Vote for Courier & Press High School Team of the Year, presented by Orthopaedic Associates
The 2025-26 school year was another successful season in high school athletics for Southwestern Indiana.
A handful of individuals and teams won state championships, plus several more came very close. This is where you come in. Who has your vote for the Courier & Press High School Team of the Year, presented by Orthopaedic Associates?
Below are the nominees with brief info on their accomplishments this school year. You can vote as often as you’d like until 12 p.m. CT on Friday, July 10. This will be updated with a story on the winner.
Barr-Reeve volleyball: The Vikings collected their fourth state championship and first since 2020 with a thrilling five-set victory over Benton Central. Addison Jones had 17 kills and 12 digs, while Lanie Graber record 22 digs in the final match. Barr-Reeve finished 33-5 with three losses coming in the opening week.
Castle volleyball: The Knights won a third straight regional championship to remain among the top teams in Southern Indiana. Castle’s postseason path included a memorable five-set win over North in the sectional final. The Knights finished 31-4 despite losing their top returner to an injury for most of the season and a first-year head coach.
Heritage Hills football: The Patriots got within one victory of a return trip to Indianapolis despite a move to Class 4A. Heritage Hills defeated Washington, Reitz, Jasper and Martinsville on its path to the semi-state before bowing out with a loss at Roncalli. Jett Goldsberry was voted the Indiana Mr. Football runner-up following the season.
Gibson Southern football: The Titans finished 12-2 and came within one victory of a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium. Among the road there included second-half comebacks in the sectional to beat No. 1 Memorial and Mater Dei. The regional title was the program’s third in five years. Gibson Southern also won the PAC Big School Division title.
Washington girls basketball: The Hatchets earned their first semi-state appearance since 1997. Washington rolled through the sectional before surviving an overtime win against Central in the regional. The Hatchets won 22 games before falling to Jennings County by six at Southport.
North Knox girls basketball: The Warriors caught fire in January and advanced to the semi-state for the second time in four years. Their posteason run included a dominant win over rival South Knox in the sectional and a late rally to beat Mater Dei in the regional. North Knox won 19 games in Steve Meurer’s final season.
Reitz girls basketball: The Panthers vanquished multiple demons with their best postseason run in 45 years. Reitz defeated Castle in the sectional final (first win over their conference rival since 1992) to end a 36-year title drought. Next was a regional victory, anchored by a nearly perfect fourth quarter, against Columbus North. The Panthers’ 21 victories were the most since the turn of the century.
Princeton boys basketball: The Tigers capped one of the best two-year runs in program history with another semi-state appearance. Princeton took down Washington, Jasper and Bosse to win back-to-back regional titles for the first time since 1935. No senior class had multiple sectional championships since the early ’90s.
Barr-Reeve boys basketball: The Vikings defied expectations with a young roster and new coach to win their third state championship. Barr-Reeve defeated Triton 50-37 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with Josh Miller, Jaylon Graber and Korben Boyd in double figures. The Vikings went 28-1 with their only loss coming in early January — among the highlights during the run was a last-second bucket to beat Liberty Christian in the semi-state.
Memorial girls tennis: The Tigers rolled through most of the tournament to finish as the state runner-up. Memorial only lost two individual matches prior to the state finals before beating North Central and Jasper 3-2 apiece in the quarterfinal and semifinal, respectively. Its first trip to the championship since 2012 ended with a loss to Carmel.
Barr-Reeve softball: The Vikings earned their first state championship with a 6-0 victory over South Central at Purdue University. Haley Huff and Charley Paurazas combined for a six-hit shutout and 12 strikeouts. Barr-Reeve out-scored the opposition 60-13 in the postseason to advance beyond the regional for the first time.
Tecumseh softball: The dynasty continued with a fifth straight trip to the state championship and another blue medal. The Braves ended the latest run to Purdue with a 7-2 victory over Western Boone. Audrey Seiler allowed only four hits and struck out six, and Kinley Hildebrand cleared the bases with a double. Tecumseh went 29-4 and tied an IHSAA record with seven state championships.
Castle boys golf:The Knights completed their best season in program history with a fourth-place finish at the state finals. Among the accomplishments this spring included the SIAC, sectional and regional championships. Freshman Alex Cook earned the best individual state championship finish in program history at third.
Gibson Southern baseball: The Titans had their best season in over a decade. Gibson Southern survived multiple scares to win the sectional before a dominant regional performance. The highlight was a victory over Cathedral in the semi-state semifinal. The 27 victories were the second-most in program history.
North baseball: The Huskies backed up their 2025 postseason run with another lengthy stay in the tournament. North bested Castle in extra innings and Reitz to win the sectional. Next was a late rally against Jeffersonville to claim back-to-back regional titles for the first time ever. The highlight came a week later with a 2-0 victory over No. 1 Center Grove in the semi-state before falling to Bloomington South that evening.
Northeast Dubois baseball: The Jeeps finished their best postseason run yet with a Class 1A runner-up finish. Their playoff run included four victories by three runs or less before a 2-0 loss to Kouts at Victory Field. Northeast Dubois won 23 games and graduated only one starter.
Mater Dei baseball: The Wildcats ended a 27-year championship drought with a 6-3, eight-inning thriller victory over Bluffton at Victory Field. Mater Dei was down to its final out before a swinging bunt from Jackson Schaefer tied the game. Max Miller and Dylan Murphy provided run-scoring singles in the eighth to secure the title. The Wildcats trailed or went to extras in five of their seven postseason games.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Vote for Courier & Press High School Team of the Year, presented by Orthopaedic Associates
