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INDIANAPOLIS - If Triton looked like it had stolen White River Valley's playbook by jumping out to a 16-0 lead at Saturday's Class A state finals, it's because the Trojans had all but done that.
After a 20-3 first quarter, Triton's girls basketball team went on to win 55-38. The Class A title is the second in two years for Triton, which beat Rising Sun 57-54 last year in overtime.
Triton school board member Larry Lemler helped Triton coach Mark Heeter by driving to southern Indiana for the sole purpose of picking up game tapes on White River Valley.
Lemler put 525 miles on his vehicle as he traveled as far south as Vincennes. He left Monday morning. Heeter had the game tapes by Monday night.
"It's the most I've seen on any one team," Heeter said. "It showed from the minute we jumped ahead 16-0.
"My wife made the comment that was like driving halfway to Florida."
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Exciting Triton's players as much as winning their state title was the person they saw after their win - Harold Heeter, Mark's father.
Harold, a volunteer coach the past two years, missed last year's state title as he and his wife were in Arizona for the winter. They could have attended, but on such short notice, the trip would have cost them approximately $1,500.
Harold, 72, was diagnosed with leukemia on Sept. 4, 2000. The girls sent him cards to lift his spirits. They had gone awhile without seeing him for a while until after this year's state finals, which he was able to witness.
Shrieks of delight by the girls upon seeing him showed how much it meant to them he was there.
"Seeing him was pretty special for them," Heeter said. "That's why I didn't have him talk to them before the game, because they may have lost their focus."
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Had she wanted to, 5-foot-10 senior center Betsy Salyer could have played for NorthWood's girls basketball team this season.
Salyer's family moved to Milford after her junior year.
But she had no desire to leave Triton, and because she is in her senior year, she still can attend Triton without paying tuition.
Good thing for Triton as the redhead dominated White River Valley's frontcourt players in the Trojans' 55-38 win over White River Valley in the Class A state finals. Salyer averaged a double-double this season with 12.1 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
"All my friends and everything were here," Salyer said. "Basketball was another reason, even though NorthWood has a good program. I didn't want to leave here. I love this team."
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Triton's bid for a three-peat will have to come at a different level with a much different team. Triton graduates eight seniors -ÊTommi Kreiter, Rachel Speicher, Shelly Miller, Brandie Ganshorn, Janell Salisbury, Jennifer Bates, Crystal Feldman and Salyer - off of this year's team. Ganshorn, Speicher and Salyer started, and Salisbury was one of the first players off the bench.
Returning players include sophomores Ashli Senff and Gina Westafer and juniors Amber Feldman, Cassandra McIntyre, Alison McClarnon and Tracey Bell.
Senff and Feldman started this year, and Bell and Westafer saw a lot of playing time off the bench.
Senff led Triton with 16.8 points per game, and Feldman was third on the team with 8.4 ppg.
Next year Triton moves up from Class A to Class 2A, where Bishop Luers has won three straight championships.
"We'll be fine," Heeter said. ""It's gonna be hard to repeat what these eight seniors have done the last two years. We're losing a lot, but we have a good nucleus coming back, and our JV team went 15-4.
"The regular season schedule won't change. This year 13 of the 20 teams we faced were bigger schools anyway."
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Triton's performances in Indianapolis the past two years have earned the Trojans another trip to Indianapolis.
This one will take place March 20. Last year's team and this year's team will be honored by the Indiana House of Representative and the Indiana Senate.
Triton was supposed to go to Indianapolis for the ceremony last year, but for one reason or another, the trip never happened.
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Winning the state title last year seems to have earned Triton more respect.
When Triton arrived in Indianapolis for last year's state finals, the Trojans attended an Optimist Club banquet the Friday before the game. There they were referred to as Tipton and Triton Central.
Of the eight teams in last year's four state finals, Triton was the only school that got botched by the Optimist Club.
The Optimist Club members knew who Triton was this year. They had heard about their mistakes, and Triton's state title didn't hurt any, either.
"This year right before I spoke," Heeter said, "an Optimist person told me they had received a boo-boo award for screwing up last year."
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After winning last year's state finals, Triton hoped to do everything
exactly the same during this year's state finals weekend.
That plan was ruined from the beginning as teams were asked to come to
Indianapolis on Thursday. Last year teams arrived on Friday.
Outside of that, the same routine was followed. The team stayed in the same
hotel and ate at the same restaurant, The Olive Garden. And like he did last
year at the request of his players, Heeter again wore women's underwear
during Triton's postseason games.
"Everything was easier for us this time," Heeter said. "I was less nervous
before the game, we felt confident and more prepared. We did the same things
as last year."
