Prep Hoops Indiana Previews Class 1A, 2A State Finals Matchups

Prep Hoops Indiana has its boots laced up and its notebooks ready for a Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that puts four Indiana high school boys basketball programs on the biggest stage the state has to offer. All four championship games are set for Saturday, March 28, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Prep Hoops Indiana's writers have published in-depth previews for both the Class 1A and Class 2A matchups, spotlighting the players whose performances will decide which programs leave Indianapolis with a gold ball.

Class 1A: Barr-Reeve vs. Triton

The Class 1A State Championship tips off at 10:30 a.m. ET, pitting Barr-Reeve (27-1) against Triton (25-3) in the first meeting between two schools who combine for 13 championship game appearances.

Barr-Reeve is the program making the deeper run in terms of recent momentum. The Vikings have won 18 straight games and survived two one-possession scares in the state tournament, beating West Washington 55-53 in the regional championship and Liberty Christian 39-37 in the first game at semi-state. This is the eighth time Barr-Reeve has made it to state; the Vikings are looking for their third championship, having previously won in 2015 and 2021.

Triton enters with its own winning streak and a program history worth remembering. The Trojans have won 15 straight games and lost just one game to a 1A team all season, falling to Kouts in January, with their other two losses coming against NorthWood (3A) and Bremen (2A). Triton is returning to the state finals for the first time since 2013 and won the Class 1A title in 2008, with runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2011.

Class 1A Players to Watch

Prep Hoops Indiana's Class 1A preview, published March 24 and written by Kyler Staley, identifies four players whose games will shape the championship outcome.

From a statistical standpoint, Kierson Lengacher is the top player for the Barr-Reeve Braves. The 6'1" shooting guard and 2027 prospect is the engine of a Vikings offense that has barely missed a beat all season. The Triton Trojans have been led by two players this season, one of them being a sophomore shooting guard, and the other being senior leader and 2026 point guard Gage Riffle. Riffle, listed at 5'11", is the veteran floor general Triton leans on when games tighten.

Two additional players round out the preview's featured names: Braxton Neidigh, a 6'2" small forward and 2028 prospect, and Brady Wood, a 6'0" shooting guard also in the 2028 class. The preview's structure identifies two players from each side of the matchup, with Neidigh and Wood representing the next-wave talent that could swing a game in either direction. Isaac Pickel is also named in Prep Hoops Indiana's broader state finals coverage as a key player to monitor heading into the weekend.

Class 2A: Westview vs. Parke Heritage

The Class 2A State Championship tips off at approximately 12:45 p.m. ET, with Parke Heritage (26-4) facing Westview (27-1). Parke Heritage is chasing the school's first title in any sport, while Westview carries a 26-game winning streak and is looking for its third championship, first since 2000.

Westview's résumé this season is almost without blemish. The Warriors have won 26 straight games; their only loss came to Northridge, a 4A school, by 12 points on December 1. They beat Lapel and Fort Wayne Bishop Luers in semi-state. A win Saturday would earn Westview their first title since winning back-to-back 2A championships in 1999 and 2000. Westview last played in the state finals in 2014, falling to Park Tudor.

Parke Heritage's path to Gainbridge Fieldhouse is a story of persistence paying off. This is the second time the Wolves have made the state championship game; their other appearance was in 2021, where they lost to Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, and they have now won five straight regional championships. For the three seasons prior to this run, the Wolves fell short in the semistate round each year, but this time, facing Linton-Stockton with a state berth on the line, Parke Heritage defeated the Miners 66-53 and punched their ticket to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Isaac Pickel is a key figure in the Parke Heritage offense. In the semi-state win over Linton-Stockton, Pickel scored 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, a double-double that underscored why the Wolves' frontcourt has been so difficult to handle deep in tournament play. Prep Hoops Indiana's Class 2A State Finals Preview, published March 24 under the bylines of Brandon Ramsey and Kyler Staley, provides the detailed breakdown of which players to watch from both Westview and Parke Heritage.

The Bigger Picture

The 116th annual Indiana high school boys basketball tournament continues the state's rich tradition, with state championship glory as the ultimate destination. The 1A and 2A games on Saturday morning represent two of the sport's most compelling subplots: a Barr-Reeve program chasing its third title meeting a Triton squad that knows exactly what it felt like to hoist the trophy in 2008, and a Westview team riding the longest winning streak in the field against a Parke Heritage group that has spent four years kicking down the semistate door.

Prep Hoops Indiana's full player breakdowns, including Kyler Staley's related Class 3A preview and Brandon Ramsey's unsigned seniors watch piece, are available for subscribers on the Prep Hoops platform. The 1A and 2A sessions at Gainbridge Fieldhouse are also available to stream via pay-per-view through IHSAAtv.org for fans who cannot be in Indianapolis on Saturday.