In 49 other states, it is just basketball. But, this is Indiana we are talking about here! For the first time in school history, the Manchester Squires brought home a basketball state championship.
On March 29th, the Squires defeated University HS, 59-54 in the Indiana High School Athletic Association 2A State Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. It is the first basketball state championship won by a school in Wabash County, where Manchester is located. Storylines were written about the grittiness of this Squires squad.
The biggest storyline that needs light shined onto it regards 6’1 senior forward Kaleb Kline, who tore his ACL back in the early fall while playing football. Kline did not allow this injury to force him to miss his senior campaign. Instead, he flourished this season, – shooting 46% from behind the arc according to Maxpreps. It was just an utterly outstanding season from a kid whose senior season looked to be in jeopardy.
Gavin Betten, a 6’7 forward, and Ethan Hendix, a 5’8 point guard, were the headliners of this squad from the time they stepped foot on the gym at Manchester. Both Betten and Hendrix announced their commitment to NAIA Grace College (IN) earlier in the school year.
Throughout Betten’s high school career, he was heavily recruited by some of the premier teams in the Crossroads League, regarded as one of the top conferences in NAIA college basketball. He also held interest from NCAA D1 mid-major schools, including Purdue-Fort Wayne, Liberty, Ball State, Evansville, Belmont, and more. Betten capped off his magnificent high school career as Wabash County’s leading scorer, with over 2,000 career points. Hendrix also had himself a great high school career, finishing as the 4th-leading scorer in school history.
