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Tyler Raasch always let his play do the talking.
This season as a senior at NorthWood High School, Raasch became more of a quiet leader for the Panthers, as he finished an outstanding career in style by earning The Elkhart Truth’s Player of the Year Award.
Not only did Raasch surpass the 1,000 point mark for his career during the 2024-25 season, but he also set NorthWood career marks for total rebounds and blocked shots in his career.
Raasch is joined on the first team by Penn freshman Caleb Coolman, Jimtown’s Branden King, Goshen’s Levi Sawatzky, Edwardsburg’s Brody Schimpa and Brady Scholl of Northridge.
King and Schimpa are seniors, while Sawatzky and Scholl are juniors.
The team was chosen by The Truth’s two sports staffers and contributing writer Anthony Anderson.
Players were picked from among the nine IHSAA Elkhart County teams and fellow coverage schools Penn and Edwardsburg.
“Tyler Raasch has been a pillar in our basketball program for a long time,’’ NorthWood coach Aaron Wolfe said. “Our program and community have been blessed to be a part of his journey and we look forward to following his career.
“Tyler is an exceptional basketball player who has impacted the game in so many ways on and off the court. He has earned championships and has become a 1,000-point scorer while also shattering NorthWood’s rebounding and block shot records.’’
During the season the 6-foot-8 Raasch averaged 16 points-a-game for a 19-5 NorthWood squad, while adding 10 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and three assists, while shooting 55 percent from the field.
As he has been for three years, Raasch was an intimidating presence in the middle for a Panther team that allowed just 42.3 points-a-game.
After splitting time between J.V. and varsity as a freshman for a NorthWood team that reached the regional title game, Raasch came into his own as a sophomore and helped lead the Panthers to a Class 3A state title, playing alongside his brother and Indiana All-Star Ian Raasch.
In the overtime win over Guerin Catholic, Raash finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
“It was the greatest four years of basketball I could have imagined,’’ Raasch said. “It had a lot of ups and downs, but it was all worth it and all the relationships I was able to build with players and coaches are some of my favorite parts. I’m forever thankful for all NorthWood has done for me and my family.
Caleb Coolman
When you replace Marcus Burton and Noah Applegate in the Penn record books, you’ve done something.
That’s exactly what Coolman did this season, as his 391 total points passed the two All-State and Truth Player of the Year Penn players on the all-time scoring list for a freshman.
The 6-4 Coolman led Penn in points (15.6), rebounds (6.0) and assists (4.1) this season, while also shooting 92 percent from the free throw line.
Penn finished 6-1 in the Northern Indiana Conference and Coolman will lead a number of returning starters for Penn next season.
Branden King
King’s senior year was an epic one, leading Jimtown to the Class 2A semistate after winning sectional and regional titles for the first time since 2004.
The 6-7 King led the Jimmies in scoring (17.4), rebounds (8.8), and blocks (1.3) He also averaged 2.1 assists and shot 72 percent from the free throw line.
King scored a career-high 36 points in a loss to Culver Academy in January then had 31 points and 11 rebounds in a victory over LaVille in the first game of the 2A Jimtown Sectional.
Levi Sawatzky
This is the second straight All-Area nod for Sawatzky, who helped lead the RedHawks to a 14-10 mark last season.
The 6-foot-3 junior averaged 18.2 points-a-game for coach Michael Wohlford’s team this season, while also leading the team in steals. He ranked second for Goshen in both assists and rebounds.
Sawatzky helped lead the RedHawks to five straight wins down the stretch, before a 59-51 loss to eventual champion Warsaw in the Class 4A Elkhart Sectional.
Goshen will return all five starters for the 2025-26 season.
Brody Schimpa
The talented 6-foot-3 Schimpa had a great year for Edwardsburg and helped lead first-year coach Jared Frick’s squad to an 18-8 record and a district championship.
Schimpa filled the state sheets for the Eddies, averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals as a senior, while shooting 50 percent from the field from his guard spot.
Schimpa was a second team all-area selection last season, before moving up to the first team this year.
Brady Scholl
Speaking of filling a state sheet.
The 6-foot-6 junior did just that this season, leading the Raiders to a 21-4 mark and a runner-up finish to Warsaw in the 4A Elkhart Sectional.
Scholl was outstanding for coach Scott Radeker’s squad, leading the team in scoring (16.3), rebounds (9.6) and blocks (3.0), while ranking second in assists (2.8) and third in steals (1.2). He also shot 65 percent from the field and 68 percent from the charity stripe.
Like Schimpa and King, Scholl was a second-team All-Area selection last season, before moving up to the first team this year.
Second team
Our strong second team is led by a 2023 soccer state champion and a semi-state player from 2025.
Bethany Christian’s Jacoby Reinhardt won a Class 1A state title as the Bruins’ goalie in 2023 and now has now earned a spot on our second team.
Despite battling a foot injury late in the year, Reinhardt led the Bruins in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocked shot, while finishing third in steals. The 6-foot-5 senior averaged 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Dylan Fey helped lead the Jimtown Jimmies to the semistate round for the first time since the 2004 state championship team.
Fey, who also battled an injury, was second to King on the Jimmies squad, averaging 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. Jimtown coach Tyler Leighton also credited Fey’s leadership in the state tournament as one of the keys to the JHS success.
NorthWood’s Maddux Everingham, still another player that battled injury woes this season, is also on the second team.
In his lone season with the Panthers, Everingham averaged 16.1 points-a-game, while shooting 48 percent from the field. He was also a top defender for Wolfe’s 19-5 NorthWood squad.
Mason Bales, along with Scholl, helped lead Northridge to a 21-4 mark this season and will be attending Bethel University next season, following in the footsteps of his dad Ryan.
Bales averaged 13.6 points-a-game for the Raiders this season, while adding five rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals. He also shot 74 percent from the free throw line.
Concord’s Reese Breveard earns second-team honors after being All-Area during the football season.
The junior point guard averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals-a-game for the Minutemen, while also playing a key role in the team’s strong defense on the perimeter.
Finally Goshen’s Karter Marcum earned second-team honors after becoming one of the area’s top rebounders in 2024-25.
Standing just 6-foot-2, Marcum averaged 9.2 boards-a-game this season for the RedHawks, including pulling down 21 in a victory over Mishawaka and 17 against Fremont.
He also averaged 9.2 points, while shooting 56 percent from the field and 71 percent from the charity stripe.
Continue reading...
This season as a senior at NorthWood High School, Raasch became more of a quiet leader for the Panthers, as he finished an outstanding career in style by earning The Elkhart Truth’s Player of the Year Award.
Not only did Raasch surpass the 1,000 point mark for his career during the 2024-25 season, but he also set NorthWood career marks for total rebounds and blocked shots in his career.
Raasch is joined on the first team by Penn freshman Caleb Coolman, Jimtown’s Branden King, Goshen’s Levi Sawatzky, Edwardsburg’s Brody Schimpa and Brady Scholl of Northridge.
King and Schimpa are seniors, while Sawatzky and Scholl are juniors.
The team was chosen by The Truth’s two sports staffers and contributing writer Anthony Anderson.
Players were picked from among the nine IHSAA Elkhart County teams and fellow coverage schools Penn and Edwardsburg.
“Tyler Raasch has been a pillar in our basketball program for a long time,’’ NorthWood coach Aaron Wolfe said. “Our program and community have been blessed to be a part of his journey and we look forward to following his career.
“Tyler is an exceptional basketball player who has impacted the game in so many ways on and off the court. He has earned championships and has become a 1,000-point scorer while also shattering NorthWood’s rebounding and block shot records.’’
During the season the 6-foot-8 Raasch averaged 16 points-a-game for a 19-5 NorthWood squad, while adding 10 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and three assists, while shooting 55 percent from the field.
As he has been for three years, Raasch was an intimidating presence in the middle for a Panther team that allowed just 42.3 points-a-game.
After splitting time between J.V. and varsity as a freshman for a NorthWood team that reached the regional title game, Raasch came into his own as a sophomore and helped lead the Panthers to a Class 3A state title, playing alongside his brother and Indiana All-Star Ian Raasch.
In the overtime win over Guerin Catholic, Raash finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
“It was the greatest four years of basketball I could have imagined,’’ Raasch said. “It had a lot of ups and downs, but it was all worth it and all the relationships I was able to build with players and coaches are some of my favorite parts. I’m forever thankful for all NorthWood has done for me and my family.
Caleb Coolman
When you replace Marcus Burton and Noah Applegate in the Penn record books, you’ve done something.
That’s exactly what Coolman did this season, as his 391 total points passed the two All-State and Truth Player of the Year Penn players on the all-time scoring list for a freshman.
The 6-4 Coolman led Penn in points (15.6), rebounds (6.0) and assists (4.1) this season, while also shooting 92 percent from the free throw line.
Penn finished 6-1 in the Northern Indiana Conference and Coolman will lead a number of returning starters for Penn next season.
Branden King
King’s senior year was an epic one, leading Jimtown to the Class 2A semistate after winning sectional and regional titles for the first time since 2004.
The 6-7 King led the Jimmies in scoring (17.4), rebounds (8.8), and blocks (1.3) He also averaged 2.1 assists and shot 72 percent from the free throw line.
King scored a career-high 36 points in a loss to Culver Academy in January then had 31 points and 11 rebounds in a victory over LaVille in the first game of the 2A Jimtown Sectional.
Levi Sawatzky
This is the second straight All-Area nod for Sawatzky, who helped lead the RedHawks to a 14-10 mark last season.
The 6-foot-3 junior averaged 18.2 points-a-game for coach Michael Wohlford’s team this season, while also leading the team in steals. He ranked second for Goshen in both assists and rebounds.
Sawatzky helped lead the RedHawks to five straight wins down the stretch, before a 59-51 loss to eventual champion Warsaw in the Class 4A Elkhart Sectional.
Goshen will return all five starters for the 2025-26 season.
Brody Schimpa
The talented 6-foot-3 Schimpa had a great year for Edwardsburg and helped lead first-year coach Jared Frick’s squad to an 18-8 record and a district championship.
Schimpa filled the state sheets for the Eddies, averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals as a senior, while shooting 50 percent from the field from his guard spot.
Schimpa was a second team all-area selection last season, before moving up to the first team this year.
Brady Scholl
Speaking of filling a state sheet.
The 6-foot-6 junior did just that this season, leading the Raiders to a 21-4 mark and a runner-up finish to Warsaw in the 4A Elkhart Sectional.
Scholl was outstanding for coach Scott Radeker’s squad, leading the team in scoring (16.3), rebounds (9.6) and blocks (3.0), while ranking second in assists (2.8) and third in steals (1.2). He also shot 65 percent from the field and 68 percent from the charity stripe.
Like Schimpa and King, Scholl was a second-team All-Area selection last season, before moving up to the first team this year.
Second team
Our strong second team is led by a 2023 soccer state champion and a semi-state player from 2025.
Bethany Christian’s Jacoby Reinhardt won a Class 1A state title as the Bruins’ goalie in 2023 and now has now earned a spot on our second team.
Despite battling a foot injury late in the year, Reinhardt led the Bruins in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocked shot, while finishing third in steals. The 6-foot-5 senior averaged 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Dylan Fey helped lead the Jimtown Jimmies to the semistate round for the first time since the 2004 state championship team.
Fey, who also battled an injury, was second to King on the Jimmies squad, averaging 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds. Jimtown coach Tyler Leighton also credited Fey’s leadership in the state tournament as one of the keys to the JHS success.
NorthWood’s Maddux Everingham, still another player that battled injury woes this season, is also on the second team.
In his lone season with the Panthers, Everingham averaged 16.1 points-a-game, while shooting 48 percent from the field. He was also a top defender for Wolfe’s 19-5 NorthWood squad.
Mason Bales, along with Scholl, helped lead Northridge to a 21-4 mark this season and will be attending Bethel University next season, following in the footsteps of his dad Ryan.
Bales averaged 13.6 points-a-game for the Raiders this season, while adding five rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals. He also shot 74 percent from the free throw line.
Concord’s Reese Breveard earns second-team honors after being All-Area during the football season.
The junior point guard averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals-a-game for the Minutemen, while also playing a key role in the team’s strong defense on the perimeter.
Finally Goshen’s Karter Marcum earned second-team honors after becoming one of the area’s top rebounders in 2024-25.
Standing just 6-foot-2, Marcum averaged 9.2 boards-a-game this season for the RedHawks, including pulling down 21 in a victory over Mishawaka and 17 against Fremont.
He also averaged 9.2 points, while shooting 56 percent from the field and 71 percent from the charity stripe.
Continue reading...
