The PAC made an argument that it was Indiana's best small-school conference this year
Tecumseh High School athletics director Rance Brown needed a moment to take it all in.
Just this year, the Braves appeared in three Class A team state championships. Girls basketball and softball won state titles, while the baseball team was the runner-up. It wasn't something you see everyday at this small, rural school.
There are several factors that have contributed to the success. There's one common denominator across the board – the Pocket Athletic Conference. It prepared Tecumseh, the smallest member school, for such a moment.
The PAC made an argument for best small school conference in Indiana this year.
"Some teams are up, some teams are down but for the most part every PAC game is tough in its own way. There are no easy games," Brown said. "The moments don't get too big (for us)."
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The 2021-22 athletic season was a banner year for the PAC with four team state champions – Gibson Southern football, Forest Park girls basketball, Tecumseh girls basketball and Tecumseh softball – and one individual state champ in track and field with Forest Park's Rachel Mehringer (100m hurdles).
Only the Circle City Conference (six) won more team state championships than the Pocket this year. Not bad for a conference with an average enrollment of 563 students.
"The kind of year the conference had shows that maybe we shouldn't be overlooked. Because year in and year out, we produce talented kids and teams," said Forest Park girls basketball coach Tony Hasenour. "This year was just kind of the exclamation point on that whole idea."
In addition to the state champions, Tecumseh baseball and North Posey softball were both state runner-ups. Heritage Hills boys soccer, North Posey volleyball, Princeton girls cross country and Pike Central softball were all regional champions.
The Pocket Athletic Conference was established in 1938. It had previously never won more than two state championships in a single school year. The closest comparable year was in 2002-03 when the PAC had two state champs and two runner-ups.
This year accounted for 14 percent of its state championships. Some member schools have more titles but they came prior to PAC membership.
"I've always felt like it's a great small school conference across the board in every sport," said Gibson Southern athletic director and football coach Nick Hart. "This conference has always had success but these past few years, it's gone up even more."
Since 2000, the PAC has grown from eight teams to 13 teams. Two schools who joined – Forest Park (2007 from the Blue Chip) and Boonville (2021 from the Big Eight) – are among recent programs with state titles. The increased competition allowed the conference to showcase its depth across several sports.
Tecumseh and Forest Park girls basketball finished third and fifth in the conference standings but still won state titles. Tecumseh softball finished third and baseball was fifth. Those coaches repeatedly said during their titles runs the conference paved the way.
"Any team can beat any team," said Tecumseh baseball coach Ted Thompson. "It makes it nice competitively because you have these little battles inside of the conference. There are no easy games."
Each school in the PAC was also guided by a plethora of community support. When a team makes a run, fans from each school pack the stands. With many of these schools located in small towns, these tight-knit communities will travel wherever to support.
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These crowds will often be full of young kids in awe of what the athletes are doing on the court or field. They watch and study their every move. They want to someday enjoy the same success this current group of high schoolers experienced.
"There's a lot of talent and a lot of great programs which helps breed talent," Hart said. "Kids at a young age get excited about playing soccer or baseball or whatever sport. Success brings more success and our kids want to be a part of it."
From Posey to Dubois to Gibson to Spencer and every county in between, fans were there from the sectional to the final firetruck ride with the state championship trophy in hand. For these towns, sports is much more than just games and matches. It's a way of life.
"It's a testament to how we do things down here. People in our communities see athletics as a big part of educating kids," Brown said. "I feel like the kids that excel in athletics also excel in the classroom and life because they learn good things from it. That leads to the success we've had."
Contact Courier & Press sports reporter Hendrix Magley via email at hendrix.magley@courierpress.com or via Twitter @TweetsOfHendrix.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA sports: PAC capped strong year with 4 high school titles
