Between the Final Four and the high school state finals, there were hoop celebrations galore in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday. But the purest joy to be found on a basketball court in the Hoosier State was 30-something miles south of downtown.
For the players taking part in the inaugural Champions Together Unified Basketball Shootout at Edinburgh, nothing that was going on at Bankers Life Fieldhouse or Lucas Oil was anywhere near as important.
Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs jumping up onto the scorer’s table and screaming after his game-winning shot against UCLA couldn’t match the exaltation of Indian Creek’s Lily DeHart triumphantly throwing her fists in the air each time she scored. High school star Caleb Furst of Fort Wayne Blackhawk may be a Purdue-bound state champion, but Edinburgh big guy Ethan Campbell was every bit as overwhelming in the paint this past weekend.
During most basketball seasons, high school Unified teams showcase their skills in brief exhibitions during halftime of some varsity games. But because of the restrictions in place during the pandemic, those opportunities weren’t available this past winter. Amy Schilling, a coach and special education teacher at Edinburgh, decided to do something about it.
Despite the attendance being somewhat limited by both the pandemic and spring break, Schilling was pleased with how the four-team round robin event (which also featured Columbus East and Morristown) turned out.
"It would have been nice for them to have more fans and more student support, but they’re excited just to play," she said. "My kids have been asking about a game since last year. Any opportunity they have to play with their peers and play games, they enjoy it."
And the kids squeezed every drop out of their moment.
In the head-to-head matchup between the Braves and Lancers, the lightning-quick guard combo of Willy Grider and Chris Dyke helped the host team storm out to an early lead, with Grider’s pull-up 3 on a fast break setting the tone.
Then, in the second half, Daly Britt led an Indian Creek comeback bid with a barrage of transition baskets.
Though he was happy that his brother Mason, a standout for the Braves’ varsity team, was there to cheer him on, Daly was setting a higher bar for his play.
"I want to play like Michael Jordan," he said.
Despite some late buckets from Britt and Jason Baird, Indian Creek wound up on the short end of a 25-18 score against the Lancers. Saturday’s tournament, though, wasn’t really about the numbers up on the board.
Well, not for everybody, anyway. When asked what his favorite part of the tournament was, Grider didn’t hesitate at all: "Winning."
Dyke said his favorite part was the chance to make some new friends, and that sort of good will and unselfishness was on display throughout, between teammates and opponents alike.
"It’s competitive, but they’re good sports while they’re at it," Schilling said. "I think some of our other kids could probably learn a little bit."
Other athletes could have learned a thing or two in Edinburgh about how to elevate their celebration game, too. Even NBA players would have a hard time topping the preening strut that Indian Creek’s Jack Pringle busted out after one particularly impressive basket.
Pringle wasn’t alone in the big personality department, either.
"We definitely have our showboats," Indian Creek sponsor Sharon Hogue said with a smile.
Though they might not have been on national television, Saturday’s Unified games felt as big as any of the ones being contested in Indy — at least to those who came. Schilling is hopeful that turnout for the event will grow in future years.
"It brings awareness to the community and our students about respecting and including everybody," she said.
The kids who were on the court in Edinburgh certainly commanded that respect on Saturday.
