It didn't take long for the Three Rivers Conference to replace a departing member.

Lewis Cass will join the Three Rivers Conference.

Lewis Cass will replace Tippecanoe Valley after the Vikings athletic programs announced their departure from the conference and intent to join a newly formed conference to start the 2024-25 season.  In reply, the TRC voted to have Tippecanoe Valley leave at of the end of this athletic season.

The following information was released on the Twitter account of the Hoosier Conference.

The IHSAA baseball and softball state tournaments do not begin until late May.

On Sunday, area teams will learn their postseason draw as pairings shows for both tournaments will air live on IHSAAtv.org.

The 38th Annual IHSAA Girls Softball State Tournament Pairings Show will broadcast at 7 p.m. The show will be hosted online by Greg Rakestraw. Complete pairings will be available at IHSAA.org following the broadcast.

Sectional tournaments across the state will run from May 22-27.

Baseball

At 8 p.m. on IHSAAtv.org, Greg Rakestraw will host the 56th Annual Boys Baseball State Tournament Pairings Show. Complete pairings will be online at IHSAA.org following the broadcast.

Sectional tournaments run from May 24-29.

Ahead of Tippecanoe Valley’s planned departure from the Three Rivers Conference the principals of the conference have voted to remove the Vikings athletic programs a year early.

Tippecanoe Valley recently announced its intent to enter a partnership with Bremen, John Glenn, Jimtown, Knox and Laville to create a new (yet to be named) conference.

Tippecanoe Valley has been a member of the TRC since 1974.

In response, the TRC gave Tippecanoe Valley three options per the TRC bylaws. The options were:

1. Finish two years, which would be ‘23-’24 and the ‘24-’25 school years, as a part of the TRC.

2. If Tippecanoe Valley leaves for the school year of ‘24-’25, they would pay each remaining TRC School $1000 by May 5, 2023.

3. If Tippecanoe Valley does NOT want to use Options one (1) or two (2), they will be voted out effective at the end of the ‘22-’23 School year.

Tippecanoe Valley responded on Friday, April 21, that they were standing firm with their decision to join the new conference at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.

From this letter, the TRC met to discuss the future of the conference. During this meeting, the TRC voted to remove Tippecanoe Valley from the TRC effective at the end of the 2022-23 school year. The vote was 8-0-1.

A letter was sent to Tippecanoe Valley explaining the timeline and Tippecanoe Valley’s removal from the TRC.
 

All the members of the TRC noted in a written press release that they wish Tippecanoe Valley the best in their future conference.

Markus Burton has earned the top individual award in Indiana high school boys basketball.

Burton, a 6-1 guard from Penn High School, has been named IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball for 2023 in online voting of media and boys’ varsity coaches conducted by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association and All-Star game director Mike Broughton, it was announced Wednesday (April 19) as part of the IndyStar Indiana Sports Awards program.

The Mr. Basketball result means Burton will wear the No. 1 jersey for the Indiana All-Stars in their annual series with Kentucky. The Mr. Basketball award goes to the top boys’ basketball senior in the state. The Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball awards are part of the IndyStar Indiana All-Star program that dates to 1939. The Miss Basketball award, along with the girls' All-Stars, was added to the All-Star program in 1976.

The complete 2023 boys' All-Star team was announced on April 4. The complete 2023 girls' All-Star team was announced on March 14. Laila Hull of Zionsville previously was announced as Miss Basketball for 2023.

Burton earned the boys' top honor after being named on 171 ballots submitted to Broughton in balloting that ran from March 14 through March 29. Xavier Booker of Cathedral was runner-up with 20 votes. Zane Doughty of Ben Davis and Joey Hart of Linton-Stockton each received six votes. Myles Colvin was fifth with five votes followed by Mason Jones of Valparaiso with three votes. In total, 16 players received at least one Mr. Basketball vote.

A Notre Dame recruit, Burton averaged a state-best 30.3 points as well as 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.6 steals while leading Penn to a 28-2 season that included Northern Indiana Conference, Elkhart Sectional and Michigan City Regional championships. He converted 58.2 percent on field goals (348 of 598), including 42.5 percent on 3-point attempts (65 of 153) for the Kingsmen. He also sank 87.1 percent on free throws (148 of 170).

For his career, Burton totaled a school- and St. Joseph County-record 2,273 points as well as 533 rebounds, 512 assists and 329 steals while Penn amassed an aggregate record of 74-31 over his four seasons (10-14, 12-12, 24-3 and 28-2). He also holds the school record for points in a season (909 as a senior) and produced a triple-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in this year's sectional opener against Elkhart on Feb. 28.

Burton is the first boys' player and the eighth overall player from Penn to be named an Indiana All-Star. Those chosen as All-Stars previously from Penn, all girls, are Jessica Reiter (2000), Lily Svete (2009), Alex Morton (2012), Taylor Lutz (2013), Caroline Buhr (2014), Camryn Buhr (2016) and Kaitlyn Costner (2021). Also, Penn's Kristi Ulrich is the head coach of the 2023 girls' All-Stars.

In going to Notre Dame, Burton joins Chris Thomas of Pike (2003) and Luke Zeller of Washington (2005) as Mr. Basketball honorees to join the Irish program. Burton, Thomas and Zeller are among 24 Indiana All-Stars to play for the ND men's basketball program.

Burton also is the third Mr. Basketball winner from St. Joseph County. He follows John Coalmon of South Bend Central in 1957 and David Magley of South Bend LaSalle in 1978. Burton also becomes the third Mr. Basketball recipient coached by Al Rhodes. The Penn mentor also guided 1985 winner Jeff Grose and 1996 winner Kevin Ault while he was the coach at Warsaw.

While in high school, Burton has been recognized as 2021 IBCA Large School All-State, 2022 IBCA Underclass Supreme 15, 2022 AP third-team All-State, 2023 IBCA Senior Supreme 15 and 2023 AP first-team All-State. He also was named the NIC's most valuable player in 2022 and 2023 after earning honorable mention all-NIC accolades in 2021.

Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball traditionally wear No. 1 jerseys for the respective Indiana Boys All-Stars and Indiana Girls All-Stars in the annual series with Kentucky. The All-Stars will face the Indiana Junior All-Stars in an exhibition doubleheader on June 7 at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. The All-Stars follow with their home-and-home doubleheaders with Kentucky -- June 9 at the Owensboro SportsCenter in Owensboro, Ky., and June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. 

Indiana Mr. Basketball honorees

1939: George Crowe, Franklin

1940: Ed Schienbein, Southport

1941: John Bass, Greenwood

1942: Bud Brown, Muncie Burris

1943: not awarded (World War II)

1944: not awarded (World War II)

1945: Tom Schwartz, Kokomo

1946: Johnny Wilson, Anderson

1947: Bill Garrett, Shelbyville

1948: Bob Masters, Lafayette Jeff

1949: Dee Monroe, Madison

1950: Pat Klein, Marion

1951: Tom Harrold, Muncie Central

1952: Joe Sexson, Indianapolis Tech

1953: Hallie Bryant, Indianapolis Attucks

1954: Bobby Plump, Milan

1955: Wilson Eison, Gary Roosevelt

1956: Oscar Robertson, Indianapolis Attucks

1957: John Coalmon, South Bend Central

1958: Mike McCoy, Fort Wayne South

1959: Jimmy Rayl, Kokomo

1960: Ron Bonham, Muncie Central

1961: Tom VanArsdale, Indianapolis Manual, and Dick VanArsdale, Indianpolis Manual

1962: Larry Humes, Madison

1963: Rick Jones, Muncie Central

1964: Dennis Brady, Lafayette Jeff

1965: Bill Keller, Indianapolis Washington

1966: Rick Mount, Lebanon

1967: Willie Long, Fort Wayne South

1968: Billy Shepherd, Carmel

1969: George McGinnis, Indianapolis Washington

1970: Dave Shepherd, Carmel

1971: Mike Flynn, Jeffersonville

1972: Phil Cox, Connersville

1973: Kent Benson, New Castle

1974: Steve Collier, Southwestern (Hanover), and Roy Taylor, Anderson

1975: Kyle Macy, Peru

1976: Dave Colescott, Marion

1977: Ray Tolbert, Anderson Madison Heights

1978: David Magley, South Bend LaSalle

1979: Steve Bouchie, Washington

1980: Jim Master, Harding (Fort Wayne)

1981: Dan Palombizio, Michigan City Rogers

1982: Roger Harden, Valparaiso

1983: Steve Alford, New Castle

1984: Delray Brooks, Michigan City Rogers, and Troy Lewis, Anderson,

1985: Jeff Grose, Warsaw

1986: Mark Jewell, Lafayette Jeff

1987: Jay Edwards, Marion, and Lyndon Jones, Marion

1988: Woody Austin, Richmond

1989: Pat Graham, Floyd Central

1990: Damon Bailey, Bedford North Lawrence

1991: Glenn Robinson, Gary Roosevelt

1992: Charles Macon, Michigan City Elston

1993: Maurice “Kojak” Fuller, Anderson

1994: Bryce Drew, Valparaiso

1995: Damon Frierson, Ben Davis

1996: Kevin Ault, Warsaw

1997: Luke Recker, DeKalb

1998: Tom Coverdale, Noblesville

1999: Jason Gardner, North Central

2000: Jared Jeffries, Bloomington North

2001: Chris Thomas, Pike

2002: Sean May, Bloomington North

2003: Justin Cage, Pike

2004: A.J. Ratliff, North Central

2005: Luke Zeller, Washington

2006: Greg Oden, Lawrence North

2007: Eric Gordon, North Central

2008: Tyler Zeller, Washington

2009: Jordan Hulls, Bloomington South

2010: DeShaun Thomas, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers

2011: Cody Zeller, Washington

2012: Gary Harris, Hamilton Southeastern

2013: Zak Irvin, Hamilton Southeastern

2014: Trey Lyles, Indianapolis Tech

2015: Caleb Swanigan, Homestead

2016: Kyle Guy, Lawrence Central

2017: Kris Wilkes, North Central

2018: Romeo Langford, New Albany

2019: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Center Grove

2020: Anthony Leal, Bloomington South

2021: Caleb Furst, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian

2022: Braden Smith, Westfield

Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation (TVSC) and the Tippecanoe Valley Athletic
Department would like to formally announce that Tippecanoe Valley has begun the process of exiting our affiliation with the Three Rivers Conference (TRC).

While the TVHS Vikings have enjoyed and will fondly recall the long-standing traditions and rivalries of the TRC, the Vikings are excited to announce that we have entered a partnership with the following schools to create a new (yet to be named) conference: Bremen, John Glenn, Jimtown, Knox and Laville.

The plan is for the new conference to take full effect at the start of the 2024-
2025 school year.

Tippecanoe Valley believes this new affiliation will open up a wider range of competition for our student-athletes and allow for greater development across different sport teams. We believe this is in the best interest of our student athletes and all the stakeholders in our community.

Further details regarding the new conference formation are currently in progress. These details will be released as they become available by all members of the new conference.

Tippecanoe Valley and Plymouth will be represented at a special IHSAA scholarship presentation.

Cato Memorial Scholarships will be presented to 12 seniors.

The student-athletes will be recognized April 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

DNR is stocking nearly 50,000 trout throughout Indiana for trout season opening day, April 29.

Lake trout stocking has already begun as trout fishing on lakes is open year around. Stream trout stocking is expected in the weeks before opening day, the first day anglers can legally catch trout from streams.

One site is Mill Creek in Fulton County with 400 rainbow trout  being stocked there by DNR.

Thirteen players have been selected for the 2023 IndyStar Indiana Boys All-Stars, All-Stars game director Mike Broughton announced Tuesday.

Those chosen to the team will play three games in June -- one exhibition game against the Indiana Junior All-Stars as well as home-and-home contests against the Kentucky All-Stars.

The players chosen the 2023 Indiana Boys All-Stars, listed alphabetically, are Luke Almodovar of Noblesville, Xavier Booker of Indianapolis Cathedral, Markus Burton of Penn, Myles Colvin of Heritage Christian, Zane Doughty of Ben Davis, Joey Hart of Linton-Stockton, Logan Imes of Zionsville, Mason Jones of Valparaiso, A.J. Lux of Crown Point, Sam Orme of Carmel, Ian Raasch of NorthWood, JaQualon Roberts of Bloomington North and Sheridan Sharp of Ben Davis.

The 2023 IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball winner will come from among this group of 13 players. The 2023 Mr. Basketball winner is expected to be announced as part of the IndyStar Indiana High School Sports Awards program on April 19 at Butler University's Clowes Hall in Indianapolis.

This year's boys' All-Star team features five players who have been a part of state championship teams in Doughty and Sharpe of Ben Davis (2023 4A), Raasch of NorthWood (2023 3A), Booker of Cathedral (2022 4A) and Orme of Carmel (2021 4A). The squad also includes an IBCA first-team Academic All-State selection in Raasch plus two IBCA honorable mention Academic All-State picks in Doughty and Imes.

Don Carlisle of Ben Davis has been named the head coach of the 2023 All-Stars. He will be assisted by

Brent Brobston of Frankton and Shane Burkhart of Evansville Bosse.

Carlisle is 144-66 in eight seasons as an Indiana varsity coach. That includes a 98-41 mark in five seasons at Ben Davis -- with a 33-0 ledger and the Class 4A state title in 2022-23 -- and a 46-25 slate in three seasons at Indianapolis Arlington. Brobston is 239-136 in 15 seasons at Frankton. Burkhart is 250-132 in 15 seasons at Evansville Bosse.

The Junior-Senior exhibition game is set for June 7 at a site to be announced. The first game against Kentucky will be June 9 at the Owensboro Sportscenter in Owensboro, Ky. The final game against Kentucky will be June 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

All three dates will be doubleheaders with the IndyStar Indiana Girls All-Stars, whose roster was announced March 14. The roster for the Indiana girls Junior All-Stars was announced March 8. The roster for the Indiana boys Junior All-Stars was announced March 31.

The Indiana Junior All-Stars will play two girl-boy doubleheaders this year -- June 4 against the Kentucky Junior All-Stars at Jeffersonville and June 7 against the Indiana seniors at a site to be announced.

The Indiana All-Stars program was founded in 1939 when the Indiana Boys All-Stars played the state champion Frankfort Hot Dogs. The series with Kentucky began in 1940, and the girls' portion of the All-Stars was added in 1976. The Junior All-Stars, boys and girls, were added in 1996. The All-Star senior girls have played Kentucky every year since 1976, except 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The All-Star senior boys have played Kentucky in all but three years since 1940 -- 1943 (World War II), 1944 (World War II) and 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic).

The Indiana Senior boys lead 103-44 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Senior boys lead 41-10 in games against the Indiana Junior boys. The Indiana Junior boys lead 7-4 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Senior girls lead 52-40 in their series with Kentucky. The Indiana Senior girls lead 41-10 in games against the Indiana Junior girls. The Indiana Junior girls lead 10-1 in their series with Kentucky. 

 The June 10 date also will include the inaugural IndyStar Indiana All-Star "Futures Games." The Futures Games will be a girls-boys doubleheader at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with Indiana-only squads of juniors, sophomores and freshmen in a North vs. South format. The girls' Futures Games lineups were announced Feb. 16. The boys' Futures Games lineups were announced March 21.

The Indiana portion of the All-Star Games is organized and produced by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association. The Indianapolis Star, with its IndyStar brand, is a title sponsor.

Mr. Basketball is selected through a balloting process of coaches and media overseen by game organizers from the IBCA. The remainder of the team is finalized by Broughton after observing numerous games and events throughout the season, conferring with coaches, school officials and media across the state. Broughton also reviews votes submitted by coaches and media who each could recommend up to 10 players.

A complete list of those chosen as 2023 IndyStar Indiana Boys All-Stars is below. Jersey numbers will be assigned later, after the winner of Mr. Basketball is announced.

2023 IndyStar Indiana Boys All-Stars

Name, School, Height, Pos., PPG, College Choice

Luke Almodovar, Noblesville, 6-3, G, 17.5, Saint Francis (Ind.)

Xavier Booker, Cathedral, 6-11, F, 15.2, Michigan State

Markus Burton, Penn, 6-1, G, 30.2, Notre Dame

Myles Colvin, Heritage Christian, 6-7, F, 19.5, Purdue

Zane Doughty, Ben Davis, 6-9, F, 13.5, undecided

Joey Hart, Linton-Stockton, 6-6, G, 23.7, Central Florida

Logan Imes, Zionsville, 6-4, G, 16.9, undecided

Mason Jones, Valparaiso, 6-7, F, 19.7, Ball State

A.J. Lux, Crown Point, 6-5, G, 21.5, Bellarmine 

Sam Orme, Carmel, 6-9, F, 18.0, Belmont

Ian Raasch, NorthWood, 6-6, G, 15.0, Grace (Ind.)

JaQualon Roberts, Bloomington North, 6-8, F, 19.6, Vanderbilt

Sheridan Sharp, Ben Davis, 6-3, G, 9.8, Nicholls State (La.)

The Indiana High School Athletic Association is pleased to announce the 86th Annual IHSAA Wrestling State Finals will be contested at the Ford Center in Evansville.

This will be the first time the city of Evansville has hosted an IHSAA State Finals event in any sport.

The regularly scheduled dates of next year’s state finals are Friday and Saturday, February 16-17, 2024. Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which has hosted the state finals every year since it opened in 2000, will be home to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game on the same weekend.

The Ford Center, which has an approximate capacity of 11,000, is in downtown Evansville and has served as host of the Evansville Wrestling Semi-State for 11 of the last 12 years since opening in 2011.

“We’re extremely pleased and grateful to the city of Evansville for their willingness to host the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals - one of our premier events every year,” said IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig.

“Evansville has an impeccable reputation for hosting amateur athletic competitions and we are very confident this will be a great and memorable experience for everyone who attends. Evansville stands ready for this opportunity to host this event and share their hospitality with the rest of the state.”

The IHSAA reached out to other venues in the state with the necessarily specific availability, capacity, infrastructure, and willingness to host this event and the Ford Center was found to be the most compatible.

“We are elated that Evansville has been selected to host the 2024 IHSAA State Wrestling tournament,” said Lloyd Winnecke, Mayor of Evansville. “We eagerly await the opportunity to roll out the red carpet for student athletes and spectators. The remarkable Ford Center will serve as a dynamic host venue, and we are confident that visitors will enjoy our thriving downtown, and all the amenities and hospitality our great city has to offer.”