Season Update: The SAC
In this article:
The featured image is of Destini Craig Destini Craig 5'9" | PF Fort Wayne Northrop | 2024 State IN of Fort Wayne Snider High School. Periodically throughout the season, I want to take the time to look in on several…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Destini Craig Destini Craig 5'9" | PF Fort Wayne Northrop | 2024 State IN of Fort Wayne Snider High School.
Periodically throughout the season, I want to take the time to look in on several of the state’s conferences. I’ll take a peek at what teams are performing well, who the top prospects are, upcoming games, etc. Considered the “big school” conference in Northeast Indiana, the Summit Athletic Conference (also known as “the SAC”) is also one of the oldest. Originally founded in 1934 as the Fort Wayne City Series, its name was changed to the Summit Athletic Conference in 1973 when Harding joined the group. It started with just four original members…Central Catholic, Fort Wayne Central, Fort Wayne North Side, and Fort Wayne South Side. A number of additional schools joined the SAC, including the now defunct Elmhurst and Harding High Schools, but at this time the conference consists of ten total schools, with Fort Wayne Carroll and Homestead being the latest additions in 2015. The other eight current members still include Fort Wayne North Side and Fort Wayne South Side, along with Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran, Fort Wayne Northrop, Fort Wayne Snider, and Fort Wayne Wayne.
There is inconsistent information concerning girls’ basketball titles before 2000, but over the last 20 years, only five of the ten current members hold titles. Bishop Luers leads the way with six titles. Homestead follows with five, but this is also only their sixth year in the SAC. Concordia Lutheran possesses three, South Side and Snider have two each, as does Elmhurst which closed its doors in 2010. As for this season, five schools are currently above .500, while the other five schools are under .500 in terms of overall record. With Homestead having dominated the SAC over the last five seasons, Carroll stands at 2-0 in the conference, with a huge 62-58 double overtime win against Homestead back on December 4. South Side (3-0) and Concordia Lutheran (2-0) are also undefeated in conference play, but their matchups with each other, Carroll, and Homestead are yet to come. Quite a few of these schools play tough non-conference schedules, and you’ll usually find a couple/few of them ranked in Classes 4A or 3A throughout the year. They’ll be ready come tournament time, and most/all of these teams have college prospects on their rosters, a lot of which still fly under the radar in terms of recruiting.
School | Record | Conference | Schedule Strength |
South Side | 5-0 | 3-0 | 23 |
Carroll | 7-2 | 2-0 | 41 |
Concordia Lutheran | 7-2 | 2-0 | 100 |
Homestead | 5-3 | 2-1 | 8 |
Bishop Luers | 3-4 | 2-1 | 40 |
Snider | 3-2 | 1-1 | 46 |
Bishop Dwenger | 4-6 | 2-2 | 93 |
Wayne | 3-6 | 0-2 | 127 |
North Side | 0-11 | 0-3 | 108 |
Northrop | 3-4 | 0-4 | 68 |
Schedule strength is figured out of 400 qualifying schools in the state, regardless of classification.
Fort Wayne South Side
The Archers have gotten off to an undefeated, 5-0 start, with quality wins over Northridge and South Bend Washington, along with three conference wins against Bishop Luers, Snider, and North Side. With matchups against Heritage Christian (today), Fishers (1/2), Homestead (1/8), Carmel (1/9), Penn (1/16), and North Central (Indianapolis) (1/23) on the docket, South Side isn’t avoiding competition one bit. A tournament at Franklin Central on 12/30 that also includes Pike and Vincennes Lincoln could also prove challenging. The Archers lost floor general
Jaci Jones
Jaci
Jones
5'4" | PG
Fort Wayne South Side | 2020
State
IN
to graduation, but Junior point guard
Olivia Smith
Olivia
Smith
5'4" | PG
Fort Wayne South Side | 2022
State
IN
(14.5p, 4.0r, 5.0a) has her own talents and can fill that void adequately. Senior forward
Lamyia Woodson
Lamyia
Woodson
6'0" | PF
Fort Wayne South Side | 2021
State
IN
(18.0p, 12.5r, 2.5b) is also looking to take on a leadership role this year. She is signed with Youngstown State University. Seniors
Jasney Combs
Jasney
Combs
5'6" | CG
Fort Wayne South Side | 2021
State
IN
(8.0p, 2.5r), Cassidy Connelley (6.0p, 4.5r), and
Cierra Calloway
Cierra
Calloway
5'7" | SF
Fort Wayne South Side | 2021
State
IN
(2.0p, 3.0r) provide additional backcourt support, while Freshman guard
Annika Davis
Annika
Davis
5'8" | PG
Bishop Luers | 2024
State
IN
(8.0p, 3.0r) is a talented youngster outside. Senior forward LaShay Peterson (2.5p, 5.0r) helps Woodson along the frontline.
Fort Wayne Carroll
The Carroll Chargers have shied away from no one. With the big win against Homestead, the Chargers also have a nice win against Northridge. Their two losses are to state powers Hamilton Southeastern, 51-47 in overtime, and Penn, 67-58. Unfortunately, they have entered a stretch of quarantine, and their next scheduled contest isn’t until December 29 in the Raider Holiday Classic at Northridge. Warsaw (ppd.), Norwell (1/5), and Carmel (1/16) also still await Carroll in the New Year. The roster has a nice mix of veteran leadership and youthful talent. Senior point guard
Emily Parrett
Emily
Parrett
5'7" | PG
Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 2021
State
IN
(12.0p, 4.2r, 2.1a, 2.3s) is their leader, both by running the offense and acting as the emotional leader. Senior wing
Delane Sheets
Delane
Sheets
5'7" | SF
Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 2021
State
IN
(6.8p) and Junior forward
Jasmine Anderson
Jasmine
Anderson
6'1" | PF
Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 2022
State
IN
(2.7r) are additional experienced upperclassmen. A strong Sophomore class includes guard
Taylor Fordyce
Taylor
Fordyce
5'10" | SG
Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 2023
State
IN
(9.6p, 4.1r, 2.9s), twin wings
Saniya Jackson
Saniya
Jackson
6'0" | SF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2023
State
IN
(7.8p, 4.6r, 2.3a) and
Nevaeh Jackson
Nevaeh
Jackson
6'0" | SF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2023
State
IN
(7.1p, 4.6r, 2.3a, 2.6s), as well as guard Kayla Gibbs (5.8p, 2.7r, 2.0s). Freshman guard
Alexis Castator
Alexis
Castator
6'1" | SG
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2024
State
IN
(6.0p, 3.1r) is very talented and should get more comfortable as the year goes on.
Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran
Concordia Lutheran has taken care of business early this season, knocking off conference foes Northrop and Wayne to start with a 2-0 record in the SAC. At 7-2 overall, they are proving to be a force in Class 3A, however their two losses are to Norwell and Garrett…teams they could see in the Sectional (Garrett) and Regional (Norwell), if they advance that far. Concordia Lutheran travels to Homestead (12/16) next week, and they still have to face South Side (1/15) in January. The Cadets are powered by their size, as 6-0 Sophomore forward
Annaka Nelson
Annaka
Nelson
6'0" | PF
Fort Wayne Concordia | 2023
State
IN
(18.0p, 6.9r, 2.2a, 3.4s) and 6-1 Senior post
Chanteese Craig
Chanteese
Craig
6'1" | C
Fort Wayne Concordia | 2021
State
IN
(16.2p, 7.4r, 2.3s, 2.3b) are their most impactful players every night. Senior forward Grace Hedtke (11.8p, 4.1r, 2.1s) has really stepped up this year as well and is a third double-digit scorer for Concordia Lutheran. Junior guard LonDynn Betts (7.2p, 3.2r, 4.7a, 2.6s) acts as the Cadets floor general this season. Seniors Rhaya Kaschinske (4.2p, 3.1r, 3.4a, 2.4s) and Chastity Craig (2.2p, 3.6r) are also vital to the rotation this season.
Homestead
Whether they would attribute their 5-3 record to it or not, Homestead continues to graduate critical pieces year after year. In May of 2020, the Spartans saw talented forward
Sydney Graber
Sydney
Graber
6'0" | PF
Homestead | 2020
State
IN
, as well as key backcourt member
Rylie Parker
Rylie
Parker
5'6" | SG
Homestead | 2020
State
IN
head off to college to play ball. Both of them are now playing Division-I basketball. Add to that Homestead’s schedule strength, and they have tough games nearly every night. The Spartans have already played Carmel, Northridge, Noblesville, Carroll, and South Bend Washington, and they have games remaining against Angola, Concordia Lutheran, North Central (Indianapolis), South Side, Lawrence North, and Warsaw, to name a few. The leader of the pack is talented 6-3 Junior
Ayanna Patterson
Ayanna
Patterson
6'3" | SF
Homestead | 2022
State
#5
Nation
IN
. The incredibly athletic forward is starting to score the ball at a high level almost nightly. Senior point guard
Grace Sullivan
Grace
Sullivan
5'4" | PG
Homestead | 2021
State
IN
is a feisty and dynamic lead guard who makes plays at both ends. Senior post
Amber Austin
Amber
Austin
6'0" | C
Homestead | 2021
State
IN
and Junior forward
Maggie Keinsley
Maggie
Keinsley
5'10" | PF
Homestead | 2022
State
IN
bring both talent and skill to the frontline, while Sophomore guard
Molly Stock
Molly
Stock
5'7" | PG
Homestead | 2023
State
IN
is highly skilled in the backcourt.
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers
Bishop Luers is another one of those schools statewide who unfortunately had to suffer through an interruption in their schedule. They played their third game of the year on November 12, then had to wait until December 4 to resume their season. The Knights travel to Homestead next Friday (12/18), and they already have nine games scheduled for January, with more yet to be rescheduled, so it won’t be an easy stretch coming up for Bishop Luers. Freshman post Addie Shank (10.0p, 6.8r) has gotten out to a strong start for the Knights, while Senior forward
Delaney Bailey
Delaney
Bailey
5'10" | PF
Fort Wayne Luers | 2021
State
IN
(9.8p, 5.6r, 2.8a) is a really nice compliment to her and can play inside or around the perimeter some. Senior guard Janaiya Bright (9.2p, 3.3r, 3.2a, 2.8s) is very athletic. Juniors Anna Parent (8.2p, 7.2r, 2.0a, 2.7s) and Hannah Sweeney (6.3p, 7.7r, 2.8s), as well as Senior Jayla Fikes (4.0p, 2.2r), give them more lineup options.
Fort Wayne Snider
The Snider Panthers are taking somewhat of a rebuilding approach playing a lot of youngsters, however they are talented enough to already be very competitive this season. They also have a new Head Coach in Akilah Sims, who had successful playing careers in high school and college. The Panthers started the season 3-0, but they’ve suffered consecutive losses to a tough South Side team in a nail-biter (65-61), and to a very good and experienced Warsaw team (53-45). I’d expect to see them continue to grow, as this young squad gains more and more Varsity experience. Freshman point guard
Jordyn Poole
Jordyn
Poole
5'6" | PG
Fort Wayne Snider | 2024
State
IN
is a dynamic playmaker who is already flashing star-like qualities. Freshman forward
Destini Craig
Destini
Craig
5'9" | PF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2024
State
IN
and Freshman guard
Joh’nea Donahue
Joh’nea
Donahue
5'8" | SG
Fort Wayne Snider | 2024
State
IN
are two more young talents who are contributing immediately. Another key newcomer is Senior forward
Destiny Jackson
Destiny
Jackson
5'10" | SF
Fort Wayne Snider | 2021
State
IN
, who is a double-double waiting to happen each time out. She transferred in from Northrop this season.
Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger
Bishop Dwenger is usually a tough and feisty group who is typically competitive and pulls off an upset or two each year. After beginning this season 0-4, they have responded by winning four of their last six games, while evening their SAC record at 2-2. They do have a very tough second half of the season, with games against Concordia Lutheran, Fairfield, Carroll, South Bend Washington, Norwell, and South Side still on tap. If they can take care of the ball and make their easy shots, they can get to ten wins once again. Their backcourt is experienced, getting solid play from Junior guard Lexi Linder, Senior guard
Kayliana Hammel
Kayliana
Hammel
5'7" | SG
Fort Wayne Dwenger | 2021
State
IN
, Senior guard Victoria Parent, plus Junior wing Morgan Farmer and Sophomore wing Maddie Schenkel. One key will be getting consistent play out of Senior post Maggie Cheever, which could be vital considering all of the quality frontline players in the Summit City.
Fort Wayne Wayne
Similarly to Fort Wayne Snider, the Wayne Generals are taking a youthful approach, though Wayne is doing so with exclusively Sophomores and Freshmen filling out its Varsity roster. The young Generals began their season with a nice win against Blackford, but they then fell six consecutive times, before rebounding with wins against Marion and Fremont earlier this week. Now due to postponements, they are in a holding pattern until they play South Side on December 22. Wayne’s lineup starts with a couple of impressive interior players, as Freshman Khalise Collins (10.6p, 6.6r) and Sophomore
Shabrea O’Quinn
Shabrea
O’Quinn
6'1" | C
Fort Wayne Wayne | 2023
State
IN
(9.5p, 5.0r) can be real matchup problems upfront. O’Quinn, however, has only seen action in four of their games thus far. The backcourt has a number of quick and athletic youngsters, led by Sophomore Emilia Diaz (9.0p, 2.2r, 2.6s), Sophomore Aniah Hill (8.6p, 3.1r, 2.8s), Freshman Sydney Gorman (7.7p, 2.4r, 2.2a), and Freshman Mariah Luna (5.1p, 3.9r, 2.9a). If the Generals continue to grow together, they could be a scary unit this time next season.
Fort Wayne North Side
North Side has struggled throughout the 2000s, posting no more than seven wins in any one season since 2003-2004. However, they too are going through a youth movement, and their kids play hard each time out. If they stay the course and continue to improve, they could see things change for the better in a year or two. The Legends are led by a trio of Freshmen in Alivia Jones (7.8p, 2.2r), Ja’Liyah Paige (5.5p, 6.7r), and Aniya Woodson (4.4p, 2.0r). Junior Zara Nokour (5.4p, 7.0r) has done a nice job on the boards so far, as has Junior Felicia Smith (4.9r). Sophomores Jayda Young (2.4p) and Tierani Hoskins (2.0p), plus Junior Tasia Chaney (3.0r), are also part of the regular rotation this year.
Fort Wayne Northrop
Northrop is always a fast and athletic team, and this year is no different. They are somewhat inexperienced, and the transfer of
Destiny Jackson
Destiny
Jackson
5'10" | SF
Fort Wayne Snider | 2021
State
IN
to Snider is certainly a significant loss. They have somewhat traded wins and losses this year to begin 3-4, but they have the talent to win 10 to 12 games this year on the whole, though remaining matchups against Mishawaka Marian (today), South Side, Snider, and Homestead will prove to be tough. Senior forward
TiAuna White
TiAuna
White
5'9" | PF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2021
State
IN
(17.3p, 7.3r, 2.0s) has been highly productive each year of her career, and she leads the Bruins once again this season. Senior guard Kayla Warfield (8.0p, 5.0r), Junior guard
Amanda Thatcher
Amanda
Thatcher
5'4" | CG
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2022
State
IN
(8.0p, 5.5r, 2.3a), and Sophomore guard
Alexa Robinson
Alexa
Robinson
5'8" | SF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2023
IN
(3.9p, 5.0r) are all athletic playmakers in the backcourt. Robinson transferred in from Concordia Lutheran this year. Junior Aniyah Moore (5.5p, 6.0r), Senior Jasmine Perry (5.3p, 2.3r), and Senior Sirennity Bragg (2.8p, 4.0r) are consistent contributors as well this season.