By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor
INDIANAPOLIS – Sixth-ranked Fort Wayne Snider certainly gave No. 1 Bloomington South a run for its money March 28 in the Class 4A state championship game at Conseco Fieldhouse. But in the nightcap of the 99th annual boys basketball tournament, Snider’s 3-for-18 marksmanship from 3-point range and superior free throw shooting by South enabled the boys from Bloomington to complete a perfect season with a 69-62 win in this battle of Panthers.
The victory capped off an undefeated 26-0 season for Bloomington South, which earned its first state title since 1919 when the school was known simply as Bloomington High. The game was tight throughout, with six ties and eight lead changes before the victorious Panthers pulled away by going 8 for 8 from the stripe over the final three minutes.
During that time, Fort Wayne Snider could not capitalize on four Bloomington turnovers by going just 4 of 8 from the foul line and missing its last seven shots.
“I thought we were good enough to win, but we lost,” said 19th-year Snider coach Ray Sims. “We missed some free throws down the stretch and some layups down the stretch. I’ve always said if you make free throws and your layups, you can win basketball games.”
MUCH MORE GAME STORY TO COME!! IN THE MEANTIME ...
Snider’s Hearns named Mental Attitude Award winner
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee named Reggie Hearn of Fort Wayne Snider as the winner of the Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s corporate partner, will present a $1,000 scholarship to Fort Wayne Snider High School in his name.
The award, named in honor of Arthur L. Trester, the IHSAA’s first commissioner who served the Association from 1929-44, is presented annually to a senior participant in each classification who was nominated by his principal and coach and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability.
As captain of the basketball team, Hearn ranks fourth in his senior class of 471 and is a National Merit Scholar semifinalist. He has been recognized for his academic achievement by the Fort Wayne Alliance of Black School Educators. Hearn is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Society of High School Scholars as well as being named Best Male Citizen of his senior class.
He has also been on the Principal’s List all four years.
The son of Crane and Lisa Hearn of Fort Wayne is involved with Youth Leadership of Fort Wayne, the YMCA as a volunteer coach, and is a member of the Fort Wayne Community Schools Planning Committee. Hearn’s area of study is currently undecided, but he plans on attending Harvard or Northwestern in the fall.
