Alright, here we are. Sitting here at 11pm on my bed at home with the UCLA v USC game on in the background. Not exactly where I would like to be, or the tone I’d like to be writing in, but here we are.
I mean that hurts, like that hurts really bad. I’ll never understand the pain of the seniors on this team who just played their last game in a Carmel uniform, but being a devoted fan and reporter of this team, it really hurts. Many people are going to start talking about how this is the first Sectional loss since 2014, or how this team didn’t live up to the hype and I really don’t want to hear it. Yes, the 2021-22 Carmel Greyhounds team lost in Sectionals, yes, it sucks. However, I want to write tonight looking back at the incredible season this team had, and just how much talent this group brought to the table, as well as thanking our seniors one more time.
It was Westfield’s night. Everyone could tell. They came out scorching hot and were up 10 at half. The resiliency, fight, passion, and drive that the Hounds showed to get themselves back into this game was incredible. Not once did they look defeated, up until the final buzzer. They stuck through it, battled, and came out on the wrong side of the hottest team in the state. It hurts so bad to lose to a fanbase that was clearly desperate for a win and will trash talk forever about this win. However, we have to congratulate the Shamrocks on winning their first ever sectional title, and having put together an incredibly talented and hard working team.
Alright, enough about this game, let’s talk about the season as a whole. I remember the feeling when I sat down to write my first recap of the year after the Homestead loss. I remember how mad I was when I wrote it, and just the overall frustrated attitude I had. I wasn’t mad because we lost, I was mad because I saw how good this team was, and I just wanted them to play how I knew they could. Boy did they ever do that, the next week they started winning game after game and were absolutely rolling. Yes they stumbled a few times along the way, but this team proved to the entire state over and over that they were the most talented team, and the best team in the state. The Hounds were not even favored to win sectionals, but they almost pulled it off. This team had so much talent, so much resiliency, and so much fight in them that it just hurts even worse to see it come to an end so soon. However I want to thank every senior on this team-
Pete Suder, where to begin with this kid. A 4 year varsity starter at Carmel is rarified air, and something that should not be taken lightly. Not only was Suder an incredibly talented player who carried the Hounds so many times, he was an incredible leader. It’s tough to walk into an arena to nothing but boos and chants from opposing students, and just play like normal, but it was something Suder did on the regular. Bellarmine might be the luckiest school in the country to pick up a guy like Suder for a program that is on the rise and I have no doubts it will win an A-SUN conference championship and get a berth into March Madness at some point with Suder there. I’m so thankful and excited for Pete.
Charlie Williams, him and his counterpart Josh Whack came up to varsity as just sophomores onto a team that was not at all built to win that year, and still somehow won sectionals before Covid shut the tournament down. Charlie has been a guy that has received way more criticism from Carmel faithful than he ever deserved, and for a guy with his athleticism and mobility as a big, there is limitless potential for him at William and Mary, another program that I believe is on the rise. I loved watching Charlie battle with so many different guys in the post over his three years, and for a guy his size, he is able to throw around with the bigger dudes in the state. It has been an absolute pleasure to watch him, so congrats and thanks to Charlie.
Josh Whack, man this one is fun. Josh may have been my favorite senior to watch play night in and night out. This man clamped up and sat down some of the best players in the state over his last three years, and it was an absolute pleasure to watch happen. My favorite moments of Josh were always when he was announced in the starting lineup. He always ran out with this smile on his face with a tongue halfway sticking out, did his handshake with Trevor Harris, and then led the slap of the floor. I loved it. To me, Josh will always be a legacy guy at Carmel who will forever be remembered as the best defender to ever do it at Carmel. A huge good luck to him at his future endeavors inside and outside the sport of basketball. Josh is truly a stand up guy who will do great things, congrats and thanks Josh.
Burke Weldy, the point guard extraordinaire. Funny enough, my first memory of Burke was our Pups Baseball tryouts in like 5th grade. I don’t know why this stuck with me, but he was a catcher just like me, and I remembered just trying to keep up and match his energy was so tiring. Then last year when I covered a lot of JV basketball, I loved watching the tandem of him and Jake Griffin go out and just run the court, seeing passes that nobody else would have seen, and making magic. Burke was such a glue guy on this team this year, and was a bridge man for them when they needed it most early in the year, and I truly believe he helped develop the next generation of young guards at Carmel. Congrats and thanks Burke.
Josh Rauh, the athletic freak of nature. I don’t know if this goes unrecognized or if it just seems impressive to me but this dude has bunnies. Like Josh Rauh is such an athletic guy, and I don’t think people give him enough credit for it. Josh Rauh was another guy I loved watching on JV, and his midrange shots last year were just absurd to me. He would be able to stop on a dime, pull up, and bury it seemingly every time. Josh was another bridge man for the Hounds this year, and provided this team some underappreciated minutes in big spots of big games. Congrats and thanks Josh.
Kentrell Richardson, the man everyone loves. The floor mopping extraordinaire. We always loved Kentrell’s infectious smile, and just how hard he worked for this team every year. Congrats and thanks Kentrell.
Finally, Trevor Harris. Where to begin. For a kid who found out he wasn’t going to be making the JV team his sophomore year, it takes so much maturity to decide you want to devote so much of your time to make a team successful. Trevor not only has such a high understanding of the game, but he is such a devoted person. It’s tough being the student assistant on a team where you won’t get any credit, but you’ll often be at the gym hours before the first player arrives, and hours after the last one leaves. It’s mind blowing to me the hours Trevor put in helping out the Greyhounds, and I know for a fact that they wouldn’t be where they are without him. Favorite memory has to be the Fort Wayne Carroll game where he played and absolutely buried two threes late in the game. I had talked to Trevor beforehand, and he promised me that if he got in, he would shoot, and boy did he ever. I’ve never met a person so confident yet humble and patient as Trevor, and I know that his future ventures will be successful. Whether his future is in basketball or not, he will be incredibly successful. Congratulations and thank you Trevor.
Alright, that was incredibly tough to write, but I mean every word that I said above about these seniors. This is an incredibly impressive group. 2 state titles, and a number of incredible moments from these guys. I have loved every second of covering this team this season, and I’ll miss it so bad. I really loved going to every game of these guys, and just seeing this team evolve from an opening loss into the team they ended up becoming. I am so proud of these players, this team, and this school, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity that this brought me. Go Hounds. Forever.