After winning sectional titles Saturday, Northview and Parke Heritage won't have to travel far to compete in next Saturday's regional round of the Indiana high school girls basketball state tournament.

The Knights and Wolves will both play at the Terre Haute North Regional. The Knights will face Brebeuf in the Class 3A game at 7 p.m. Saturday. That contest follows the 4 p.m. Class 2A game between the Wolves and Monrovia.

This past Saturday, Northview avenged its only Western Indiana Conference loss, coming from behind in the second half for a 42-35 win over the host team and the championship of the Class 3A Edgewood Sectional.

Reagin White, who has played most of the season with a knee injury, led all scorers Saturday with 14 points while Kambry Shoults added 12. Carlee Schrader, after a 31-point game Friday, added nine points, Rekelle Terrell had four points and Tori DeHart three.

Edgewood's leaders for at least the last three seasons, Macey Crider and twins Alli and Madi Bland, combined for 29 points with Alli Bland scoring 11 and the other two nine each.

Northview now stands 19-6 going into next Saturday's 3A regional against Brebeuf (14-11). The Braves beat Danville 51-41 Saturday to win the Lebanon Sectional.

Edgewood finished 17-6.

In other girls high school basketball:

• Class 2A South Putnam Sectional — At Putnamville, defending champion Parke Heritage dominated the second half to beat North Putnam 46-34 in the championship game Saturday night.

The Wolves trailed 15-13 after a quarter, but had a 21-20 halftime lead and pulled away from there.

Lila Busenbark led Parke Heritage with 13 points while Kennedy Mitchell had 10, Addie Ramsay nine and Birkley Schelsky eight. Melanie Davies led all scorers with 16 points for the Cougars.

Parke Heritage takes a record of 18-7 into next Saturday's 2A regional against Monrovia (20-5), an 82-33 winner over University at the Park Tudor Sectional. The same two teams met in regional play last year.

North Putnam finished 16-8.

• Class 2A Eastern Greene Sectional — At Little Cincinnati, Linton gave North Knox all it wanted, a night after the Warriors had routed defending state champion South Knox, but the Miners eventually fell short 55-46.

Lexi Primus and Baylee McClure scored 19 points each for North Knox. Audrey Sullivan had 15 points and Jaycee Archer and Aaliyah Samm had 10 each for the Miners.

North Knox, 18-6, plays 20-4 Evansville Mater Dei — a 44-33 winner over North Posey — in next Saturday's regional game. Linton finished 14-8.

• Class A North Vermillion Sectional — At Cayuga, Fountain Central imposed its defensive will in Saturday night's championship game and defeated Faith Christian 34-11.

The 21-2 Mustangs face North Miami in a regional game next week. North Miami, 17-8, beat Southwood 50-27 for the championship of the Southern Wells Sectional.

All-sectional team members included Nora Thomann of North Vermillion on the first team and Corinne Loomis and Kenzie Nowicki of Riverton Parke and Cadence Dunham of North Vermillion on the second team.

• Martinsville 41, Ramsey 36 — At Martinsville, Ill., Molly Kannmacher's 15 points led the Bluestreaks to a victory over the Rams on Friday night.

Charity Hammond added 10 points for Martinsville.

The Bluestreaks took a 17-11 record into Monday's nonconference game at Sandoval.

Boys basketball

• Teutopolis 78, Robinson 26 — At Teutopolis, the powerful Wooden Shoes ran roughshod over the Maroons on Saturday.

Cruz Dunlap had eight points and Jetson Hoalt seven for the 9-16 Maroons, who play Tuesday at Charleston.

Gavin Addis had 15 points and Joey Probst 12 for Teutopolis, 23-3.

The Maroons were coming off a 53-45 overtime victory over rival Paris on Friday night. Robinson trailed 11-8, 23-21 and 35-31 at the quarter breaks, before tying the score at 42-42 by the end of regulation play. The Maroons outscored the Tigers 11-3 in OT. Dunlap led Robinson with 16 points, and Marcus Hutchings topped Paris with 20.

• Marshall 55, Okaw Valley 48 — At Marshall, Ill., Payton McGuire scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds, while teammate Garrett Pugh added 13 points and six rebounds for the Lions in a home victory Saturday.

After the teams tied 11-11 and 23-23 at the first two quarter breaks, Marshall got some daylight to lead 41-36 at the end of the third quarter. Then McGuire delivered 10 fourth-quarter points to help the Lions stay ahead.

Marshall (11-12) plays 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at La Salette (21-4). Okaw Valley (8-17) got a game-high 19 points from Braden Montgomery.

I love the Super Bowl.

I absolutely love it.

I love everything about it: The overdone commercials. The over-the-top halftime shows. The overhyped game.

I love the Super Bowl not in spite of its excess, but because of it.

Because for one strange, glorious, guacamole-soaked, chicken wing–stained, beer-drenched Sunday evening every year, America still agrees to sit down together and watch the same thing at the same time. In an age of niche streaming, algorithmic rabbit holes and personalized everything, the Super Bowl remains our last national gathering place; a protected cultural habitat that 130 million Americans willingly enter, even if they don’t know a nickel defense from a nickel beer.

In today’s polarized, politicized country, that matters.

A lot.

After all, we are no longer a country that watches anything together, not even the dying CBS Evening News. With apologies to Simon and Garfunkel: “Where have you gone, Walter Cronkite? A nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you — woo, woo, woo.”

Instead, we scroll alone. We binge watch alone. We argue in parallel realities, each of us convinced we’re seeing the “true” version of America while the other side is being fed corrupted, propaganda-driven lies. But on Super Bowl Sunday, the feeds pause, the ideological divide takes a timeout and for a few hours, the algorithm loses.

That is almost unheard of these days The Super Bowl doesn’t just remain as the most-watched television event in America; it’s routinely the most-watched television broadcast in the world, year after year, in any language, on any platform.

That alone makes it remarkable. But what makes it meaningful is why we watch.Yes, we watch for the game. We watch for the commercials. We watch for the halftime show. We watch for the gambling and prop bets. We watch for the national anthem (And, yes, I stand for the anthem — even if I’m in someone else’s living room balancing a plate of nachos and bean dip. … And, no, I won’t be watching the “alternative” halftime show — a divisive, destined-to-fail attempt headlined by throwback rocker/rapper Kid Rock.)

But, mainly, we watch because everybody else is watching, and we want to belong to something bigger than ourselves. Families and party hosts plan menus days in advance. Employers brace for the Monday-after MIAs. America consumes roughly 12.5 million pizzas and nearly 140 million pounds of avocados — most of them pulverized into guacamole — as if it’s our civic duty.

As for the game itself, most of us will pick a team even if we don’t really care who wins. This year’s game game gives us some juicy storylines, starting with the ghost of Super Bowl XLIX hovering over this matchup. It’s no secret that Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception 15 years ago still haunts Seattle like the price of an Apple Crisp Oatmilk Frappuccino at the original Starbucks.

Then there’s Sam Darnold, who was once declared a draft bust and was football Twitter’s favorite punchline, but now has been resurrected in Seattle, throwing for over 4,000 yards and leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Let’s be honest: America loves second chances almost as much as we love free refills.

On the other sideline, the New England Patriots are somehow back here again, trying to rekindle a dynasty that once felt immortal under Tom Brady. Only now it’s Drake Maye, the sophomore sensation who dragged New England from 4-13 to 14-3 during an MVP-worthy season.

Meanwhile, New England coach Mike Vrabel stands on the brink of history, with a chance to become the first person to win a Super Bowl as both a player and a head coach for the same franchise. Even all of us people who hated the evil empire of Brady-Bill Belichick can’t help but secretly respect this version of the Patriots.

And what’s really cool is that it’s not just us traditional football fans who will be engrossed in the Super Bowl. Believe it or not, 83% of Gen Z adults say they are interested in this year’s game — a remarkable percentage for the most fragmented, always-online generation of all. It’s one of the rare moments when their digital loneliness will subside because they aren’t binge-watching something after everyone else; they’re actually watching something WITH everyone else. Their group chats will light up with every Bad Bunny halftime song and their memes will instantly react to the latest “Jesus Gets Us” commercial.

Several years ago, the great sports writer Norman Chad wrote in TV Guide: “History of America, Part I (1776-1966): Declaration of Independence, Constitutional Convention, Louisiana Purchase, Civil War, Reconstruction, World War I, Great Depression, New Deal, World War II, TV, Cold War, civil-rights movement, Vietnam. History of America, Part II (1967-present): the Super Bowl era. The Super Bowl has become Main Street’s Mardi Gras.”

He’s right. It’s loud. It’s excessive. It’s ridiculous. It’s commercialized.

It’s America.

Sadly, on Monday, our social media feeds will re-fragment and our algorithms will once again feed us our partisan political propaganda. We’ll retreat back into our separate corners and alternate realities.

And that’s why I love the Super Bowl.

Not because it solves our society’s problems, but because it reminds us that, every once in a while, we can all remember what it feels like to come together as a country.

It’s often said FHSAA district championships don’t mean as much as they used to. That’s because all the best teams advance to regional play whether they win or lose in district tournaments.

But try telling the Lake Howell boys basketball team that beating third-ranked Daytona Beach Mainland in Friday night’s Class 6A District 4 tournament final wasn’t something very special. The Silver Hawks (22-5), ranked sixth in 6A, erased an early Mainland (22-3) lead and scored a 73-61 victory at Oviedo High School to claim their program’s first district title in 18 years.

The impressive win sparked a  joyous celebration for players and fans on the court at Oviedo High School. Every Lake Howell player touched the championship trophy before it was handed to eighth-year head coach Mike Sutton, who squeezed the plaque like it was an Olympic gold medal.

“These kids deserve this,” Sutton said. “Our school deserves this. We built this program back up brick by brick and it feels fantastic.”

The SilverHawks last previous district title came in 2008, a year after their 2006-07 state championship season.

Isaac Buckley, a 6-7, 208-pound senior, muscled his way to 18 points to lead Lake Howell. He made a 3-point shot to spark the 9-0 run that gave Lake Howell a second quarter lead it never relinquished. Stellar sophomore Johnas Maurice added 14 points, as did junior Sam Atari and 6-9 senior Ethan Diaz.

“It feels so good to come together as a team and give our coach a district title,” Buckley said.

Finally! Lake Howell wins the big one

Lake Howell topped tourney host Oviedo 59-48 in a Wednesday semifinal that drew a standing-room-only crowd.

The SilverHawks, who also claimed the Seminole Athletic Conference title with a perfect record against county teams, will have home-court advantage for their region quarterfinal.

The four district champions in each region advance to round of 32 games set for Saturday, Feb. 14. Four at-large teams will be added to each regional bracket — selected via the FHSAA’s power rankings, which will be updated after district finals concoude. The boys and girls pairings are scheduled to be announced Monday by the FHSAA on its YouTube channel, starting at 2 p.m.

By Buddy Collings

CHECK HIGH SCHOOL SCORES POSTS FOR SATURDAY DISTRICT FINAL MATCHUPS

OCP takes title

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Orlando Christian Prep won a district title for the ninth time in 10 seasons on Friday and savored the victory for a different reason.

One year and two days after losing to Central Florida Christian Academy in the 2025 Class 1A District 7 title game, the Warriors (19-6) got revenge, winning 60-49 at CFCA.

Senior point guard Josh Theus scored 22 points and added 4 assists for the Warriors, who overcame a slow start. Mason Pandov, another senior guard, added 11 points, including the clinching free throws at the end to put the game out of reach for the Eagles (19-7).

“It always feels great to win the district title because that guarantees you a spot in the state tournament, so you always feel great for that,” said OCP head coach Treig Burke.

OCP trailed 18-13 after the first quarter but outscored the Eagles 16-5 in the second  and led the rest of the way.

Junior guard Trevor Miller scored 16 points to lead CFCA, which edged OCP 44-41 in their regular season meeting.

The Eagles came in ranked No. 3 in 3A, one spot ahead of OCP, and will join the Warriors in the eight-team Region 2 tournament.

Last season, CFCA beat OCP in the district final and won again in an instant repeat region quarterfinal.

OCP routed ninth-ranked Legacy Charter 70-34 in a Thursday semifinal.

By Chris Martucci

Montverde beats Boyle

Montverde Academy (15-5) pulled scored 26 second-chance points and beat national No. 1 Spire Academy of Ohio in a Nike EYBL Circuit game played in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Friday night.

Spire (19-2) hired legendary coach Kevin Boyle away from Montverde last year.

It was a big win for new Montverde coach Steve Turner, who  replaced Boyle after compiling a 497-176 record at Gonzaga College High School of Washington, D.C.

St. Cloud lost boys basketball players, but keeps winning | Varsity Weekly

Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.

Feb. 6—VERMILLION, S.D. — Travis Johansen's tenure as the University of South Dakota's head football coach will come to an end after just one season at the helm.

The rising defensive mind is set to depart Vermillion to become the defensive coordinator at Rutgers University, sources told On3Sports on Friday.

With the departure of Johansen, USD Athletic Director Jon Schemmel announced Matt Vitzthum has been named the 32nd head coach of Coyote football. Vitzthum completed his second season on staff in 2025, serving as the Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Johansen's move marks a significant step up the college football ladder, transitioning from the FCS level to the Power Four ranks in the Big Ten. It also caps a remarkable stretch at South Dakota that saw Johansen rise from respected assistant to head coach and now to one of the premier coordinator roles in the country.

Named the 31st head coach in program history on Jan. 16, 2025, Johansen took over for Bob Nielson, who stepped down after nine seasons leading the Coyotes. Johansen was no stranger to the program, having spent the previous six seasons on the USD staff as defensive coordinator from 2019-24. He also held the title of associate head coach from 2022-24, a role that positioned him as the natural fit when the head coaching vacancy opened.

In his lone season at the helm, Johansen delivered immediate results. He guided South Dakota to a 10-5 overall record and a 6-2 mark in Missouri Valley Football Conference play, good for sole possession of second place in one of the nation's toughest FCS leagues. The Coyotes reached the FCS playoffs for a third consecutive season and advanced to the quarterfinals for the third-straight year, continuing the program's run as an FCS national contender.

Johansen's reputation, however, has long been built on defense. Since taking over the Coyote defensive unit in 2019, he elevated USD to new heights on that side of the ball. Under his direction, South Dakota produced a pair of MVFC defensive players of the year in Brock Mogensen (2023) and Mi'Quise Grace (2024), both of whom were also Buck Buchanan Award finalists.

Johansen coached seven All-Americans and seven first-team All-MVFC performers during his time in Vermillion. Most recently, sophomore cornerback Mikey Munn earned second-team All-America honors from FCS Football Central in his first season as a full-time starter.

Across his coaching career, Johansen has helped develop 16 defensive players who went on to be drafted, receive NFL camp invitations, or sign as undrafted free agents, further underscoring his track record of player development.

Before arriving at South Dakota, Johansen spent six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Grand View University at the NAIA level. There, he helped the Vikings compile a dominant 61-11 record, capture five Heart of America Athletic Conference championships, make six NAIA playoff appearances, and win the 2013 NAIA national title following a perfect 14-0 campaign.

He was a Heart of America assistant coach of the year finalist in each of his final two seasons and a national coordinator of the year finalist in 2015. Grand View consistently fielded one of the NAIA's top defenses, producing seven defensive All-Americans during his tenure.

Johansen's coaching journey began at his alma mater, Concordia University, St. Paul, where he worked with the secondary before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2011. Now, after a brief but impactful stint as a head coach, Johansen heads to Rutgers for his next chapter of his coaching career back on the defensive side of the ball.

Feb. 6—PROCTORVILLE — Records are made to be broken.

But could you at least wait until the ink in the record-book dried?

Fairland Lady Dragons All-Ohio senior guard Bailey Russell didn't wait long before she set a new program scoring record.

Bree Allen broke the old school record held by Julie Curry in February of 2024.

But the honor and enjoyment of being that record-holder didn't last a full two years.

After her 21-point performance against Coal Grove on Thursday, Russell has 1,634 points, which surpasses the total of 1,542 scored by Allen.

The Fairland boys all-time scoring leader is Aiden Porter with 1,690, a record he set in January of 2022.

Russell said with the help of her mother, she was able to remain aware of the milestone she was about to conquer.

"My mom has always kind of kept track of it and before the season, she talked how far away I was, so I was aware I was near the record," said Russell. "It's just an amazing feeling. The more I think about it and all the people I know who have come through the program it feels like a huge honor to be at the top of that and I couldn't have done it without Bree (Allen), Tomi (Hinkle) and all the girls I've played with the last four years."

Russell said getting the scoring record was something she began to dream about in middle school.

"This has always been a goal of mine. I've always thought about it. My main goal has always been to win a state championship, but I thought it was a great goal to have and to finally be able to reach it is an amazing feeling," she said.

"Just knowing Bree, she has been saying I was going to break it since the night she broke it. We were doing an interview together. She broke it at Portsmouth Notre Dame. She was always 'Bailey's going to break it.' Bree has been so amazing and so supportive," said Russell.

Not only did Russell break Allen's record, but she now has her sights set on the school's all-time scoring record.

"It's a goal, but I'm not trying not to think about it at all. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen," said Russell. "I'm just trying to focus on our team and we play Portsmouth next week, we have some big games and the tournament coming up. If I play how I'm supposed to play and we keep winning, I'll get it."

Although Russell has had great success on the court, she has made the decision not to play at the college level —and focus on her education.

Russell wants to devote her time to becoming a doctor.

Fairland head coach Jon Buchanan said a lot of players who aren't focused on playing basketball would slack off in some areas of their game.

He said Russell has not changed her focus in the classroom —or on the court.

"I will give Bailey credit. You don't always see this with kids. Bailey always had aspirations of being a college basketball player and then decided she was not going to do that," said Buchanan.

Russell has been accepted at Ohio State University, and she plans to begin her academic journey in the fall minus basketball.

Russell plans to be an obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN).

Although she knows she'll miss basketball, she is adamant in her decision.

"I've been thinking a lot more about it. The season is coming to an end and it's been very hard, but I knew it was something, I don't know what, but I didn't want to play. I wanted my next four years' focus to be very important. I knew it was the right decision not to play," said Russell.

Buchanan said that Russell made the decision two years ago, and she has not wavered.

"She made the decision halfway through high school she was going to focus on school and not on basketball. The thing that makes her so interesting is that when kids change their mind, they lose focus and are not that focused on basketball and that part of their life.

"That hasn't been the case with Bailey. She's kind of doubled down. It's like she's not going to play basketball (in college), so I'm going to dig into these last couple of years because I want to maximize that last bit I do play."

Russell knows it will be a bittersweet experience to attend college without being part of a team.

"I may join an intramural league, but I'm excited for my next chapter," said Russell. "I think I'm going to be sad, but I think I'm going to be more sad about all my relationships. Even the coaching staff. I have a great personal relationship with everyone on the coaching staff. And this group of seniors I've played with for so long now and I got to play with my sister and it's been so fun."

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BASKETBALL SCORES, Feb. 3-5

UConn star forward and captain Alex Karaban was one of 10 players named to the midseason watch list for the Karl Malone Award, which is presented annually to the best power forward in college basketball as part of the Naismith Starting Five.

The most accomplished active player in college basketball, the Huskies’ senior is averaging 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season with 21 steals and 21 blocks. He has shot 46.8% from the field and a career-best 40.8% from 3-point range as he’s led UConn to a 22-1 record on the year.

The 6-foot-8, Southborough, Mass. native has scored in double-figures 16 times this year and recorded a team-high four 20-point games, including a 21-point effort on 8-for-11 shooting against BYU and a season-high 23 points in the overtime thriller at Providence.

UConn is 114-23 (.832) in Karaban’s career. The two-time national champion is one win shy of tying the program’s wins record, which was set by Samson Johnson last season. Karaban has started in 133 games over four years, two shy of the program record, and his 134 overall appearances are nine shy from the most in school history.

UConn Notes: Hurley flabbergasted his point guard was snubbed on this award watch list

He moved into 14th on UConn’s all-time scoring list with 1,660 career points, just four behind Cliff Robinson. He is fourth on the all-time 3-pointers list with 257 made, three shy of Shabazz Napier and 19 away from Rashad Anderson’s record 276. And his current 83.6% career mark from the free throw line is eighth all-time.

“You talk about somebody with a different level of maturity, a different level of championship confidence,” coach Dan Hurley said in January, calling Karaban “the most decorated player in the history of UConn basketball.”

Karaban is joined on the Naismith Starting Five watch lists by Solo Ball, who was named one of the top 10 candidates for the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award on Tuesday. The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award watch list will be released on Friday.

Karl Malone Award midseason watch list

Koa Peat, Arizona
Cameron Boozer, Duke
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Malik Reneau, Miami
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Alex Karaban, UConn