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A three-hour car ride separates South Knox and Rensselaer Central, schools on opposite ends of the state, which, as far as anyone can guess, aren’t believed to have competed against each other in any sport.

Yet their postseason histories are eerily similar.

Prior to the 2024-2025 season, both the Spartans and Bombers offered up backgrounds that included six sectional championships and no regional titles. And if a Class 2A semi-state berth seemed a galaxy away, the prospect of running onto the Gainbridge Fieldhouse hardwood to decide a state championship felt even more distant.

And, yet, come Saturday, they’ll do just that.

As has been the case with virtually every first-time state finalist, Rensselaer Central and South Knox promise to bring boisterous fan bases who aren’t about to miss out on this hearty slice of history.

“It’s huge. We’ve just received so much support, and it’s just so special whenever all the community comes out to support us,” said Ella Bobe, a 5-9 senior guard who leads South Knox with a 19.1 scoring average. “We had a really good showing at our semi-state, and, really, all throughout our season, our fans have been so supportive, and it’s honestly made a difference.

“Even people from other schools are supporting us. Knowing that, it’s like we’re playing for something bigger than ourselves.”

Knox County, home of Vincennes, this means you.

The Class 2A State Championship featuring Rensselaer Central (26-2) and South Knox (27-2) will stream via PPV on IHSAAtv.org this Saturday at approx. 12:45 pm ET / 11:45 am CT!

Of course, the same can be said for Jasper County, home of Rensselaer Central, a school located 43 miles northwest of Lafayette. 
Bombers’ fans are riding their own wave of newness having watched their team bounce back from a late-season loss at McCutcheon to claim its last nine outings – including six in the postseason – by an average spread of 26.6 points.

Both of Rensselaer Central’s losses were on the home hardwood of the Mavericks, a Class 4A program that finished 24-4 and advanced to the semi-state round.

“We are a smaller school, but it doesn’t matter because our fans are amazing,” said Bombers’ senior forward Carly Drone. “We always have a huge crowd. A huge student section. Coming to state, we’ll have an even bigger crowd than we did at semi-state, and we had a huge crowd there.”

Kamri Rowland, a 5-11 junior forward, leads Rensselaer Central with her 15.4 scoring average and 7.2 boards per outing. Senior guard and University of Indianapolis recruit Taylor Van Meter is next at 13 points a game, followed by 5-10 sophomore guard Courtney Mathew (11.9), Drone (9.4) and 5-9 junior forward Brodie Radtke (7.8).

Besides Bobe, South Knox features two more double-figure scorers in 5-11 senior forward Bren Hill (16.3) and 5-7 sophomore guard Kendal Hill (13.9). The elder Hill grabs a team-high 8.6 rebounds a game with Kendal Hill and Bobe checking in at 5.4 and 5.1, respectively. Another sophomore guard, 5-8 Grace Detweiler, averages 7.3 points a contest.

Prior to sectionals, South Knox was ranked first and Rensselaer Central fourth among the 99 teams in Class 2A, according to the Sagarin ratings. The Spartans, who lost to 4A powers Hamilton Southeastern and Homestead by a sum of 11 points at the prestigious Hall of Fame Tournament in December, faced the 58th-toughest schedule (all classes), while the Bombers were at No. 149.

Maybe this makes a difference on Saturday. Maybe not.

Whatever the case, two programs – so different, and yet with so much in common – that have waited a half-century for an opportunity to take home a state championship trophy is fast approaching.

“It’s just been amazing. I think we’ve made history this whole season, but just making it down here is even better,” said Van Meter, who also averages 4.1 assists for the Bombers. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet that we are down here because we’re not used to it.”

Rensselaer Central hadn’t won a sectional in a dozen years prior to this month; South Knox was knocked out of sectional by rival North Knox three of the last four seasons.

Now, both programs have broken through.

“I think this group is just a special group that after last year . . . we made a really good run last year. We fell short, and it’s something they all took to heart,” said ninth-year Bombers’ coach Wes Radtke. “They met me the day after, and we got in the weight room, and really started hitting the work there. It’s the maturity and their drive, and wanting to accomplish something that nobody really saw us doing, playing for a state championship.”