Player/Team of the Week(POW/TOW) Week 16 2/24/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pat McKee, 317-403-1665

Feb. 24, 2026 IBCA Director of Special Projects

Scharlach, Dailey, Rarick headline IBCA Players of the Week;

Shakamak boys, Sheridan boys, Washington Township boys, Eastern (Pekin) girls named IBCA Teams of the Week

Fremont junior Grace Scharlach scored 29 points in one game and averaged 21.0 points in two games, Oak Hill sophomore Brianna Dailey posted a pair of double-doubles and Borden senior Riley Rarick netted 20.5 points with one double-double over two games in leading their respective teams to a semi-state championship. Thus, that title trio paces the honorees in this week’s IBCA Player of the Week program.

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers senior Ayle Taylor, Wapahani senior Camden Bell and Austin freshman Micah Mohler join Scharlach, Dailey and Rarick as Week 16 winners in the IBCA Player of the Week program for 2025-26.

Also, the Shakamak boys’ team, the Sheridan boys’ team, the Washington Township boys’ team and the Eastern (Peking) girls’ team each was cited as an IBCA/Ballogy Team of the Week for respective performances during the week of Feb. 16-21 in the recognition program coordinated by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association.

Players of the Week are selected by IHSAA district – Scharlach and Taylor for District 1, Dailey and Bell for District 2, and Rarick and Mohler for District 3. Teams of the Week are cited at the discretion of the program coordinators, former Martinsville coach Kip Staggs for boys and former Brownsburg coach Debbie Smiley for girls. Players and teams are recognized based on all performances in a Monday through Saturday week.

  Scharlach gave the Fremont girls a great start in the Class A semi-state at Huntington North, pouring in 29 points with six rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 63-47 victory over Monroe Central. The 5-5 guard followed with 13 points, three rebounds, five assists and two steals as the Class A No. 3 Eagles defeated Class A No. 4 Elkhart Christian 55-33 to improve to 28-2. Scharlach connected on 16-of-26 field goals, 6-of-9 3-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws in the two games.

  Dailey was a difference-maker for the Oak Hill girls in the Class 2A semi-state at Frankfort. The 6-1 forward opened with 21 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot in a 66-58 upset of Class 2A No. 1 Whitko. She posted a second double-double in the title game with 15 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks as the Class 2A No. 11 Golden Eagles moved to 24-3 with a 66-57 decision over Class 2A No. 7 Bremen. Over the two games, Dailey converted 12-of-21 from the floor and 12-of-15 from the line.

  Rarick provided a rare performance for the Class A No. 2 Borden girls in the Class A semi-state at Charlestown. The 6-0 guard tallied 16 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three blocks in a 56-38 semifinal victory over Class A No. 8 Evansville Christian. The University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) commit followed with 25 points, four rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block as the Braves topped Greenwood Christian 65-26 to earn a shot at a second consecutive state title. Rarick hit on 14-of-23 shots, including 4-of-9 3-pointers, and 9-of-14 free throws in the two games.

  Taylor averaged 21.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and posted one double-double in three victories for the Bishop Luers boys (12-9). The 6-4 forward scored 28 points with 11 rebounds, three steals and one block in an 82-77 overtime squeaker at Huntington North. The Valparaiso University football signee followed with 14 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal in a 60-40 victory at Bellmont. He completed his week with 22 points, six rebounds and one block as the Knights defeated Fort Wayne North 85-79. For the week, Taylor was 21-of-42 on fielders and 22-of-31 on charity tosses.

  Bell posted norms of 32.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in keying the Wapahani boys (11-10) to a 2-1 week. The 6-1 guard unloaded a career-high 39 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 71-50 triumph over Bethesda Christian. The Taylor University recruit followed with 34 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 70-61 victory at Daleville. He closed the week with 25 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals as the Raiders dropped a 75-56 decision to Yorktown. Bell sank 34-of-59 field goals, 10-of-21 3-pointers and perfect 20-of-20 free throws in the three games.

  Mohler averaged 26.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in a 2-0 week for the Austin boys (12-8). The 6-4 guard scored 25 points with seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in a 79-59 decision over Southwestern (Hanover). He followed with 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists and one steal as the Eagles outlasted Christian Academy of Indiana 52-37. In the two games, Mohler converted 21-of-30 from the floor, including 10-of-14 from distance, plus 1-of-1 from the line.

Team of the Week honors went to Shakamak, Sheridan and Washington Township for boys as well as Eastern (Pekin) for girls.

Eastern (Pekin) GIRLS                                                               Shakamak BOYS        

Sheridan BOYS

 
Washington Twp BOYS

The Shakamak boys, 5-15 overall and coached by Brodie Crowe, dropped a 58-39 contest to Eastern Greene. However, the Lakers were selected for the Team of the Week accolades after they started 4-foot-3 student manager Cameron Paulin in the game and coordinating with Thunderbirds coach Jamie Hudson to allow Paulin to score the game’s first basket.

The Sheridan boys, 17-3 overall and coached by Bill Bowen, went 2-0 for the week. The Blackhawks defeated Western Boone 72-44 and North Montgomery 59-31.

The Washington Township boys, 16-5 overall and coached by Scott Bowersock, prevailed in three games. The Class A No. 14 Senators topped Oregon-Davis 84-55, Hammond Science & Tech 63-25 and River Forest 75-64.

The Eastern (Pekin) girls, 20-7 overall and coached by Taylor Drury, captured the Class 2A semi-state at Greencastle. The unranked Musketeers knocked off Class 2A No. 4 North Knox 49-44 in the first round. They followed with a 48-41 victory over Parke Heritage to punch their ticket to the State Finals.

This is the 18th season for the IBCA Player of the Week program. This is the second season for the IBCA Team of the Week program and the second season the Team of the Week program is presented by Ballogy, an IBCA corporate partner.

Coaches may nominate players and teams via buttons on the IBCA website (in.nhsbca.org). Coaches must be a current-year member for their players and/or team to be selected for a weekly award. Girls' winners are chosen from now through Monday following the IHSAA girls' State Finals. Boys' winners are chosen from now through the Monday following the IHSAA boys' State Finals.

2025-26 IBCA weekly honorees

Nov. 3-8 – District 1 girls: Laniah Davis, Marquette Catholic. District 2 girls: Kenzie Koch, Eastern Hancock. District 3 girls: Gracyn Gilliard, Center Grove. Teams of the Week (girls): North Knox, South Central (Elizabeth), Warsaw.

Nov. 10-15 – District 1 girls: Leah Shappell, Leo. District 2 girls: Adah Hupfer, Pendleton Heights. District 3 girls: Emily Parker, Boonville. Team of the Week (girls): Homestead.

Nov. 17-22 – District 1 girls: Sarah Thompson, Oregon-Davis. District 2 girls: Kennedy Holman, Hamilton Southeastern. District 3 girls: Mollie Ernstes, Jennings County. Teams of the Week (girls): Crown Point, LaPorte.

Nov. 24-29 – District 1 boys: Josh McBride and Nick McBride, Norwell. District 1 girls: Kendall VanderWal, Angola. District 2 boys: Brayden Thiele-Hahn, Rossville. District 2 girls: Carly Davison, Clinton Central. District 3 boys: Anthony Fresh, Charlestown. District 3 girls: Natalie Stenger, East Central. Teams of the Week (boys): Corydon Central, Plainfield. Team of the Week (girls): Maconaquah.

Dec. 1-6 – District 1 boys: Mack Welker, Homestead. District 1 girls: Hillary Labis, Westville. District 2 boys: Drew Matelic, Speedway. District 2 girls: Riley Suarez, Hamilton Heights. District 3 boys: Wyatt Jones, Borden. District 3 girls: Hannah Higgs, Evansville Christian. Team of the Week (boys): Indianapolis Cathedral. Team of the Week (girls): Borden.

Dec. 8-13 – District 1 boys: Charles Hardiman, Merrillville. District 1 girls: Allison Ambers, Northridge. District 2 boys: Devin Bolden, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, and Luke Ertel, Mt. Vernon (Fortville). District 2 girls: Elliot Leffler, Roncalli. District 3 boys: Jake Prior, Heritage Hills. District 3 girls: Maddy Shirley, Evansville Central. Teams of the Week (boys): Lawrence North, Northridge. Team of the Week (girls): Floyd Central.

Dec. 15-20 – District 1 boys: Daniel Selking, Bellmont. District 1 girls: Konley Ault, Bluffton. District 2 boys: DeZhon Hall, Indianapolis Crispus Attucks. District 2 girls: Shania Curry, Ben Davis. District 3 boys: Noah Vance, Christian Academy of Indiana. District 3 girls: Haley Wagoner, Center Grove. Teams of the Week (boys): South Bend Riley, Taylor. Team of the Week (girls): Hamilton Southeastern.

Dec. 22-27 – District 1 boys: Dikembe Shaw, Crown Point. District 1 girls: Brooke Zartman, Warsaw. District 2 boys: Luke Ertel, Mt. Vernon (Fortville). District 2 girls: Carly Davison, Clinton Central. District 3 boys: Dane Caldwell, Silver Creek. District 3 girls: Emery Stroud, Crawford County. Teams of the Week (boys): Crown Point, Gibson Southern, Mt. Vernon (Fortville). Team of the Week (girls): Valparaiso.

Dec. 29-Jan. 3 – District 1 boys: Brady Scholl, Northridge. District 1 girls: Joslyn Bricker, Warsaw. District 2 boys: Noah Smith, Plainfield. District 2 girls: Zoey Wood, Mt. Vernon (Fortville). District 3 boys: Braxton Bowman, Crawford County. District 3 girls: Claire Larrison, Greensburg. Teams of the Week (boys): LaPorte, Indianapolis Riverside, Silver Creek. Team of the Week (girls): Homestead.

Jan. 5-10 – District 1 boys: Bryce Wilcox, Southwood. District 1 girls: Kamri Rowland, Rensselaer Central. District 2 boys: Jaxson Johnson, Muncie Central. District 2 girls: Alyx Kendall, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard. District 3 boys: Dorion Bowen, Evansville Bosse. District 3 girls: Paige Schnaus, Gibson Southern. Teams of the Week (boys): Oak Hill, South Dearborn. Teams of the Week (girls): Plainfield, Princeton.

Jan. 12-17 – District 1 boys: Tim Knoll, LaPorte. District 1 girls: Myah Epps, Homestead. District 2 boys: Harper Baker-Lands, Plainfield. District 2 girls: Maya Layton, Lafayette Jefferson. District 3 boys: Kamden Partenheimer, Forest Park. District 3 girls: Juliana Davis, Madison. Teams of the Week (boys): Lawrence North, Westview, Whiteland. Team of the Week (girls): Bluffton.

Jan. 19-24 – District 1 boys: Stephen Akase, Wawasee, and Wyatt Schroll, Manchester. District 1 girls: Kendall VanderWal, Angola. District 2 boys: Luke Ertel, Mt. Vernon (Fortville). District 2 girls: Lillie Graves, McCutcheon. District 3 boys: Blake Neill, Bloomfield. District 3 girls: Gracyn Gilliard, Center Grove. Teams of the Week (boys): Frankton, Kouts. Teams of the Week (girls): Kankakee Valley, Whitko.

Jan. 26-31 – District 1 boys: Bryce LaCross, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian. District 1 girls: Vanessa Rosswurm, Norwell. District 2 boys: Colton Lindsay, Eastern (Greentown). District 2 girls: C.C. Quigley, Noblesville. District 3 boys: Eli Sego, Triton Central. District 3 girls: Maddy Shirley, Evansville Central. Teams of the Week (boys): Hauser, Penn. Team of the Week (girls): Brownsburg.

Feb. 2-7 – District 1 boys: Caleb Coolman, Penn. District 1 girls: Lily Scholl, Northridge. District 2 boys: DeZhon Hall, Indianapolis Crispus Attucks. District 2 girls: Adah Hupfer, Pendleton Heights. District 3 boys: James Hughes, Batesville. District 3 girls: Brynn Owens, Austin. Team of the Week (boys): Terre Haute North. Teams of the Week (girls): Jennings County, Northridge.

Feb. 9-14 – District 1 boys: Nick Shrewsberry, South Bend Saint Joseph. District 1 girls: Vanessa Rosswurm, Norwell. District 2 boys: Carter Biggs, Western, and Ishmael Kiteka, Cloverdale. District 2 girls: Ke’Adriah “Keke” Butler, Lawrence Central. District 3 boys: Gavin Keller, Hauser. District 3 girls: Mollie Ernstes, Jennings County. Team of the Week (boys): Michigan City. Team of the Week (girls): Fremont.

Feb. 16-21 – District 1 boys: Ayle Taylor, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers. District 1 girls: Grace Scharlach, Fremont. District 2 boys: Camden Bell, Wapahani. District 2 girls: Brianna Dailey, Oak Hill. District 3 boys: Micah Mohler, Austin. District 3 girls: Riley Rarick, Borden. Teams of the Week (boys): Shakamak, Sheridan, Washington Township. Team of the Week (girls): Eastern (Pekin).

# END #

 Gene Milner

IBCA Website Coordinator