Sailing to State for the 7th time

Apr. 1—Saturday is the day Barr-Reeve fans have been pointing to since the day COVID ended the dreams of the No. 1 25-1 Vikings in 2020.

The Vikings will be playing in their second state final appearance in their last three years, and could very well having been playing in their third straight had the world not been turned upside down by the pandemic.

The Vikes come in at 28-2 and will be making their seventh state final appearance since 2002. However, this is the first year the No. 1 Vikings will be considered the odds-on favorite.

However, 29-2 Kouts is probably not going to simply roll over and hand the Vikings their second title.

Kouts is ranked second in Class A and tends to score points in bunches. They are averaging 76 points a game and have scored over 80 points 13 times, including putting up 112 in the first round of sectional.

The game should be the classic match-up of the immovable object v. the unstoppable force. Although both teams are winning games by about 24 points, Kouts is scoring 76 points (fourth in the state), while the Vikings are giving up just 39 (second among IHSAA schools).

Kouts has not played as tough a schedule as Barr-Reeve, but did play Bloomington South and lost 50-41, while Barr-Reeve beat BS by six. They also beat Linton by five in OT, 40-35, in their lowest scoring game of the season. There other loss came to Andrean in mid-January, 73-59 in the game where they gave up their most points of the season, but since that point, they have won 19 straight games. Other big wins have included Terre Haute South and Gary 21st by just a point, 68-67.

"This group has had a goal to get to state and although they have pushed it to the limit, they have got there," said Coach Kevin Duzan. "We kind of feel like we are representing Northwest Indiana and we know that this is a big thing for this community. We were knocking on the door at semi-state in 2001, but this community knows this is special and not something that happens every day. I think it will definitely be a clash of styles. We have not seen a team that plays like they do. We specifically went the Terre Haute tourney to try to see teams that play like they do. I think we were a little different team after that tourney."

The Mustangs get much of their scoring from the same families. Small School All-State Cole Wireman is a 6-0 senior getting 26.1 ppg which puts him 11th overall in the state. All-State Honorable Mention brother Cale Wireman is getting just under 17 ppg, while another pair of twin brothers hold the next two spots as Hunter Kenifiel is a 6-4 forward getting 10.3 and five boards, and 6-5 Parker Kniefiel is getting just under 10 ppg with 6.8 boards. The rest of the scoring comes primarily from Cooper Schoon, a 6-4 senior and sophomore Matt Baker with 4.5 ppg.

Duzan said that Cole Wireman is a very special player.

"He puts up most of our shots. He has been a four year player and started 104 games in his career. He is Porter County's all-time leading scorer with 2,120 points and that includes players from some big schools like Valpo," he added. "He is a great teammate and that is his most important quality."

Wireman has not committed to a school, but Duzan thought Trine in Angola was one of the finalists.

Barr-Reeve coach Josh Thompson said that Cole Wireman reminds him of a cross between Isiah Swope (of Castle) and Jaylen Mullen (of North Daviess).

"He is a very aggressive guard and can take over a game if he has to.," said Thompson. "I think Cale and the Kneifiel brothers really benefit from the way Cole plays (and the attention he draws)."

Duzan said that his brother Cale is a very similar player, but he has been needed in a different role.

"He is definitely a point guard. He can shoot and score but he has been our guy to distribute. He has taken the second most amounts of shots, but he directs things on the floor," Duzan.

He added that the Kneifiel brothers are the exact opposite.

"They take very few shot but are highly effective. I think they are well over 60% from the floor. They are both lanky and athletic and are the school's 'unofficial' dunk leader. With Parker, he is about 50% from the 3-point line as well," he said.

This was the school's eighth sectional title, with three regional crowns and this was its first semi-state win.

Barr-Reeve comes into their seventh Class A final game as the winningest Indiana high school in the last 16 years. The 2015 champions are a 70% favorite according to John Harrell's website. At the end of the season, B-R will have played three of the other seven state finalists.

Thompson believes that there will be a difference in styles on the floor.

"We know this team has some very good players on it and we don't want to give them any extra confidence. People talk about what a good third quarter team we are, but we are going to have to play well from the start," said Thompson. "I think this game will come down to which team will be able to impose its will on the other."

At 28-2, the Vikings have posted the most wins in school history. The only two losses came to 2A No, 1 Blackhawk Christian, and the nation's No. 4 team Carmel, both in OT.

The Vikings had three players recently named All-State, with Curt Hopf making the Supreme 15 team, Brycen Graber was named Small School All State and junior Hagen Knepp was named Underclass Small School All State.

Hopf ended the year with 18.8 points a game, while Graber led the state among legitimate IHSAA schools with 8.0 assists per game. Hagen Knepp was also in double figures with 11.4, but his ability to get to the rim tends to make his 11.4 a well-earned 11.4.

The Vikings were also third in the state in 3-point shooting (again, amongst legitimate IHSAA teams) for overall 3-pointers made and second in percentage (44 percent).

Kayden Graber, Tommy Kidwell, Jamison Miller, Devin Graber, Will Craig, Aaron Wagler, Reed Thompson and Hopf are all shooting at 40% or better, while Hagen Knepp is above 50%.

The Vikings defensive average is one of the best in the state with players like Brycen Graber getting 56 steals and Knepp adding 40. The Vikings also have Tyson Knepp who comes off the bench as a lock-down defender as well.

The Barr-Reeve schedule was brutal this season, but that was by choice, hoping to prepare the Vikings for the very position they have found themselves in.

The Vikings took on three higher class No. 1 teams in Carmel (4A), Heritage Hills (3A), Blackhawk Christian (2A), along with 4A Castle, 4A Bloomington South, 4A Jasper, 3A Washington, 2A Blackford and 3A North Harrison (who just lost a close game to 3A No. 1 Silver Creek in the tourney).

In Class A, other than No. 2 Kouts, whom they will play Saturday, they have beaten almost the entire top 11 including No. 3 Tindley, No. 4 North Daviess (twice), No. 5 Loogootee (twice), No. 7 Bloomfield, No. 9 Orleans and No. 11 Lanesville.

For Thompson, with a win, he will move to 80-6 in his three years at Barr-Reeve. He has also had successful coaching stops at Vincennes Lincoln, Springs Valley, Wood Memorial and was an assistant at Loogootee, and Bloomfield, where he went to state as a player (1998) under coach Ron McBride, a former coach who will have two former players coaching in the state finals this year (the other being Rich Schelsky of 2A Parke Heritage). Thompson also has a pair of sectionals during his time at Wood Memorial.

Thompson knows how special this team is and he thinks as time goes by, things will seem even more special.

"Right now we are in the moment and we are focused on trying to win a state title, but I think as the years go by, we will think about the bus rides and meals, and big games that we had on the schedule and will start to realize how special this season really was. There is no doubt in my mind that out of any team I've ever been around as a player or coach, this is the best team I've ever been a part of."

The game will tip-off at 10 a.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.