Attica Red Rambler Basketball

A look at the top four teams in the state according to the Indianapolis Star: we play 3 of the top 4 this season. They should offer us a good measuring stick!


1.) Rockville Community High School (20-6 in 2011-12)Rockville is coming off of two back-to-back stellar seasons, having reached the State Finals last year and being only a couple of possessions away from making the State Finals in 2010-11. The Rox look to get back to Bankers Life Fieldhouse again this season, and they stand confident with the return of four quality seniors. 6’6 Lane Mahurin is the most talented of the bunch, as he’s a highly skilled forward who can do a little bit of everything well. He is joined in the 2013 class by 6’0 shooter Gary Ulrich, 6’1 athlete Joel Wittenmyer, and 6’4 forward Jordan McFall, who really came on strong late last season.
2.) Lafayette Central Catholic High School (15-9 in 2011-12)Regardless of yours, mine, or anyone else’s opinion of private schools, Central Catholic just wins in the state tournament. Over the last 11 seasons they have won 11 sectional titles, four regional titles, one semi-state title, and one state title. This season they will play as many as 15 Class 3A & 4A opponents, and that rivals their schedules of the past. While their record is often deceiving early in the season, their schedule prepares them for a state tournament run each year. Central Catholic attacks this season with four seniors: 5’10 point guard Jake Churchill, 5’11 guard Tim Mills, 6’2 wing Andrew Hubertz, and 6’3 forward Matt Thieme.
3.) Triton High School (20-6 in 2011-12)Triton is a great example of a small town team who thrives on a combination of coaching, a strong feeder system, and some talent added in. Coach Jason Groves has amassed an impressive 139-36 record over his seven seasons in Bourbon, including five consecutive sectional titles, three regional titles, three semi-state titles, and one state title. This year’s primary catalyst is 6’5 senior wing Clay Yeo, a Valparaiso commit. Yeo averaged in the high 20’s last season, impressively shooting over 70% from the field, while also drawing double-teams most nights. He will be aided by 6’2 junior forward Tanner Shepard, 6’3 senior frontliner Seth Glingle, and 6’0 junior guard Cody Shively.
4.) Loogootee High School (22-4 in 2011-12)The 2011-12 State Champions, look for Loogootee to again be one of the best teams in the state. Coach Mike Wagoner is kind of like Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants; no matter how much he wins, he always seems to be on the “hot seat”. Wagoner is an impressive 67-23 over the last four years, but unfortunately has North Daviess and Barr-Reeve in his sectional. Loogootee did graduate a significant piece in 6’1 guard Bryant Ackerman, but they do return some talent in 6’6 frontliner Conner Wittmer, a wide-bodied but skilled senior who can knock down the perimeter shot. Needing to fill Ackerman’s shoes in the backcourt this year are 6’1 guard Matt Mathies, a junior, and 5’11 guard Colin Nelson, a senior.

This season we are going to use a texting system to send updates on practice/game times, bus times, and various information that parents and players will want to know. I am asking that ALL high school players sign up for the updates by sending the text: @attica to the following number: 424-247-5783. Parents who want updates on practices and games are also welcome to sign up.

The 2012-2013 basketball season is just around the corner. Practice is set to start on Monday, November 5. We have had our call-out and shoe sizing and conditioning activities have been under way for a while now. We had 35 kids sign up for shoes at the high school; competition for spots is going to be as intense as ever.
If you ordered shoes with us the money is due no later than October 19. Shoes will be handed out the following week.
The varsity team will be playing at Loogootee in their season opening tournament; we will play two games on Saturday, November 24. The team will be leaving on Friday, practicing down there, and then staying the night prior to the tournament the following day. Hotel information has been emailed to parents.

Our scrimmage opponent has changed. We have always scrimmaged Fountain Central; considering we play FC early in the season and then stand a decent chance to play them again in the Bi-County tournament that wasn't an ideal situation for either of us. FC was able to get a scrimmage with Central Catholic and that left us having to find someone. We have agreed to scrimmage Pioner next year. Its a far trip, and they have agreed to come here the first year. We have moved the scrimmage to Saturday morning on the second saturday of the season (as opposed to the Thursday night of that week).

We have added The Loogootee Tribune Thanksgiving Classic to our schedule next season. The tournament will take place on Saturday, November 24. The schedule is listed below; with the addition of Loogootee we will now play the 2 teams who made it to the 1A state finals in 2012. It is my guess that Loogootee and Rockville will start the season ranked at the top of 1A polls.

10:30 Loogootee vs Attica

12:30 Irvington Prep vs Rock Creek Academy

6:00 Consolation Game

8:00 Championship Game

Congratulations to Bryce Cooper! Bryce was selected to the Lafayette Journal and Courier First-Team All Area. This is a tremendous accomplishment for any player--especially a freshman. Bryce was joined on the first team by Danny Anthrop of Central Catholic, Brandon Tonsoni of Rossville, Cole Murray of Delphi, and Stephen Toyra of Faith Christian.

A few of our players have earned some recognition at the close of the season.

All Sectional First Team:

Bryce Cooper

All Sectional Second Team:

Jarrett Smart

All Bi-County:

Jarrett Smart
Bryce Cooper
Jordan Capps

All-Conference:

Jarrett Smart
Bryce Cooper

Honorable Mention All Conference:

Jordan Capps
Austin Smyth

Our season came to a close last week with a loss to Rockville in the sectional semi-final. It seems we always draw Rockville and we always give them a run but come up just a little short. I think they have a chance to make another long tournament run this year. They have really had a run of talent coming through their school, and most of their best players are just juniors. The conference and sectional championships will once again have to go through Rockville next year.
At 13-8 we had a nice season. We finished the year with the second largest turnaround in the state from one season to the next. Only 1 school statewide improved from last year in a more dramatic sense than we did. We turned our season around a full 10 games--from 3 wins to 13! I hope to improve again next year!

"#5 will be in the arena tonight." -- Kevin Garnett (on his mental and physical preparedness to play that night)

"Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth." -- Mike Tyson

"Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is." -- German Proverb

"If we don't change the direction we are going, we are likely to end up where we are headed." -- Chinese Proverb

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently." -- Henry Ford

God, let me play well but fairly.
Help me to learn something that matters
once the game is over.
Let competition make me strong but never hostile.
Always let me help my opponent up.
Never catch me rejoicing in the adversity of others.
If I know victory, allow me to be happy; if I am denied,
keep my from envy.
Remind me that sports are just games.
If through athletics I set an example,
let it be a good one.

While reading Bob Knight's biography I came across how he summarized what he wanted to accomplish while at Indiana. I think it's really good...


"I wanted to win those games and build those championships the way some people, primarily in the press, were saying could not be done anymore--by following NCAA rules; by recruiting kids who could and would be genuine students and four-year graduates as well as excellent basketball players and teams. I wanted to make the INDIANA they wore across their chests an identifying symbol that meant to people throughout the state, the Big Ten, and the country that inside that jersey was a kid who was going to compete like hell and represent his school on the court and off it in a way that would make the most important judges of all, that kid's parents, as proud as they could be.
To do that and win was the goal.
To win without doing all those things would have been to fail."

Attica has a rich basketball tradition dating back to a first sectional title in 1927. Our all-time record dating back to 1910 (as of the start of the 2011-2012 season) is 1,142-1,022 (.528).

Points (Game)
Jeff Cooper 49 vs Seeger (1985)
State Record = 90 Tim Saylor-White's 1970-71
2012 Season=Bryce Cooper 27 vs Faith Christian

Points (Season)
Jeff Cooper 660 (1985)
State Record = 1079 Dave Shephard-Carmel 1969-70