About the First Financial Classic

The swish of the net…the squeak of shoes on the hardwood…the cheering of the crowd as they witness sweat, muscle and determination. It’s all part of the most exciting four days in Hoosier basketball as 16 teams vie to take home top honors in the First Financial Wabash Valley Classic. As legendary coach John Wooden said, “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” All the young men who take part in the classic know they are achieving success for their school, their coaches, their teammates and, most of all, themselves.

The original Wabash Valley Tournament ran from 1916 to 1972. Throughout the history of the tournament, 157 different schools from Indiana and 31 different schools from Illinois participated. In 1947, 124 different schools participated in the two-week tournament.

Teams advanced to the 16-team finals, which took place in Terre Haute, where they had to win four games to win the championship. Upsets were the rule, not the exception, as teams felt that they had a realistic shot at winning the championship year in and year out. These upsets made the tournament a hit.

By 1972, due to several factors, the tournament declined in popularity. The 1972 field included 14 teams. The final four teams included North Central, Sullivan, Marshall and Casey. The Marshall Lions would win the final championship, 70-58.

By 1991, there was a push among the coaches and athletic directors at Northview, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South and West Vigo to get an additional game in Hulman Center (since it was an IHSAA post-season tournament site). Typically, Terre Haute North, West Vigo and Northview played each other on a Friday in January. A partnership was formed with Wabash Valley Pizza Hut, Inc. and the Pizza Hut Shootout was launched. The first shootout took place January 10, 1991. The event eventually became known as the Pizza Hut Classic. It ran from 1991-2000 and provided basketball fans outstanding contests and memories.

Fans attending the Hulman Center doubleheader continually inquired each year as to how the event could become a tournament. Several had attended the original Wabash Valley Tournament and wondered if it could be brought back to life. An exploratory group comprised of Gary Fears, Brian Miller, Deb Webster, Jim Jones and Pat Rady met to discuss a possible tournament format.

In January 2000, a press conference took place to announce the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic Holiday Tournament. Gary Fears was selected as Committee Chairman, with the three Vigo County School Corporation Athletic Directors, one VCSC administrator and Brian Miller as committee members. The tournament pairings were announced at a luncheon on December 5, 2000 as Tom Reck of the Terre Haute Tribune-Star presided over the draw. The first “Classic” took place December 26-29, 2000 at Terre Haute South. The 12 original teams were Bloomfield, Cloverdale, Hamilton Southeastern, Marshall, Red Hill, Rockville, South Vermillion, Sullivan, Terre Haute North, Terre Haute South, Turkey Run and West Vigo.

Of note from the first tournament: Marcus Tow of Sullivan scored the first basket. Three future NFL players (Steve Weatherford and Jamie Petrowski of Terre Haute North and Joe Reitz of Hamilton Southeastern) played in the first tournament. Bloomfield made a Cinderella run to the finals, but ultimately lost to Hamilton Southeastern, 79-46.

The 2001 tournament was the first to be played at Terre Haute North and first to feature 16 teams and 28 games. Newcomers Northview, Shakamak, Vincennes Lincoln and South Bend Christian Center were on the brackets for the first time. Former Terre Haute North Principal Carl S. Riddle presided over the draw.

Day one of the tournament featured a rematch of the 2000 semi-final match between Terre Haute North and Hamilton Southeastern, with the Patriots taking the rematch, 65-51. Hamilton Southeastern would go on to win the consolation bracket with victories over South Vermillion, Marshall and Vincennes Lincoln. One of the Alices’ players was future NFL quarterback Curtis Painter.

2001 featured a new Cinderella. Turkey Run, led by guard Phil Woods, stunned Terre Haute South, 79-68, on day two of the tournament. Turkey Run would fall in the finals to Northview, 85-54. Northview’s pressure defense, 3-point shooting and the duo of Zach Keyes, and Logan Whitman carried them to the championship. The 309 points that Northview scored in four games remains the record for most points in one tournament.

2002 saw Greencastle, Riverton Parke and Monrovia enter the tournament. 2002 was a banner year for Northview. Using the same formula, new coach Mitch Lancaster and the Knights cut down the nets. A key game in the Knights’ tournament run was a 74 to 67 overtime win against Terre Haute North. Logan Whitman had 27 points, including eight 3-point baskets. Zach Keyes added 26 points on 11 field goals. Nate Blank led North with 22 points, while Ethan Tyler had 20 points and 8 rebounds.

The 2002 final game between Terre Haute South and Northview was also a classic. Logan Whitman had five 3-point field goals in the Knights 73 to 66 win over South. Josh Timm had 28 points to lead Northview, while Jeremy Lock had 22 points to lead South.

Terre Haute North hosted the 2003 tournament. Teams knew going into the tournament that there would be a new champion as Northview elected to play in the Hall of Fame Classic in New Castle. The 2003 tournament featured new teams Eastern Greene and upstart New Creations. Once the pairings were announced, fans became excited about the New Creations-Bloomfield matchup, the last on day one.

The gym was packed for this clash of different playing styles. Fans who saw it still speak of the Everett Spencer off-the-backboard dunk on the first play. Coach Ron McBride’s Cardinal squad would not be unnerved. Playing at a methodical pace, the game remained close deep into the 4th quarter. Jon Neill provided the heroics for Bloomfield, burying a 35-foot jump shot as time expired to lift the Cardinals to a 29 to 28 win over New Creations.

Terre Haute North used their own methodical pace to make it all the way to the finals, where they would face Bloomfield. This contest was close until late too. Andrew Grimes made several key plays on the offensive end, while Michael Russell had a key defensive play down the stretch to seal North’s 34 to 31 win. This was the first title for the Patriots and Hall of Fame Coach Jim Jones. This was also the first of many times a player with the name of Blank (Nate) would make the All-Tournament team.

Terre Haute South earned its first championship banner in 2004 under the direction of first-year coach Mike Saylor. South opened the tournament with dominating wins over South Vermillion, Monrovia and Northview to make it to the finals, where they would face defending champion Terre Haute North. This marked the first time that these two teams squared off in tournament play. Armon Bassett had 29 points, still a championship game record, as South defeated North, 47-38. Other notable players who earned All-Tournament team status and who would go on to have collegiate careers included Adam Gore of Monrovia, Jake Kelly of Marshall and Nate Blank of Terre Haute North.

The 2005 tournament had two intriguing newcomers: Owen Valley and Crawfordsville. 2005 was also the first time that the tournament finals would be televised locally by WTWO. Early in the tournament, it became clear that Owen Valley and the duo of Harry Marshall and Jared Maners would be a force to be reckoned with, as the Patriots made it all the way to the finals. Marshall would go on to play at Indiana State, becoming one of several Classic alumni to play for the Sycamores. Waiting in the finals would be another set of Patriots.

In a game of runs and lead changes, North scored the last 10 points of the game as they defeated Owen Valley, 52-46. North had three players in double figures (Nate Blank 15, Steven Jeffers, 13, and Jason Gilmore, 12), while Harry Marshall had 21 points and Jared Maners, 19, to lead Owen Valley. This was the second title in three years for Terre Haute North.

Back at South, the 2006 tournament would mark the first time that the Eitel twins of Marshall earned All-Tournament team honors. (They would do the same in 2007 and 2008.) Once again, the Patriots of Terre Haute North won the championship by defeating Northview, 63-48. Nate Blank had 21 points, while Kyle McFadden added 15 for North. Tyler Coltharp led Northview with 16 points, while Brodee Miller had 13 points and 10 rebounds. This tournament marked the fourth straight year that future Indiana All-Star Nate Blank would earn All-Tournament honors. Blank would finish the tournament with 225 career points, which was an all-time record when he graduated. This was the third and final championship for Coach Jim Jones.

2007 saw a pair of schools with rich football traditions enter the tournament, as Casey-Westfield and Linton-Stockton both made their debuts. North fans (and West Vigo fans) undoubtedly remember Thomas Anderson’s game winning half-court shot to beat West Vigo, 54-53, which spoiled the Vikings upset bid. Rockville and Marshall made their first appearances in the final four, alongside Owen Valley and Terre Haute South. While RJ Mahurin (Rockville) and the Eitels (Marshall) did all they could, Terre Haute South pulled away from Rockville and dominated Marshall in the final. The tournament served as a breakout party for Jake Odum, who along with John Michael Jarvis and Zach Odum, paved the way for Mike Saylor’s second championship. In the final against Marshall, John Michael Jarvis led South with 22 points and 8 rebounds, while Jake Odum had 19 points and 8 rebounds. Also of note was RJ Mahurin setting the record for most points in a contest. Mahurin had 40 points against Monrovia in first-round action. Mahurin was 15-28 from the floor and added 8 free throws in the Rox’s 69-56 win over Monrovia.

Many people regard the 2008 Classic at South as the best collection of talent in tournament history. Jake Odum (Terre Haute South), RJ Mahurin (Rockville), Logan and Lucas Eitel (Marshall), Tyler Wampler, Jordan Pearson, and Jeremy Lucas (West Vigo), Justin Gant (Terre Haute North) and Rhett Smith (Sullivan) would all go on to have college careers in one sport or another. A packed gym was the norm, as this was the most attended tournament in history of the event. Night two of the event featured Marshall beating Rockville 55-53. Lucas Eitel hit the game winner for the Lions. Probably the game of the tournament was the semi-final match between Marshall and Terre Haute South. After a sound defeat in the 2007 tournament, Coach Tom Brannen’s Marshall squad was able to come from behind in the fourth quarter to beat South, 46-42. Lucas Eitel nailed a 3-point basket to tie the game with two minutes left. Taylor Duncan hit four crucial throws down the stretch. A 64-48 victory over the Terre Haute North Patriots clinched the title for the Lions, the first time a team from Illinois won the title.

The 2009 tournament probably will be remembered most for its final game between big school Terre Haute North and small school opponent Sullivan. The intensity that both teams displayed in the final set a standard for all future championship battles. Both teams had respected post players who would go on to collegiate careers. In the end, Smith finished with 21 points on 6-10 shooting and Gant with 16 points, but it was Sullivan pulling the upset, 44-42, on the Patriots floor. Also of note was that RJ Mahurin set the single game record for most points in a career with 292.

Tired of being the bridesmaid, Terre Haute North was on a mission in 2010. Twice finishing as runner-up, the Patriots marched their way through the tournament to the title, which was the first for Todd Woelfle as head coach. In the final, North defeated Northview, 52-38, behind Logan Shipley’s 13 points. Northview was led by Trent Lancaster with 17 points.

2010 also saw the highest-scoring contest as Casey-Westfield defeated Linton, 91-87. The 178 combined points were the most ever for a tournament contest. The game was tied at 66 at the end of regulation and at 75 after the first overtime. Dess Fougerousse had 33 points for Linton and Brandon Wolfe had 28 for Casey, including 9 in overtime play.

The 2011 tournament featured a repeat first-round matchup between Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South. Once again, the Patriots prevailed, 49-45. North would go on to defeat Owen Valley (53-27) and West Vigo (51-41) to reach the finals. Jordan Houser had 28 big points for West Vigo against North, but a 22-13 run in the fourth sealed the Patriots’ victory.

Sullivan reached the finals with wins over Rockville (57-55), Casey-Westfield (58-44) and Marshall (61-42). The finals featured a rematch of the 2009 championship, but this time Terre Haute North defeated Sullivan, 57-44. The Patriots were led by Austin Lewis (17 points) and Ross Sponsler (13 points), while the Arrows were led by Rhett Smith (18 points).

In 2012, record snow forced a postponement for the first time in the history of the tournament and fans were forced to wait until December 27 for action to begin. Fans would not be disappointed, as the tournament at South was quite memorable. Robinson made their debut with a win over Terre Haute South, 78-67. Their second-round game, however, is one that many regard as the best tournament game in history. Led by Aaron Siler and Michael Akande, the Maroons defeated two-time defending champion Terre Haute North, 63-58. The play of Siler was remarkable. Siler had 39 points (19 in the 4th quarter) against a worthy defense. Akande added 6 points, but his interior play proved to be critical.

The final featured two small schools as Robinson battled Rockville. Rockville made their way to the finals with wins over Casey-Westfield (66-52), Marshall (59-41) and Sullivan (49-32). The Rox would go all the way to the Class 1A title game. On this night, Rockville would become the latest small school to win the title by defeating Robinson, 44-39. Jordan McFall and Gary Ulrich (13 and 10, respectively) were the only Rox in double figures. Siler added 15 points to lead Robinson.

Most people felt the 2013 tournament was wide open as several teams graduated key players from their 2012 squads. New players stepped up in the tournament, as only two players repeated as All-Tournament selections.

South Coach Scott Ridge opened up tournament play with wins over Marshall (78-39) and Casey-Westfield (79-59). These wins set up a semi-final match against Sullivan, his alma mater. Led by Tre Minnett (22 points), Conner Shipley (15 points) and Timmy Herrin (15 points), the Braves defeated Sullivan, 66-62. Two nights later, South defeated Terre Haute North, 58-48, to claim the championship at North. North was led in the final by Charlie Aimone with 16 points. Casey-Westfield senior Brandon Wolfe earned the first Gary E. Fears Most Outstanding Player award. This award is named after tournament founder and chairman Gary Fears. Wolfe was a four-time All-Tournament team selection and the all-time leading scorer in tournament history. He finished with 312 points.

The 2014 tournament was much anticipated because Cloverdale re-entered the field. Before the tournament began, several former players and fans gathered as Terre Haute South honored former coach Pat Rady by naming the gym floor after him. This was quite an emotional moment for those who attended. Cloverdale gave Terre Haute North all they wanted in the second round before falling to eventual champion Terre Haute North, 57-48. Both Cooper Neese and Marquise Moore earned All-Tournament honors. Moore had 23 points to lead the Clovers in their contest against Terre Haute North.

Linton pieced together first and second-round wins to reach the semi-finals, where they battled Terre Haute South for four quarters before falling, 63-50. Terre Haute North outlasted Marshall, 64-50, in the other semi-final to set up another North-South battle. In the finals, North prevailed, 64-60. The play of Charlie Aimone (21 points), Keshaun Sandifer (14 points) and Kobi Riley (12 points) proved to be the difference. Keshaun Sandifer won the Gary E. Fears Most Outstanding Player award. South was led by Jaylen Minnett’s 18 points.

In 2015, First Financial Bank replaced Pizza Hut as tournament sponsor and with that change Ticia Wright replaced Gary Fears as Tournament Director. Also, the tournament welcomed Edgewood as a first-time participant. Edgewood had hot shooting in wins over Marshall and Cloverdale. The Mustangs’ two wins set up a semi-final matchup against Terre Haute South. Offense reigned supreme in this contest as South defeated Edgewood, 89-74. The 94 combined first-half points set a tournament record. Brayden Patton of Edgewood and Jaylen Minnett both had 35 points, 30 of those in the first half. Offense was also on display in several other contests in the 2015 tournament. Corey Vickers had 35 points in three quarters of action against Rockville on day one. Cooper Neese had 94 points in 3 tournament games. Cameron King had 30 points against
Riverton Parke.

On the other side of the bracket, Terre Haute North had wins over Casey, West Vigo, and Northview to set-up a North-South final for the third straight year.

In the final, North jumped ahead early on, only to see South jump ahead at the halftime horn. In the second half, South maintained a small lead for much of the 3rd and 4th quarter. North made a rally to force overtime and prevailed 76-69. Keyshaun Sandifer had 21 points to lead North. Casius Bell scored 7 of his 10 points in the overtime. Jalen Owens added 14 and Braxton Poore 10. Jaylen Minnett had 25, De’Avion Washington 18, and Matt Deady 11 points to lead South. Minnett won the Gary E. Fears Most Outstanding Player award for his performance over the four days.

The 2016 tournament will probably best be remembered for the marksmanship of several players. Cooper Bybee (27 points against Terre Haute North), Braelyne Compton (5, 3-point baskets and 21 points against Robinson), Tanner Yeryar (25 points, 6 3’s against Rockville), Josiah Wallace (36 points, 6 3’s against Cloverdale) and Jaylen Minnett (40 points, 6 3’s against Edgewood, tying RJ Mahurin’s tournament record for most points in a game) all had outstanding games. The story of the tournament was the impressive play of future Indiana State Sycamore Cooper Neese. Neese finished four days of play with 118 points, which tied him with RJ Mahurin for most points all time in a single tournament. Even more impressive was Neese’s 41-41 performance from the free throw line. Neese was honored on day four as the Gary Fears Most Outstanding Player.

Probably the most talked about game in the tournament were the Terre Haute South/Linton contest on day two. Both teams played a back-and-forth contest. Terre Haute South grabbed a 1 point lead on a De’Avion Washington basket, before Linton’s Josh Dieball scored at the horn, giving the Miners a 65-64 win over the host Braves. Dieball finished with a game high 27 points.

Terre Haute North was their steady self, but was challenged by Edgewood in a round 2 game. In the finals, the play of Jaylen Owens, Braelyne Compton, Richard Suggs, and Denny Zigler proved to be too much as North beat Linton 55-42. This was the 3rd straight title for Terre Haute North and head coach Todd Woelfle, and 8th overall.

The darlings of the 2017 tournament were the Edgewood Mustangs. Edgewood opened tournament play with a 54-25 win over West Vigo. This created a matchup with Terre Haute South (a team many considered a favorite to win the tournament, and later a 4A Regional finalist). In their contest with South, Edgewood opened up a double-digit lead and defeated the Braves 59-56. Trevor Taylor had 31 points, including 4 big 3 point baskets to lead Edgewood. 2017 Indiana All Star De’Avion Washington had 31 points to lead South, but it was not enough. The Mustangs beat Linton in their semi-final contest to set up a championship game against Terre Haute North.

In the championship game, Edgewood defeated Terre Haute North 47-33. Chayton Howard had 23 points, while Trevor Taylor had 11 for Edgewood. Denny Zigler had 12 points for the Patriots. This was the first championship for the Edgewood Mustangs and coach JB Neill. Chayton Howard won the Gary Fears Most Outstanding player award for his play over the 4 days. Landon Newnum won the FCA Award.

The 2018 Tournament started with a bang in Game 2, featuring the 5-1 Linton Miners and the 10-0 Casey-Westfield Warriors. The game was tied at 41 at the end of the third quarter, but Lincoln Hale’s 22 points helped the Miners earn the win, 57 to 51. That year also featured the debut of the Parke Heritage Wolves after the school consolidation of Turkey Run and Rockville (the 2012 Tournament Winner).

Day Two featured a wild winner’s bracket game between the Sullivan Golden Arrows and the South Vermillion Wildcats. The Arrows trailed by five with 30 seconds left, however Kaleb Thrasher gives them the go-ahead basket as they rally to beat the Wildcats, 53-51 to advance to the semis. The Terre Haute North Patriots avenged a championship loss to the Edgewood Mustangs the year before by beating the Mustangs on Day Two, 64 to 58 behind Michael Dunagan’s 26 points.

Terre Haute North would meet the Terre Haute South Braves in the semi-finals and it’s the Patriots advancing to the Championship Game behind 19 points from Cayman Hayes. Linton knocked off Sullivan to set up a Patriots and Miners championship night. The Patriots had no problems with the Miners in the title game, with a final score of 66-36. North entered the tourney 0-6 and won four games in as many days to claim their 9th overall title and Todd Woelfle’s 6th. North’s Braden Edington was named the Gary E. Fears Most Outstanding Player.

The 2019 First Financial Wabash Valley Classic saw a pair of unbeatens meet on Day One between the Sullivan Golden Arrows and the Marshall Lions. The Arrows would get the best of the Lions, 55 to 52 and advance. The first winner’s bracket game of Day Two featured a thriller between the Terre Haute North Patriots and the South Vermillion Wildcats. The Wildcats grabbed the late lead on an Anthony Garzolini three-pointer with 55 seconds left however the Patriots grabbed the lead at the free throw line and never looked back, with a final score of 61-56.

Semi-final night rarely lets us down and this Saturday night was no different. Sullivan built a 12-point lead on Terre Haute North in the first game, but the Patriots rally with a big fourth quarter to win, 60-58 in a game that Sullivan fans still have a hard time stomaching to this day. Terre Haute South and Linton turned out to be another last second finish as Josh Pyne gives the Miners the lead with seconds left as they advance to the championship game over the Braves, 56-54.

The Terre Haute North Patriots make it back-to-back tourney titles over the Linton Miners with a 66-62 win in the championship game. Matt Gauer finished with 21 points to bring home the Gary Fears Most Outstanding Player honor.

Due to COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020, the First Financial Wabash Valley Classic did not occur. The Vigo County School Corporation hosted a Holiday Tournament, alternating games between Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South. The Greencastle Tiger Cubs won the championship, 46-36 over Bloomington South.

Things got back to normal in 2021 as the Classic was officially back and welcomed Greencastle Tiger Cubs to the mix, and brought back the Bloomfield Cardinals. The Cardinals would continue their Greene County rivalry with the Linton Miners in the Classic. The Miners outscored the Cards 16-2 in the final few minutes on day two to advance to the semi-finals with a 46-42 win.

The Terre Haute North Patriots and the Sullivan Golden Arrows would play another great game in the semi-finals. Just like 2019, the Patriots rally to beat the Arrows, 50-48 to advance to the championship for another showdown with Linton after the Miners knocked off Edgewood.

The championship game featured a matchup of unbeatens – Terre Haute North and Linton meeting for the third time in the last four years. The game would be tied with nine seconds left when Bryson Carpenter finds Colin Frank for the lead and the Patriots win the championship over the Miners, 47-45 the final. Terre Haute North wins their 11th Classic crown and Head Coach Todd Woelfle wins his 8th. Sullivan’s Randy Kelley picks up the Gary E. Fears Most Outstanding Player Award.

The 2022 Tournament would start with history. Sullivan’s Jeff Moore picks up career win number 500 as the Golden Arrows beat the Casey-Westfield Warriors on Day One. Sullivan would square off with Northview Knights on Day Two in a battle between two of the most popular players, Luke Adams and Drew Cook. Adams and the Arrows advance and set up another showdown with Linton in the semis.

Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South would meet on day two for a spot in the semis. Nas McNeal’s 28 points help the Braves beat the Patriots for the first time since 2018, with a final score of 62 to 50.

One of the best games of the tournament turned out to be a Day Three matchup between the Terre Haute South and the Bloomfield Cardinals. Peter Combs gives the Cardinals the lead in overtime as they would hang on to beat the Braves, 57 to 54, setting up a Linton-Bloomfield championship game.

The mighty Miners, tired of finishing as a runner-up, came into the Classic with a mission and delivered. Linton knocked off Bloomfield for their first First Financial Wabash Valley Classic Championship in school history, 56 to 44. Joey Hart brings home the Gary E. Fears Most Outstanding Player Award.