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How Glenn's upset of South Bend Washington led to postseason rematch

justin frommer, south bend tribune
·4 min read
John Glenn's Brycen Hannah (14) goes up for a shot during the John Glenn-LaVille high school Bi-County championship basketball game on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at LaVille High School in Lakeville, Indiana.
John Glenn's Brycen Hannah (14) goes up for a shot during the John Glenn-LaVille high school Bi-County championship basketball game on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at LaVille High School in Lakeville, Indiana.

WALKERTON — A high school basketball season is more like a roller coaster with its ups and downs, twist and turns.

For John Glenn (16-10) there may not have been a bigger turning point than its regular season meeting against No. 9 South Bend Washington on Dec. 16, 2022.

Coming off of a 24-win season and Northern Indiana Conference co-championship last year, Glenn stumbled out of the gate to a 1-4 record, before upsetting the Panthers, then No. 4 in 3A, 52-31, on Dec. 16. That sparked a six-game winning streak, and led to last week's 3A Knox Sectional championship.

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"We didn't have much confidence going into that game," senior sharpshooter Noah Dreibelbeis said. "But winning it turned our season around."

Glenn head coach Travis Hannah said the biggest point of that December upset was proving to his team, which lost three starters from last year, it could beat some of the top teams in the state.

The Falcons proved that last weekend in Knox, beating No. 10 Tippecanoe Valley, 68-55, in their sectional opener, then Culver Academy, a regional finalist last year, 58-47 in Saturday night's sectional final.

"There is no question in our minds at this point," Hannah said. "Our kids believe they are capable of doing it, and I have told them all along this (playoff run) will end when they want it to end."

John Glenn's Noah Dreibelbeis (10) grabs the rebound as LaVille's Ryan James (4) defends during the John Glenn-LaVille high school Bi-County championship basketball game on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at LaVille High School in Lakeville, Indiana.
John Glenn's Noah Dreibelbeis (10) grabs the rebound as LaVille's Ryan James (4) defends during the John Glenn-LaVille high school Bi-County championship basketball game on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at LaVille High School in Lakeville, Indiana.

This week provides another tough challenge with a rematch against the host Panthers at The Great Western Forum in Saturday's 3A regional. No. 1 NorthWood (24-2) plays No. 8 Lake Station Edison (22-3) at 1 p.m. followed by Glenn vs. No. 9 Washington (18-5) around 4 p.m.

Washington beat No. 2 Mishawaka Marian and South Bend Saint Joseph in overtime to win the Jimtown Sectional, its first title since 2010.

Glenn's sectional title was its first since 2005. Not even last year's team, with all of its success and high rankings, accomplished that. Of course last year the Eagles were in the loaded South Bend Washington Sectional opposite the eventual state runner-up Marian.

"Obviously Marian was really good last year, that was the biggest thing," Hannah said. "They presented a difficult challenge for us and the draw got us, too. We had to go through two very tough teams (South Bend Washington, South Bend Saint Joseph), then beat the home team in the championship on their floor. That is a tough week for anybody."

The difference a year later, Hannah said, was discipline. Not just from its top players in Dreibelbeis (9.9 ppg.) and Hannah's son, Brycen (17.1 ppg.), but Glenn's role players, too.

John Glenn's Joe Chrapliwy (11) shoots the ball during the John Glenn-LaVille high school Bi-County championship basketball game on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at LaVille High School in Lakeville, Indiana.
John Glenn's Joe Chrapliwy (11) shoots the ball during the John Glenn-LaVille high school Bi-County championship basketball game on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at LaVille High School in Lakeville, Indiana.

In Saturday's title game at Knox, Joe Chrapliwy chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds, while three other Falcons found the scorer's book.

"We hit shots last week and were better defensively," Hannah said. "The lightbulb just went off and everything started clicking for us."

Sometimes in basketball that is all it takes.

The lightbulb turned on that December night — though Hannah called it an uncharacteristic bad shooting game for the Panthers — and suddenly Glenn turned into a tough out again.

It went off again last Saturday as the Falcons played with house money and zero expectations. That built belief and now Glenn is riding it as far as it can.

"We all know that, too," Brycen Hannah said. "It's going to take a great effort (to beat Washington) and we will have to play like we did this past week. If we do that we could go to more than just the regionals."

LOCAL IHSAA BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONAL PAIRINGS

Saturday, March 11 (All times EST)

4A at Michigan City  

  • Regional 1: Chesterton (20-5) vs. No. 2 Penn (26-1), 2 p.m.

  • Regional 2: No. 3 Hammond Central (25-1) vs. Mishawaka (20-6), 5 p.m.

3A at South Bend Washington  

  • Regional 9: No. 1 NorthWood (24-2) vs. No. 8 Lake Station (22-3), 1 p.m.

  • Regional 10: Glenn (16-10) vs. No. 9 South Bend Washington (18-5), 4 p.m.

1A  at Triton  

  • Regional 24: No. 12 Tri-County (12-12) vs. No. 10 Marquette Catholic (19-7), 1 p.m.

  • Regional 26: Kouts (16-9) vs. Bethany Christian (16-10), 4 p.m.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Indiana high school boys basketball 3A South Bend Washington Regional