PREP SPORTS BEST OF 2023: The top 10 moments from a championship year

Dec. 29—As we cross over into a new year of prep sports in Elkhart County, it's fun to recall the best of the best from the year prior.

Memories are made everyday and each win, loss and achievement means something to someone. Some mean more to others and some are just fun for everyone involved.

In general, the TGN area had lots to celebrate in 2023. State championships swarmed the area, school records were shattered and some teams/players brought new firsts to the program. There was so much to cheer about, you almost don't want the clock to strike midnight.

Instead, 2024 is approaching. So, before the fireworks begin to fly and January's cold embrace finds us, let us look back on what made 2023 so fun.

1. Bethany Christian wins first state title in school history — It might be recency bias or the fact I was actually here for this title, but the Bruins IHSAA Class 1A victory in boys soccer was flat out unforgettable.

Going into the season the team was a clear pick to win a sectional. However, the regional round and a date against Westview looked to again put Bethany behind the numbers. Instead, head coach Tony Janzen coached his group to an "upset" of the Warriors and never lost again.

Each game-winning shootout, of which there were three in the postseason round, was better than the next. The Westview one had the home crowd under the lights, the second was a 5-4 final with the last shot being saved by goalkeeper Jacoby Reinhardt and the final was the sweet, sweet comeback to beat Forest Park in the title game.

Bruins fans won 2023 for sure.

2. NorthWood boys basketball rides dominance to state title — A masterful ride from start to finish, NorthWood's boys basketball team was near spotless with the 28-2 record. The 20-game win-streak to end the year was well deserved and earned by the Panthers who couldn't do it without a little drama towards the end.

Head coach Aaron Wolfe watched a team with depth and determination stomp over opponents like they were projected to. With the state's number one defense and an offense averaging 20-points over that number, Nappanee and Wakarusa residents shouldn't have been too surprised that the team came back home as champions. They were not only good enough to do so, but they erased any slivers of doubt each time they hit the hardwood.

3. Fairfield's defense brings home first state title of 2023 for TGN area — A state champion at number three in these rankings isn't a snub but shows the strength of our area this year. Three state champions and from three different schools.

Fairfield's number one defense in the state, which forced teams to average under 30 points a game against the Falcons, was the main factor in the title coming back to Benton. Being so close to glory before, head coach Brodie Garber got the group over the hump this time with a memorable path to the crown. A first state title in school history, yeah, that's worthy to celebrate.

4. Northridge girls golf brings strong lineup to first state appearance — I'm a fan of firsts, and watching head coach Ken Brewster guide his veteran group down to Carmel for the first time in program history, it was a bit of a moment to savor.

Sure, the Raiders didn't place top 10, but the team deserved to play down there for two days in the thick of the competition. All season Northridge looked strong enough to get down there and to finally do it made the occurrence even better.

Maybe the best part was that nobody really carried the team on their backs. All shooters, one through five, had moments this season where they were the key ingredient to success. That was how solid of a group Brewster had and should expect to have in 2024.

5. Bethany Christian girls basketball makes school's first state appearance — Before any titles had been won in 2023, we had already seen success and program-firsts thanks to Bethany Christian.

The Bruins, coached by Krysten Parson, rode the successful season all the way down to Indianapolis where a large crowd followed to watch Bethany in its first-ever state title appearance in any sport.

While they didn't win, I think getting down there helped set the tone for not only what is capable in this area, but what is capable for the school in general. Bethany later proved that with the soccer title. How will the girls team follow up last season's run? Well, the win column hasn't had too long of a rest this new season.

6. NorthWood football paves through postseason to finish runners-up at Lucas Oil Stadium — What a ride it was for NorthWood football this year.

High expectations at the beginning of the season, head coach Nate Andrews got the best from his team when they needed it the most. Avenging a regular season loss in the sectional championship and then blowing past two other postseason foes on the way to Indianapolis, NorthWood hit their stride at the perfect time.

The championship game stung when the team ran into an undefeated East Central squad which finished 15-0, but the ride to get there meant so much more. This was a senior-heavy group with playmakers this area doesn't always see. To have the season end at Indy felt right, and so it did.

7. Koltookian's dive — When I was hired and eventually began writing for The Goshen News, one of the first things I did was look at old stories from the spring season to get myself up to speed. The picture of Concord senior Armen Koltookian diving for the finish line took away a good share of my time.

That dive helped his team place third in the 4X400-meter relay and qualify the Minutemen group for the state meet down in Bloomington. I could have only imagined witnessing that in person. Seemed like a thrill and a great story to tell as you age.

8. Sophomores in the fall shine — Watching varsity games, it's easy to get caught up in the seniors who are playing in their last season. Rightfully so, the stories there are endless, but the talent underneath the upperclassmen is always fun to keep an eye on. This year, there was no trouble finding talent outside the top two grade levels.

Alex Reschly (Northridge girls golf), Sawyer Beachy (Bethany Christian boys soccer), Dakotah Moore (Northridge girls cross country), Noah Bontrager (Westview boys cross country) and several other sophomores in the area shined in the brightest lights this year.

Moore and Bontrager led our area down to state while Reschly and Beachy put together fantastic seasons in their second year and also appeared at state. There were very few sophomore slumps in our area, and that is something to cheer about and pay attention to for the future.

9. Zoe Willems breaks brothers', schools' all-time scoring record — Setting a program record is one thing, setting a school record is another, but doing both and passing a family member is just outlandish.

Well, Bethany Christian senior basketball player Zoe Willems did that when she scored 22 points at Jimtown High School in the second game of the 2023 season. Passing Jill Troyer on the girls side, she also passed her brother Beck Willems for the school's all-time scoring record. With a full season in front of her, Zoe has a chance to run up the score. Bragging rights have been won.

10. More school records fall — This is really one of those 10a-d situations, but Dominic De Freitas pretty much calling his own shot and knocking down a 55-yard field goal for the school record in a postseason game takes the cake in these rankings.

De Freitas talked about hitting field goals outside of 60 yards and when the opportunity came in NorthWood's semi-state game against Leo, he got his chance. His 55-yard field goal shattered the school record. The only shame is that the kick itself probably would have been good from over 60 yards.

Levi Moser (Goshen), Catie Brenneman (Concord) Julie Mishler (Wawasee) have also broken school records to start this 2023-24 swim season. The new records each week has not only caused me to write this portion several times to update our newest broken time, but it also makes me wonder how many more will be broken by the time the season ends?

Honorable mentions: Westview boys soccer reaches No. 1, Pi Wellington beats Chris Chen in tennis regional match, Annika Schrock reaches 1,000 assists as a junior, Aaron Mounsithiraj's game-winning field goal for Goshen, and several other performances that made 2023 a great year in the area.

Reach Matt Lucas at 574-533-2151, ext. 240325, or at matt.lucas@goshennews.com.