The Chesterton Trojans boys basketball team concluded their season on March 11 with a hard fought loss to the Penn Kingsmen. Despite the loss, the team was able to accomplish something that no Trojan basketball team has ever done before… Win back to back sectional championships.
Throughout the season, the Trojans looked phenomenal, and even with the loss of Indiana All- Star graduated senior Travis Grayson, they looked unphased. Chesterton also won back to back DAC titles, going a perfect 7-0 against conference opponents; this was highlighted by a 59-54 win over rival Valparaiso on Valpo’s home court. Junior’s Tyler Parrish and Justin Sims led the team in scoring and have taken a very noticeable step up from last year.
Going into the post-season the Trojans were looking to have a run like last year. They blew through the competition in the sectional tournament with a 59-50 win over the Bulldogs of Crown Point; in the sectional finals, Chesterton once again met the Vikings of Valparaiso and absolutely dismantled them. When the final buzzer sounded the scoreboard read 66-50 in Chesterton’s favor.
The win over Valpo set up Chesterton for a rematch against the Penn Kingsmen in the Regional game. Notre Dame commit Markus Burton was the man to watch out for as he was the front runner for Mr. Basketball and putting up 30 points per game. The game was a back and forth battle all the way through and going into halftime, the Trojans had a 33-29 lead. The second half began with both teams scoring 18 points in the third quarter, bringing the score to 51-47. The fourth quarter, however, held a different outcome from the rest. Penn outscored Chesterton 26-9 to bring the final score to 73-60, bringing a heartbreaking end to the Trojan’s season. Burton finished the game with 34 points, most coming in the fourth quarter. Parrish led Chesterton with 24 points and Sims followed closely with 18.
Overall, the Trojans had an amazing season, and although it came to an earlier conclusion than they would have hoped, the Chesterton community could never be more proud.