Oak Hill Fourth Quarter Run Earns First State Championship
Oak Hill opened the fourth quarter with a 12-2 run to take command of the Class 2A state championship game and score a 56-44 triumph over Forest Park.
The victory is the first state title for the Eagles (26-5) in their first-ever appearance in the finals. It’s also the 200th career victory for coach Kevin Renbarger, an Oak Hill graduate.
Oak Hill led, 23-17 at halftime, but Forest Park (25-5) closed within 34-32 late in the third quarter.
The Eagles, however, finished the third with a 5-2 spurt before going on the decisive run to start the fourth. Senior Caleb Middlesworth had nine of the 12 points in the run, capping it with a three-point play that gave Oak Hill a 51-36 lead with 3:03 left.
Middlesworth finished with a game-high 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
The Rangers of coach Jeff Litherland hit only 14-of-41 (34 percent) from the floor in the game and committed 20 turnovers – 15 in the second half.
Curt Hopf led Forest Park with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Class 2A State Championship Records
None
Forest Park’s Hochgesang wins the Trester Mental Attitude Award
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Collin Hochgesang of Forest Park High School as the winner of the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award in Class 2A Boys Basketball.
The award is annually presented to a senior participant in the state finals who best demonstrates mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability and is nominated by his principal and coach.
Hochgesang is a starting forward for the Rangers, and averages 7.0 ppg. In 2017, Hochgesang earned most charges taken, most blocked shots, highest 3-point field goal percentage. Along with basketball, he also participates in tennis and was the No. 1 singles player for Forest Park.
Off the court, he participates in multiple community events by volunteering through his high school, the local YMCA and National Honor Society events. Hochgesang is an active member of Students Against Destructive Decisions, Rangers for Christ, Spirit Club and Renaisance and Natural Helpers. He holds a 4.0 GPA, and is number one in Forest Park’s Class of 2018.
Hochgesang is the son of Rick and Jenny Hochgesang of St. Anthony, Ind. He plans to attend the University of Southern Indiana and study accounting.
The 4A, 3A and 2A awards are named in honor of the late Arthur L. Trester, who served as first commissioner of the Association from 1929 to 1944. Trester helped Indiana high school sports and the IHSAA emerge from the Great Depression in a position of preeminence unmatched by perhaps any other state in the nation.
The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, the presenting sponsor of the IHSAA Boys Basketball State Tournament, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Forest Park High School in the name of Collin Hochgesang. Since 1989, more than $840,000 in college scholarships have been presented to deserving high school athletes in Indiana.