Cathedral. The Trojans’ highest state ranking was number four.
CGHS will lose three senior starters: Lilly Bischoff, Emerson Vlcan, and Grant. Vlcan has signed to play college basketball at Hanover, Grant will play at Indiana University South Bend, and Bischoff is undecided.
